How can you say a human is not an animal?

Question

Some people think that humans are special. In fact, they think humans were created as something completely separate from "those" animals.

When I compare humans to animals (specifically mammals), I notice a lot of similarities.

Physical:
Eyes, ears, nose, head, fingers/toes, hair, teeth
Same 5 senses
Systems: digestive, nervous, etc.
Sex organs

Behavioral:
Sneeze
Yawn
Sleep
Emotions
Sexual desires

How can you say a human is not an animal? How can you say that we aren't the same? I will be very disappointed to find out that god made me special but decided to make me crap once a day just like my dog does.

I don't think we are more intelligent than animals. All we have that they don't is a great ability for language (written and verbal). Without that, I would be outside scratching myself without a care in the world. Ignorance is bliss. There are a lot of rabbits where I work. They are often sun bathing, playing tag or eating. I would get along great if they would only stop running from me.

Oh, my girlfriend says we are not animals but something else, something special that god put here to rule over the planet and animals.

Answer 1

Yeah, I agree. We're very intelligent animals (well, most of us anyway) but animals nonetheless.

Actually, in my opinion, our civilization needs to get out of this mindset that we're special at all. We're really not. People don't like to hear that, but we're not. We don't have a "higher purpose"; we're a puny species on a puny planet floating around in a universe that's so vast that none of us will ever be able to comprehend it. In the broad scope of things, how meaningful and important are we? Not very.

Answer 2

Our system of species identification is a human-developed method of classification.

God did not create life to fit into our system of classification, but rather our system of classification was invented to define what God created.

You're right that we're animals, at least by our system of scientific nomenclature. We're defined thusly for many of the reasons you listed above. But just as we are animals, we are a totally distinct and separate species.

You wouldn't say that a dog and a cat are the same just because they both have eyes, ears, nose, head, fingers, etc.,. In the same way, we are highly distinct from other species of animals.

Being an animal doesn't exclude us from being special. God created us as physical beings who need to eat and poop just like the rest of creation. The difference is in our minds, behaviors and spirits. We are more intelligent for a reason. God put us in charge of his creation in Genesis.

All God's creation is special. Every creature plays a vital role in the balance of nature, because that's the way God made it. But every species is unique, including us.

Answer 3

Technically speaking humans are animals mammals in fact. However humans have the ability to make decisions based on facts. We can be very complicated. Besides when was the last time you let someone into the house to steal your stereo because they gave you a treat?

Answer 4

I am a firm believer in evolution, but your argument won't get you
very far.

There are a lot of things that evolved to perform similar functions
but took very different routes. For instance, the wing of a bat and the
wing of a bee perform virtually the same functions.

By your logic, how can they not be related?

Bats are mammals. Bees are insects. Yeah, I guess they are related
very very distantly, but the fact that they both fly is evidence of very little.

Answer 5

Well you have many characteristics that an animal doesn't, you have intelligent speach, you can learn to do things besides roll over and play dead. You have a soul. You can think through things. You have an incredible amount of potential intellegence. You can use money, you can count, read, and write. You can't compare humans to animals.

Answer 6

Humans are in essence animals. But there are many, many things that makes humans different from animals which you did not list. Humans have intelligence beyond what any other animal on this planet has. We build, we create, we use tools, we wear clothes, we use shelter, we use fire. Name one animal that can do all that besides humans.

Answer 7

We are, in fact, "animals". . .but not in a derogatory way. . .we mostly have an evolved mind or conscience. . .the ability to initiate sex at will and for solely for pleasure (although the dolphin and a certain species of monkey can do this as well under more conditional situations). . .and the capacity to "help" or "harm" others like a g-d!

Personally, I like the reference to humans and animals as "creatures". . .this brings us together in a broader way without making any comparisons.

Answer 8

Well I crap in a toilet,drive a car and spend money and alot of us humans wear clothes. I also have several animals which I give baths to and feed and care for.

Answer 9

I think you got your point,i.e a human is an animal-just because we share most similarities.

But will you agree if I tell you-Jesus possess all human attributes and therefore he is 100 % human and not God ,i.e by the same analogy as above.

Answer 10

We are animals. We just don't consider ourselves animals, How come every other living creature on this earth is an animal except for us? We ARE animals, it's just that our brains our more sophisticated. I don't mean sophisticated in condesceding sense either. Sophisticated in that they allow us to do some things that other animals can't. But, animals are pretty smart too. Some of them can build their own houses, hunt for food, etc.-they just don't have cell phones.