quote:
Sonnike say::
Well, for one we have a spirit.
And you know this because ... ?
Likewise, even if you could prove that humans have a spirit
how do you know that other animals do not?
Other cultures believe that all life is imbued with a spirit
and some that even inanimate objects have a spirit. What makes
your world view the correct one?
quote:
Secondly, we bury our dead and THINK about mortality.
All social animals exhibit varying social behaviours, how does
this behaviour mark humans as different?
Are you sure that no other animals bury their dead?
Are you sure that all human cultures bury their dead?
How do you know what other animals do or do not think?
quote:
Thirdly, we have creativity and imagination beyond any animal (fine art, space shuttle, etc).
Could a zulu tribesman design a space shuttle, and does that
make him different to other humans?
How do you know what any other animal imagines?
Is a disabled person unable to co-ordinate his arms different
to a human who can paint portraits (in any significant manner
in the context of the question here)?
quote:
We can control fire, no animal can do that.
Very jungle book ... but I guess this one is about right.
The question from this is 'how does a practical capability
differentiate us from other animals?'
We don't have spots on our fur either, nor can we run at speeds
greater than about 25mph (or thereabouts), but that is true of many
animals ... is a tiger not an animal because it is stripey?
quote:
We make and use advanced tools.
Other animals utilise objects as tools, and chimps will modify
sticks to make neat little termite pickers. Okay so you say
advanced tools, but there once was the view that man was different
because he used tools full-stop.
Having different physical and intellectual capacity does not
make us different from other animals in any sense.
Or are the mentally and physically disabled non-human?
quote:
We can speak, and write, and communicate with each other in intelligent ways.
All social animals communicate with one another in intelligent
ways. Mere cats have lookouts that shout warnings about snakes
and eagles. When warned about a snake the other mere cats take
to the trees, when warned about eagles they head for their
burrows ... that strikes me as intelligent communication and it
is verbal (different sounds are used for the different threats).
Chimps and gorillas have been taught sign language, and I have seen
a documentary on a parrot that was taught to speak (not mimic)
and could tell when asked what shapes and colours it was being
shown. This parrot also showed intelligence in the sense that
at one point during the demonstration it refused to
participate any longer saying 'No.' when asked any questions.
Not all human culture have had a written language so I can hardly
count that as a differentiating factor.
quote:
We think about our brain.
And you know that other animals don't?
quote:
We have dominion over the animals.
Exaplain this one ... in what way do we have dominion over
the animals?
To take someone else's quote
(apologies can't remember who posted this)
get in a pit with a hungry lion and tell me who has dominion
over whom.
quote:
We debate about things, like evolution, origins, etc.
Perhaps other creatures don't have the slack time to discuss
idly the more cerebral aspects of life, the universe, and
everything ... after all they are too busy making a living.
There are plenty of human cultures where the practical aspects
of life leave little room for such idle banter.
quote:
We are NOT animals. We are created in God's image.
Proove it.
™ Version 4.2