The Judeo-Christian God commanded, “Thou shalt not kill,” and Jesus enjoined his followers, “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” Believers are expected to obey God and emulate Jesus. The question of whether Christian love applies to animals and non-Christians, however, has remained unresolved. In this instance love is a matter of obedience, not reason. A believer whose faith is strong regards God’s commandment as absolute and obeys it. One of less faith may well stray from the path. In short, the basis for Christian love is not a logical principle of universal applicability but a creed accepted on faith.

The fundamental Buddhist viewpoint, based on the law of dependent origination, is that society is an organic macrocosm composed of interrelated individuals, all sharing responsibility for the common welfare.