Well, first of all ARDI proves that what has been force fed to our children in public schools for so long now, has been wrong.
In the scientists’ own words, ARDI definitely proves that humans did not evolve from apes or chimpanzees. That is the ‘hard proof’ that they have discovered and proved.
Everything else remains conjecture, speculation and theory.
I don’t know what they are talking about, or referring to for sure, when they say that their ‘hard evidence’ dispels those “fairy tales and myths.” If they are referring to the Bible Genesis account of creation, I see nothing in their discoveries of ‘hard evidence’ here that would dispute the Genesis account.
What makes us human?
Have they really proven that humans are no different from the animals, and that humans just evolved into what we are today by chance from lower life forms? Is it because we walk uniquely, like ARDI did; –is that really what makes us human? –dc
What Makes Us Human?
One day I had my students working on a project on the computers and I noticed one of the young ladies with her back to the computer in what teachers call the “pout position.” She was obviously not a happy camper and was giving me all kinds of body language that indicated she did not like what was going on. “What’s the problem Sandy” I asked. “I hate this” she replied. “What is there to hate?” I asked, “You get a chance to learn without having to listen to me!!” “That’s exactly the point,” she replied “No matter how smart this dumb machine is, it still isn’t human!!” In the years since that incident I have found large numbers of students with the same reaction. In our age of technological advancement and incredible machines, it is important to keep in mind what makes us human.
INTELLIGENCE
In the animal world, we find animals that have very high intelligence. Whales, porpoises, and some apes have been shown to have high reasoning ability and are able to solve problems. Some researchers have placed the IQs of whales and gorillas in the 90s–which is within the range of normal humans. Anyone who has worked with animals extensively knows that they have very high capabilities and do some amazing things. Animals function primarily through a highly developed application of instinctive drives. These instincts function remarkably as long as the animal is in an environmental situation that matches the design of the instinctive drive. The more scientists study animal behavior, the more they realize just how sophisticated and intricate these instinctive drives are. One of our ecological problems is that when man changes the environment in which the animal has been functioning, the animal has a hard time adjusting to the new environment and is frequently threatened with extinction. There are countless examples of this problem–salmon swimming up dammed or polluted rivers, lemmings running off cliffs where land bridges used to be, birds unsuccessfully laying eggs in places where trees used to be, whales beaching in places where man has altered the shoreline or the magnetic pattern of the earth, etc.
ENVIRONMENT
There have been numerous studies conducted with animals that are raised in human environments, beginning with Dr. Kellog’s studies of a chimpanzee raised with his son in a controlled environment in which both babies were given the same love, attention, stimulation, and learning opportunities. All of these studies have shown that animals raised in human conditions do not become human. The animal may learn to do some things that humans do–such as make desired responses to stimuli by entering the appropriate data into a computer; but those things that set man apart–like creativity, the ability to be taught to think, language (not communication), worship and the conceptualization of God, guilt, sympathy and compassion–do not appear in any degree. There have been numerous stories of feral children who were supposedly raised by animals, but sensationalism and lack of serious study make the claims of those who promote these cases difficult to use.
THE BRAIN
Those attempting to make arguments from an evolutionary standpoint are faced with another dilemma–the characteristics that make humans unique are not survival issues. Man’s ability to create art or to worship God are not factors that natural selection can work on to guarantee survival or predict extinction. In fact if anything, these characteristics are likely to cause the death of an individual and prevent the proliferation of his or her genes. Sociobiology finds no solace in the evidence that is available from the human brain.
MAN IN GOD’S IMAGE
The Bible tells us that man was created in the image of God. The image that is conveyed can not be a physical image or we would all look alike physically, which we clearly do not. The image that is being discussed is man’s spiritual image. Man possesses a spiritual dimension the Bible calls the soul. Jesus said in Matthew 10:28 “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both the body and soul in hell.” The Bible also refers to spirit in a wide range of applications including some reference to animals. It is clear from the Bible, that man possesses three entities. 1 Thessalonians states it well when the writer says: “…I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
To understand the three parts of man–body, soul and spirit–let us make a comparison to an automobile. I have a car which has a body. The body is physical and is made from the elements found in the crust of the earth. The body of my car will eventually return to the material from which it came. The car also has spirit. The thing that makes the car actually move is the fuel that is put into the gas tank. The fuel is the energy which makes the car able to function. These two components together will not make the car run in a satisfactory manner. With just these two working the car has no direction and is likely to cause destruction. There has to be a component which decides what the car will be used for, whether it will be driven responsibly, and how the other parts of the car are cared for.
The analogy breaks down of course, but it is not far off from our own make up. In the biblical language there are times when spirit and soul are used in ways that are not obvious mainly because of translation problems. The basics are still there and are very clear. We have a body which is dust and will return to dust. We also breath which is the basis of the energy that drives the biological machine. These two components we share with the animal world around us, and we are no different than a dog or a cat in these areas. Our soul is the spiritual component that decides how our bodies and how our energies will be used.
–John N. Clayton
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