Let us perform a “Gedankenexperiment”:
Let us imagine an ideal rational thinker in a jungle studying earth biology. He is not influenced by any religion … not Zoroastrianism not Judaism not Christianism not Hinduism not Buddhism ... no preconceived notions, no creation myths, no paranormal nonsense.
He examines all life forms there, including some primitive hunter-gathering humans in their huts.
This scientist observes, experiments, thinks and eventually, using reason, draws conclusions.
He would notice that the essential biological differences are not between humans on the one hand and all other animals on the other … but rather ... between some animal groups and some other animal groups of this planet. There are differences between reptiles and mammals, between plants and animals or between sexually reproducing vs asexually reproducing life forms.
In terms of similarities within lifeform-types like "the great apes," there is practically no essential physiological difference but for hair, stance and of course the fact that humans are much smarter than any other ape. There is of course this difference in intelligence between humans and chimpanzees ... BUT humans are not so much smarter compared to chimps than chimps are compared to, let’s say, worms.
As it is, on what rational basis would our biologist come up with a scientific theory according to which humans are a biological entity entirely alien to all other life forms? To claim that humans are the result of a separate act of creation is simply not supported by observation. Coming up with the theory that … the human (male) was created apart by some paranormal entity, that the human female was made from his rib … supernaturally … and that none of this had anything to do with any of the other similarly (sexually) reproducing life forms ... can only be a fairytale ... not science.
Humans are born just like dogs, cats, horses and dolphins are and then they eat, piss, shit, play, fuck, sleep, die and do basically what all other mammals do.Again, the big biological differences are between some animal groups and some other animal groups. Humans simply belong to one of these groups. The structural physiological differences between a dolphin and a shark, for example, are much more essential, than those between a human and another ape. Humans are brilliant but biologically they function exactly like the other animals.
If unlike other mammals each human, was born by appearing from nowhere with the sounds of trumpets as a result of a prayer ... well ... then ... I guess that the religious myths would make more sense.
PS)
We humans are our own and our ecosystem's greatest threat ... but ... if the goal is for our type of intelligent life to make well into the future ... as in millions of years into it ... then ... in the very long run, we are also it's only hope.
But right now, we are still stuck in primitive superstition! It may be time to start getting serious again about reason. It is not a trivial concern. If we do not start thinking about some real basic steps to improve our species' chances for the next millennia ... but instead spend our time, energy and intelligence arguing over fairy tales, magical beings and such similar nonsense ... we might one day find ourselves in a situation of too little, too late.
If this does happen, the loss of our happiness, the unnecessary suffering and even possibly our extinction could have been caused by those of us too stupid, weak and disingenuous to face the still manageable realities of our one and only planet as it hurls through space.
