We have “evolved”. Really? Purely by accident we have supposedly “adapted naturally to our environment”. This poses some questions that should be obvious. If the argument from Naturalism is that we “used to be” [this], and we have evolved into [this]. We came from cave man, even apes, both of which “lived outside”…in nature. Lets look at how every other “animal” has completed this transformation and see if there is a difference…see if we too are “just another animal”
The most common theme I see in the arguments for Naturalism are that everything evolved to become better suited for life “outside”. Thing is, now we can’t survive outside, or in many instances without clothing, shelter, and “unnatural heat”. We die from “exposure to the elements”, or exposure to “outside”. I will be the first to notice the irony of the fact that this argument can also be used for Naturalism. So many will agree that it is dependant upon one’s point of view, biases they hold, and their belief system. <—-This, however can not be said about any of the other “animals” in nature.
Another argument from Naturalism is that morality can be “seen” in the animal world. This is an ongoing debate about subjective morality vs objective morality, and that morality and empathy are one and the same. According to scripture we have been given a soul by a creator, which none of the other animals have. They are said to have a spirit, but not a soul. Approaching this argument from this perspective is a sure stalemate. Is there any obvious, noticeable differences in man and animal? Too many to list, but lets look at this morality vs empathy from a different angle.
Man hunts other animals for sport.
Name another animal that seems to “want to” kill “other animals”, and even his own peers for enjoyment. Is this the same moral code of ethics we see in “animals”? Are there any psychopathic serial killer penguins roaming the Arctic with a law enforcement agency representative penguin hot on its tale? Do we see animals telling their peers lies to swindle them out of their “stash”? Any practical joking ants, grasshoppers? The comedian wasp? Yea, they’ve been known to be quite hilarious=)
Man’s morality goes a bit further than animal empathy. They are not even close to being the same thing. If morality comes from the need to survive as a group, then where are all the laws for that group, the lawless, the rebels, and the long journey to distant lands to war with the others of their own species? How can Naturalism explain the difference in opinions, or even better, show that animals have opinions? Do all animals have a hive mentality? Do all animals care for their young until they are old enough to survive on their own? The answer to most questions like this is no, so…why not?
Why do some animals “teach” their young, and some abandon them at conception (egg layers even before birth)?
If the “goal” of a naturally evolving organism is to reach the most efficient state of developement for the survival of the species, then why do some achieve this and some become extinct, when they have the exact same resources starting out? Does management come into play in this? Did man gain the usage of knowledge and choices through powers of reason, allowing him to simply “decide to manage” the fate of everything else in existence…by “evolving”? Or, is this also “managed” by reason and knowledge, and choice? No other animal has this morality, or “mentality”.
So if we are “just another animal”, why are we not like any of them?