Re: Special Creation

I think the better phrase would be to say that I am not grounded in the rich faussette view of the biblical milieu. To that I plead guilty.

Prove to me that death, fear and shame are unique to humans. Animals die, and you prove to me that they dont have any awareness of this. They clearly experience fear in a physiological sense. I cant prove to you that they have an emotional response that we would call fear, but you cant prove to me that they do not. And what is shame? I have certainly seen my dog cower and retreat when he has gotten into the trash can. What is that? Fear, guilt, shame?

Self awareness, shame, guilt all could be part of what it means to be made in the image of God. Some of these things are impossible to know, but they dont seem to be unique to humans.
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: RFaussette@aol.com
  To: drsyme@cablespeed.com
  Cc: asa@calvin.edu
  Sent: Saturday, March 04, 2006 5:19 PM
  Subject: Re: Special Creation

  In a message dated 3/4/2006 1:45:37 PM Eastern Standard Time, drsyme@cablespeed.com writes:
    Interesting idea but how do you know that is true? How do you know that animals are not self aware? Or for Moorad how do you know that animals are not aware of imminent death?

    How do you suppose you would test for these things? Chimpanzees and dolphins have been shown that they are able to recognize themselves in a mirror. Perhaps this is not self awareness in the sense that you are using the term, but perhaps your use of the term is not testable.
  What does the bible have to do with animals seeing themselves in mirrors? Shepherds don't see chimps or dolphins. They see sheep. Shepherds domesticate animals that behave instinctively. Shepherds can lead lambs to the slaughter because they are not aware of imminent death. The patriarchs were shepherds. You're not grounded in the biblical milieu.

  After the fall Adam's eyes are OPENED. Read what it says. Forget the chimps and dolphins. Read it literally. Death (awareness of), fear (awareness of death increases ontological anxiety) and shame (of the self that has emerged - what else can one be ashamed of but the "self") came with the fall. That's what it says in genesis.

  And the epic of gilgamesh before it says the same thing.

  rich faussette
Received on Sat Mar 4 17:43:27 2006