Quote Originally Posted by Mindibun View Post
It seems to me that you feel very strongly about your views on the matter, and so you're presenting them as fact. I respect your views, and happen to agree with some of them. I also understand that we all have a tendency to blur the line between opinion and fact from time to time. But in this instance I wanted to speak up about it. The examples that you've given there are completely dependent on each individual snake and handler. When you say, "If your snake recognizes you as the warm object that does not drop him, then kudos! That's all he thinks when he smells or feels you." Well, you don't KNOW that's what he's thinking do you? This whole debate got started because NO ONE knows what the snakes are thinking.
I know I'm a PITA and I do blur the line. It's difficult on this and many subjects.

When it comes to this topic, when we start to question whether or not our snakes really feel something for us, I have to go back to their physical anatomy. Can they feel any sort of emotion? I would say not. Others say, "How do you really know?" Well, it's true I don't talk to my snakes.

We can compare the two like evolution and religion. Evolution is still only a theory. A theory that is taught as a fact in most of the world. How can I as a Christian contend against it? Well... all I can really say is "Were you there? Then you don't actually KNOW."

Now I know how silly of an argument that is against all of these facts and findings that support the theory of evolution, so what am I really left with? Faith. This faith that many just don't understand.

Now leading back to your rebuttals that I don't actually know what my snakes are really thinking or feeling. I can take a pretty educated guess based on behaviors and anatomy and come to a neat conclusion that no, my snakes don't "feel" anything for me; but truly I have never spoken to them.

I've said it before in this very thread, I think they can tell the difference between 2 different people, and may prefer one over the other based on past experiences and associations, but not because they like you as a person, but because I believe they prefer you as a handler based off the trust you've built and the associations that come with it. (if it matters at all, I did vote yes to the initial poll question.)