Human Origins

Ever since Copernicus decided to put the Sun at the center of the solar system, various scientists and philosophers have worked overtime in their efforts to diminish the role of humankind in the Universe. As a result, we have gone from being the crowning glory of God’s creation, to a hairless ape stuck on a small planet circling a mediocre sun in the distant reaches of one arm of a single galaxy that is one among billions of others. Some of the most widely read authors in the evolutionary camp (such as Carl Sagan, Stephen Jay Gould, Steven Weinberg, and Richard Dawkins) have repeatedly emphasized the lack of our uniqueness, and the “luck” supposedly related to our very existence (mundane as it may be). Thus, man is viewed as occupying neither the center of the Universe, nor any sort of preeminent place in the living world; rather, we are nothing more, nor less, than the product of the same natural, evolutionary processes that created all of the “other animals” around us. In short, we are at best a “cosmological accident.” Or, to express the idea in the words of the late, eminent evolutionist of Harvard, George Gaylord Simpson: “Man is the result of a purposeless and natural process that did not have him in mind. He was not planned. He is a state of matter, a form of life, a sort of animal, and a species of the Order Primates, akin nearly or remotely to all of life and indeed to all that is material” (1967, p. 345). According to the most extreme version of this view, it is the utmost arrogance on man’s part to identify any characteristic that distinguishes him from members of the animal kingdom. Any differences we might think we perceive are merely a matter of degree, and for all the things we may do better, there are other things we certainly do worse. Other primates, in particular, are worthy of coequality because they are supposed to be our nearest living relatives. Some even have gone so far as to suggest that this kinship puts a burden on us to make laws granting special rights to apes (Cavalieri and Singer, 1993; cf. Maddox, 1993). The problem with such extreme positions is that they provide no reasonable stopping point. If we include other primates in a “global community of equals,” then why not include all mammals, all animals, all living things? If apes’ rights advocates can devise criteria that divide humans and apes from the other animals, then is it not equally legitimate for humans to devise criteria that separate us from the apes? In other words, can we say that there are no essential differences between humans and, say, chimpanzees? To put it another way, are there enough similarities to make us treat all primates on the same level (or almost on the same level) as members of our own species? Or is man truly unique in his own right? In this book, we affirm the unqualified uniqueness of humankind. The fact is, there are numerous different aspects that man possesses—which animals do not. And each of those aspects not only is significant, but also serves to separate man from the animal kingdom in a most impressive fashion. Consider, for example, the following few examples among many that could be offered (and will be, later in this volume).
• First, man is capable of speaking and communicating his thoughts via language.
 • Second, man can improve his education, accumulate knowledge, and build on past achievements..
 • Third, man is creative, and can express himself via art, music, writing, etc.
 • Fourth, closely related to man’s creative ability is his gift of reasoning.
 • Fifth, included in man’s uniqueness is his free-will capacity to make rational choices.
 • Sixth, only man lives by a standard of morality, and has the ability to choose between right and wrong.
• Seventh, only man possesses a conscience.
 • Eighth, only man can experience heart-felt emotions.
• Ninth, man alone possesses a unique, inherent religious inclination; i.e., he has the ability to worship.
 • Finally, and very likely most important, is the fact that man bears the spiritual imprint of God due to the fact that he possesses an immortal soul. Knowing “the truth about human origins” centers on these (and other related) factors. It is our goal in this book to examine a number of these issues, and to provide what renowned American news commentator Paul Harvey might call “the rest of the story.” We invite you to join us on a fascinating journey examining the origin and uniqueness of humanity—a journey that, we promise, will be anything but dull, and one that may even change the way you think about yourself and your fellow travelers in this pilgrimage we call “life.”

Brad Harrub Bert Thompson December 2003 The Truth About Human Origins