The following brief discussion took place with regards to the Ken Miller, via the Veritas Forum, “What distinguishes humans from other animals?”
I commented:
“What distinguishes humans from other animals?” Well, for one: we are not animals. Now, what distinguishes humans from animals?
Fashion faux pas!!!
A certain Benjamin Thomas D. G. replied:
From a scientific point of view, the human species (Homo sapiens) belongs to the animal kingdom. So yes, ‘other animals’ is correct.
My reply:
From a theological point of view (such as that upon which the Veritas Forum is premised), the human species (Homo sapiens) does not belong to the animal kingdom. So no, “other animals” is incorrect.
Just goes to show how many levels of definitions there are based on context.
Benjamin Thomas D. G.’s reply:
There are many different theological points of view, and a lot of theological conceptions don’t have any scientific foundation. A lot of our ancestors that belonged to the genus ‘Homo’ were not entirely the same as modern humans, but there is no clear point in time when modern humans came into existence, because our evolution as a species was gradual process.
Of course, in the Bible it is assumed that humans were created by God and aren’t directly related to (other) animals, but this assumption has no scientific basis. It is merely a hypothesis which can’t be verified by scientific investigation.
My reply:
Well, it seems that to claim that our evolution as a species was gradual process is an assumption which has no scientific basis. It is merely a hypothesis which can’t be verified by scientific investigation.
And that, as they say, was that.
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