Cousin of Man?

Today I heard about more news that supposedly links us to the Chimpanzee. I learned that a Duke researcher now says that Chimpanzees are even closer to us humans because they take risks and gamble. (No, they didn't have them playing poker, pulling slot machines, or rolling dice in Las Vegas!)

The researchers compared the wild Chimpanzee to its smaller cousin, the Bonobo, which only lives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire). They found that, while the two species eat similar items, Bonobos eat from sources that are much more reliable. Chimpanzees, on the other hand, forage from more unreliable sources and are therefore willing to take more chances when it comes to gathering food for the troop, including actually hunting down small prey or even a fellow chimpanzee.

According to their findings, they believe that this characteristic is another reason why Chimpanzees and humans are closely related! Supposedly, humans and Chimpanzees separated 6 million years ago. Where do they come up with these ideas? Do they really think that people will believe it? Well, actually, I guess they do. For all the educated people there are these days, there sure are some dumb ideas floating around. Below I will elaborate on some of the ideas and then give my take on the evidence.

First of all, we share 94% of our DNA with a Chimpanzee. That fact certainly doesn't make us closely related. We are not really that far removed from a housefly if one compares DNA. All that the common DNA proves is that one Creator spoke life into existence and used several common elements to create all the diversity that is found on earth.

Secondly, Chimpanzees use tools. So what? Many other animals use tools. Egyptian Vultures (Neophron percnopterus) use stones to break open Ostrich eggs. Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris) breaks open the shells of abalone and other molluscs with a rock. Green Herons (Butorides virescens) use food scraps or insects to attract fish to the water's surface. The world is full of tool-using animals. In fact, there are probably more tool-using species out there waiting for their behavior to be discovered.

Thirdly, Chimpanzees are very communicative, as are humans. Well, let me give brother Chimpanzee a great big bear hug and ask him over for tea. Then we can laugh and cry together as we regale each other with stories of our lives. There are all kinds of communication in the animal kingdom. And more wait to be discovered. There's no end to what there is left to discover as far as animal behavior. I agree that communication in Chimpanzees is very similar to humans, but again that proves nothing in the way of relatedness.

Fourthly, Chimpanzees display aggressive tendencies, can organize a very sophisticated hunt, are able to lie, cheat, and steal, and are very conscious of their status within the troop. All that proves to me is that Man has fell so far away from God that he acts more like the animals than the animals act like him.

I do see the similarities between humans and Chimpanzees. They are fascinating creatures to watch and learn about, but they are not closely related to humans. I believe that God used the primate "mold" when he created Adam and Eve, but then took a radical turn from the rest of Creation. He made them in the image of Himself. This fact means that Man is a three-part being; he has a body, soul, and spirit. Chimpanzees and the rest of the animal kingdom have only a body (the physical) and a soul (the life inside).

Man's spirit was made to commune with God and to have fellowship with Him. Sadly, when Adam and Eve fell, the spiritual part of humans was severely damaged and he has been trying to repair it ever since. But he will never succeed. The only way to restore the healthy spiritual relationship with God is to accept God's gift of free salvation through His Son's death, burial and resurrection. There is no other alternative except to be separated from God forever in the eternal flames of hell.

When you see a Chimpanzee, think on these thoughts. Watch with joy and praise God for all He has given us with His Creation. If you don't know Him as a personal Father, accept His gift now. You will experience more joy than you will ever know.