This thread is so massively long, so if I'm repeating something, forgive me.. I'm not going to read 91+ pages to double check.
(March 9, 2010 at 12:15 am)AngelThMan Wrote: Without further ado, here’s the evidence: Humans are the only species, out of millions of species, which have evolved into an intelligent life form.
Wrong, there are several species that exist on this planet that are intelligent life forms. I know what you're trying to say though. We think at a different capacity, and an advanced capacity, over other creatures.
But still, to answer what you MEANT, which is... why are we the only ones to become so advanced, in terms of math, communication, science, reasoning, understanding, etc, I'll answer for you.
Quote:Other species live pretty much to eat and sleep -- survival. If our evolution were only a result of natural selection, shouldn’t other species, or even just one, have evolved into intelligent beings after millions of years?
You're making the assumption that all species are going to evolve in the same fashion. This is like you saying,
"Since there are millions of birds on this planet, shouldn't we have wings too?"
We happen to be a unique species capable of advanced reasoning skills. I'd say that our ability to think on this level is what defines us as human. You're under the assumption, though, that all other species are expected to be like this. This is not the case.
Even if it was the case, why do you believe that humans are the only ones capable of this thought process? It could very well be that in the future, pandas end up being the next species to think like us, or any species, for that matter.
Quote:But the fact is that no other species have been able to develop science, literature, art, music and intelligent thought process as humans have. Isn’t this evidence that God exists?
No, it's not. It's evidence that over time, humans developed, and happened to be the first species capable of doing this. It's as simple as that.
I'm not going to do a huge amount of research, so this isn't a prime example, however, this is like saying that Electrophorus is one of the first and only species to give off an "electric" shock. Why don't elephants have this? Why don't cats do this?
A better example of your logic is the Immortal Jellyfish, or
Turritopsis nutricula. It's the only species that can properly revert back to a younger stage of it's life cycle. How come we can't do this? Is the fact that the jellyfish was given this ability, and not us, proof that God exists?
Your logic is the same as, "God must exist, look at the trees."
Quote:Yes it is, and for several reasons. For one thing it corroborates what’s written in the bible, which is that God created man in his image, and that animals are inferior.
That's because humans already existed back then, and animals were and still are in many cases, considered inferior. If I write a book that you're inferior, and I'm superior, does this make it true? No? The book wouldn't be old enough you say? So in like, 2000 years or so, the book would be true, and I'd officially be superior to you? What if I wrote that I healed people in the book too, that would be 100% proof and evidence right?
Quote:But to truly understand why my evidence points towards a deity one needs to be able to appreciate the grandness of this gift that is human intelligence. And you have to ask yourself, why are we the only species, out of millions, that have achieved this type of intelligence?
Because we were the first to do it, as simple as that.
Quote:Evolution is about natural selection, but shouldn’t at least one other species, out of millions, have benefited from intelligence? I think so.
Intelligence at our level? Well no, like I said, we're simply the first to have it. It is indeed, what makes us unique. However, another subject completely... But you're missing the fact that there are several species who are able to think basic concepts and learn new things, at a level of human capacity... That aren't just simple mimicking. Birds that do advanced math, apes that actually communicate via computers and sign language, etc.
Of course, humans taught them how to do this, but of course... humans teach humans, that's the only way we learn.
In fact, animals learn things the same way. They teach their young what they know, etc.
So, if you're wondering why my cat doesn't have advanced conversations with me about physics, and can't cook or make me a cup of tea... It's simply because it's a cat, and that's not how it learned to do things... and simply put, can't do such things.
Why don't humans act like dogs? Or birds? Or rats? Because we're not them, and they're not us. God has nothing to do with it, and our differences don't account for a God.
Quote:And there would be a myriad of other intelligent species if there were no God. If you can appreciate the grandness and uniqueness of human intelligence, then you’ll understand why only humans were given this gift, and you'll know why what I've outlined here points to a God.
So, since humans were the first species to think at this level... That's proof that there's God. Uh, no.
