Evolution and Human Exceptionalism

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen 

To be blunt, secularists detest human exceptionalism, insisting that "we are just animals," "we are all apes," "we are all fish," and similar things. Indeed, when doing some background on this article, one about monkeys in space on Wickedpedia used "other animals" and "other primates" in the opening sentence.

Yes, according to self-serving definitions, we are animals/mammals/primates. Fine, that is useful for classification and scientific research. To say that we are only animals which are more highly evolved, that comes from a naturalistic worldview.

Chimpanzee Ham with trainers, credit: NASA (usage does not imply endorsement)

It is interesting that those with this worldview cannot be consistent with living it. Our alleged cousins engage in cannibalism and other acts of extreme violence that are not allowed in human society — we cannot act like them.

I know why, and so do you: Human exceptionalism. Intelligent Design proponents will not usually go as far as to say that is means we are created in the image of God, but it's true. Monkeys and apes do not build complex societies, and the only way for one to be in a rocket is for humans to put it there.

Darwin's disciples may claim that since some animals use tools, it proves we are nothing special. That is vapid reasoning and very deceitful because it only allows for one possible explanation. (Also, define tool. How complex is it? Does it involve conceptualization and design? That'll be the day!) A biblical creationist can see animals using tools because some are more intelligent than others, and our Creator designed them to be able to survive and thrive.

To see the article by a supporter of Intelligent Design that inspired the first part of this article, click on "Why Humans Can’t 'Share the Spotlight' With Tool-Using Animals."

Another way secularists denigrate humans is to present us as animals through imagined evolutionary history. For example, Neanderthals were brutes who were not long out of swinging through the trees. Evolutionists had to give up and admit they were fully human when the mountain of evidence fell on them.

Anthropology and paleontology continually surprise evolutionists when they discover that early humans were surprisingly intelligent and, like the Neanderthals, showed that they had human traits. One would think that if a member of a group was not fit to benefit the whole, they would be left behind.

It was recently discovered that one ancient culture held children who had Down Syndrome with high esteem. A pragmatic view would be that they are not useful, so get rid of them — like humans do today through abortions. Instead, those that died were buried with honor. That is in keeping with biblical creationist views: God created people with intelligence, emotions, and spirituality from the beginning.

If you want to read the article that supports this second section (by the same author as the first), visit "Prehistoric Children with Down Syndrome Were Valued, Burials Show."