Does sending love violate free will?

[kristina]

Very good questions.

In my opinion, as long as you are not attached to an outcome, sending love is fine. It's when you want to control something that free will becomes an issue. For example, if I give a homeless person money, I don't care how that money is spent. Whether the homeless person spends it on drugs or food doesn't matter because the choice is not mine to make—my choice was to share my money.

When it comes to animals it gets a little trickier for many reasons. If one has a pet, there must be some rules when entities live together; what's tricky is there is no verbal agreement. So as far as telling a dog to "sit" for example, I would look at why it's being said. Is it for a reason that's important? How much of the desire for the dog to sit is based on a need to control? Also, if one has a pet, I would hope the animal could live its natural animal life as much as possible. For example, caged animals and animals that never go outside would be very unnatural and controlling. I'm kind of out of the box here, but I don't like fish aquariums, zoos, stabled riding horses, etc. for that very reason—because humanity is infringing upon the free will lives of those animals. (And this is to say nothing of the industries that abuse animals.)

Thank you for caring about these things.

You know that stabled riding horses caught my eye...
Do you own a stabled riding horse? I can't speak for aquarium fish and zoos but I can for a stabled horse and maybe another animal or two . I think there are people who care and love these animals to the fullest capacity of which they are able. I have two meat rabbits that I saved. They are in a "cage", yeah it is a custom cage and has two levels and multiple rooms. I would like to also include that these particular rabbits do not know how to dig a burrow. They dig in the ground but not to dig a burrow (I have provided a run for them on the ground that is also "fenced in" to keep them safe). I think sometimes we are provided with the choice of lesser of two evils. I could allow them loose and be eaten by a hawk or I can care for them the best way I know how. They could run, jump and play until they are eaten or I could provide them quality food, treats, a clean home and live for 5-8 years with my family. These little bunnies want for nothing and we get to learn from one another. I get to learn more about them and they from me. Same with my horses who beg to come in on a freezing cold day or a bistering hot day where they have a fan to stand in front of. Horses can live more than 30 years if they are kept with humans and not nearly as long if they are left to roam freely. Of course, not all horses are meant to be with humans and not all humans are meant to have such an animal. In this case we must examine our intentions. How and what we intend to do with our desires. It also heps to know ourselves and what we can and cannot accept.