What is so special about mankind?

Question

So many religions out there either say that only humans are of any spiritual value or that humans are explicitly a higher level of life.

(of course, we're the ones who nominated, voted, and awarded ourselves this distinction... but that's another topic)

What the hell is so special about us?
Where do we get off acting like the "chosen" lifeform?


In terms of trustworthiness and loyalty, I'll put my dog (and even my evil cat) up against any human in existance.

I'm sorry, but when I look at the behavior of the species Homo Sapiens versus other species, I fail to see what is so damn special about us.
And I also note that the only species impressed with Homo Sapiens is ... Homo Sapiens.

So don't tell me that the bible (written by Homo Sapiens) constitutes any kind of proof that Homo Sapiens are occupy spiritual higher ground.

Anyone out there ever question whether man really is closer to "god" than are those we arrogantly term the "lesser animals"?

Answer 1

Tonight I am inclined to agree with you. I am down on people right now. I'm seeing ugliness from the fellow humanoids. My cats are better company.

Answer 2

Homo Sapiens are the only race who have free will, all other species live by instinct. I do not believe that dogs or Evil cats have an established religion. Also humans are 3 part beings mind body and soul, I dont believe animals have souls.

Answer 3

Our capacity to act in such widely diverse and frustrating ways is precisely because we are at the top of the evolutionary scale. Dolphins and chimps show an extraordinary capacity for violence because they are so intelligent. The hard wired responses of (evolutionarily) lower life forms allow a narrow range of responses to the environment. The development of the cortext helped primates to modify and give different weight to these responses, Ultimately our most highly developed 9known) cortext allows us to produce a virtually infinite number of novel behaviors. Higher organisms can be called moral because they can choose not to be. We are the highest known expression of an organisms ability to manipulate its environment, making us more creative than any other known organism. Perhaps that capacity to create is what people mean by closest to God.

Answer 4

Those people are anthropocentric (human = the center of the Universe). Kind of egocentric actually, the tree hidden behind the forest.

They want to see reflections of themselves everywhere.
Even in "transcendantal entities"...

I think it is just a question of evolution level. I expect people to give up with anthropocentrism within the next few centuries.

I am an unbeliever who is fan of planetology. Planetologists aren't anthropocentric.
.

Answer 5

The difference is that we are rational beings, unlike any other animal. We have the conciousness to know that we exist in the world and that naturally makes us think we are special and higher lifeforms. With such rational minds we often overthink and with that complexity, we may have problematic consequences.

Answer 6

It's because we have the ability and burden of judgment. Not judgment for survival's sake like "lesser creatures", but judgment that often serves as a protection of our own egos. We judge our own abilities, values and beliefs as being special and desirable, which creates a sense of heirarchy which begs the topic of spirituality in which one being posesses all of the traits that we value and desire which in turn means their simply MUST be equal and opposite force to explain all of the things we simply DON'T desire

Answer 7

I agree....I think that we do have to potential to be greater than we are because we do have the ability to look in the mirror and choose to change animal behaviors, but VERY few ever do....We just go on our arrogant ways boasting that we are better than other species, when in reality we aren't.

Answer 8

an straightforward know a severe high quality of Jesus i considered in the present day. contained in the communicate the brother further out that when Jesus were baptized and went to the wasteland for 40 days devil tempted him. The scripture said suggested he replaced into hungry. and also you may want to imagine basically how hungry even as devil stated for him to expose a stone right into a loaf of bread...he may have idea for an on the spot how starving he replaced into yet answered...guy might want to no longer live to inform the tale bread on my own....yet with the help of each expression of Jehovah's mouth. That proper there proves that even in starvation circumstances Jesus replaced into unselfish. He idea more desirable of his promise to God than his own gratification. he will truly be an unselfish chief with surely organic motives even as coping with mere people.

Answer 9

We have the ability to think, reason, and react - to use a spoken language. That doesn't make us superior to other creators, but gives us the responsibility of being "caregivers" to every living thing. If we don't use our resources wisely, habitats and animals die off.

Are you gonna send an e-mail and start an argument on this one?

Answer 10

man is just another animal, sometimes better, more often worse than those that walk on all-fours, who, because of his “divine spiritual and intellectual development,” has become the most vicious animal of all!