Should any animal be considered a "non-human person"?

No. A person is a living human individual. However, dolphins are highly intelligent animals and deserve greater protections than, say, tuna.

The elephant in the closet here is that humans are immeasurably more intelligent than dolphins, but the people of this world have no problem with putting humans to death before birth, when their genetic intelligence is completely established.

Cheers,

Bruce

Yes. I understand wishful thinking, but apart from wishful thinking I fail to grasp what the difference is between humans and every other animal. I know that a lot of humans badly wish that there was a difference between us and every other animal, but there's nothing based in fact showing that humans are different or special.

If humans can be "persons" then all other animals can be "persons." All wishful thinking aside, there is nothing at all that makes humans different or special.

Also, FYI, Adam and Eve were fictional characters, and the Bible is a fictional book. If you seriously believe the Bible is the direct word of God, or that you can know anything about God by reading the Bible then indeed you are a simple and naive fool.

I have to ask what differentiates a person from a non-person. Is a wise dolphin a person? How about a human newborn? What makes something a person, and what difference does it make?

When dolphins band together and make demands to be treated like any other person, then maybe there's an argument to be made. But last time I checked, we teach the tricks to them, not the other way around.

Evil? Evil? Really? Surely most animals do not have the intelligence of a human being, but your statment is the source of most, if not all animal cruelty. Treating any animal below a person, especially those that have some form of conciousness (and I believe that most of them do) is clearly immoral. How would you like it if you were a chicken that was force fed enough for you to not be able to walk, and forced to lay eggs, only to be slaughtered in the end?

By the way, you are also insulting Hindus, Buddhists, and etc. by saying those dang self-centered statements with such ignorance that you refuse to acknoledge the evidence for evolution and incredible high chances of alien life.

IF you really want to use the bible for justification, read below. And yes, Christians use the old testament as God's word.

Suppose you hear in one of the towns the LORD your God is giving you that some worthless rabble among you have led their fellow citizens astray by encouraging them to worship foreign gods. In such cases, you must examine the facts carefully. If you find it is true and can prove that such a detestable act has occurred among you, you must attack that town and completely destroy all its inhabitants, as well as all the livestock. Then you must pile all the plunder in the middle of the street and burn it. Put the entire town to the torch as a burnt offering to the LORD your God. That town must remain a ruin forever; it may never be rebuilt. Keep none of the plunder that has been set apart for destruction. Then the LORD will turn from his fierce anger and be merciful to you. He will have compassion on you and make you a great nation, just as he solemnly promised your ancestors. "The LORD your God will be merciful only if you obey him and keep all the commands I am giving you today, doing what is pleasing to him." (Deuteronomy 13:13-19 NLT)

Yes because we are a type of animals called Human beings

Genesis 2:19

Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.

I don't see that God really cares what we name the animals, seeing as he gave that job to Adam instead of doing it himself. They are animals and that won't change. They are non-human... entities/persons whatever.

Personally, it doesn't bother me in the least.

Now seriously, how does the consideration of them being considered "non-human persons" effect you or your religion in any way? Honestly, what difference does it make in your life?

As for the rest of your rant, would it make you feel better if dolphins wore clothes?

If someone talks about the legal status of a dolphin, at that point he is no scientist but a politician.

Dolphins are idiots btw. There are smarter animals.

Oh and I'd like you to reread the text, it was clearly intended as a pun on their intelligence, not an actual proposition.

Read the headline. Does it say that they want dolphins to be legally made "non-human persons" or TREATED as "non-human persons"? There's a big difference.

Dumb animals are non-persons. Lasie did not go to Heaven or Hell, Anyone who has a different view is a liberal politician,