Wednesday, December 14, 2005
The Non-Human Chimp
Chimps and Humans
A major claim we hear over and over these days is that chimpanzees are close relatives to humans based on the seeming similarity of their DNA to human DNA. The differences are more significant than is generally revealed to the general public in the effort to strengthen belief in evolutionary theory. The truth is, chimps remain animals, and they are not as human-like as they appear from the movies.
Recently Nature (October 27, 2005) published an article in which 18 chimps were studied (7 in Louisiana and 11 in Texas). They were taught to pull a rope, or whatever, to deliver food to their own tray or to the tray of another chimp. After being sure they knew how to do this, the chimps were put in pairs. They showed no regard for sharing food with the other (strange or foreign) chimp and put food on the other chimp’s tray no more often than they did when they were alone.
They had nothing to lose (they were never denied food for themselves), but they simply had no desire to help another chimp. They may (as some studies show) help a close relative or partner, but they showed no compassion at all on those they did not know.
Compare that with the overwhelming support humans (and especially Christians, and in particular Southern Baptists) have given to Tsunami victims in Southeast Asia, earthquake victims in Pakistan, and hurricane victims in Louisiana and Mississippi and other affected areas. Is it really evolution that gave humans this distinctive compassion?
Psalm 100:3 says, “It is He who has made us and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.”
A major claim we hear over and over these days is that chimpanzees are close relatives to humans based on the seeming similarity of their DNA to human DNA. The differences are more significant than is generally revealed to the general public in the effort to strengthen belief in evolutionary theory. The truth is, chimps remain animals, and they are not as human-like as they appear from the movies.
Recently Nature (October 27, 2005) published an article in which 18 chimps were studied (7 in Louisiana and 11 in Texas). They were taught to pull a rope, or whatever, to deliver food to their own tray or to the tray of another chimp. After being sure they knew how to do this, the chimps were put in pairs. They showed no regard for sharing food with the other (strange or foreign) chimp and put food on the other chimp’s tray no more often than they did when they were alone.
They had nothing to lose (they were never denied food for themselves), but they simply had no desire to help another chimp. They may (as some studies show) help a close relative or partner, but they showed no compassion at all on those they did not know.
Compare that with the overwhelming support humans (and especially Christians, and in particular Southern Baptists) have given to Tsunami victims in Southeast Asia, earthquake victims in Pakistan, and hurricane victims in Louisiana and Mississippi and other affected areas. Is it really evolution that gave humans this distinctive compassion?
Psalm 100:3 says, “It is He who has made us and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.”
