What Makes Human Beings Special?

[Philip]

What Makes Human Beings Special?

Let me count the ways:

The only creature on the planet that:

- Has a deep psychological way of thinking about self, others and the dynamics of situations and events
- Mostly has a deep need for the love of friends, family and others
- Is spiritual, seeks God (or gods) in a way to meet inner needs
- Can compose brilliant pieces of music, design incredible instruments, have mastery of such
- Can invent astonishing technological marvels, that can now even go beyond our solar system, both physically and optically
- Can create amazing tools like the various applications of higher mathematics
- Seeks beauty on a scale rather remarkable - in each other, physically, aesthetically, in nature, art
- Can replicate reality in amazing detail through artistic endeavors
- Has a sense of humor, finding great joy in laughter, jokes and silly things (anyone thinking of Rick? )
- Can quickly learn and master complex languages, create more and more new words
- Can write books and poetry, even websites that keep us glued to our devices
- Has an insatiable desire to explore the planet's beauties, mysteries, as well as those beyond our planet
- Devices methodologies like the scientific method, producing never ending discoveries
- Sex isn't just for pro-creation, or per instinct - it's also pursued for physical pleasure, love and bonding
- We have a sense of history, and are passionate about discovering more of it
- Artistic expression is important to us - whether through art, music, sport, dance, writing, photography, etc.

OK, that's a good start. Perhaps a good question is, per the materialist only view - WHY are we the only creature out of millions of other ones that have lived, that the list above describes such capabilities?

[claysmithr]

How about being created in the image of God? No other creature is.

[EssentialSacrifice]

K: So then what gives human life value that we ought to respect it?

This Easter, keeping most in mind the Resurrection, Christ’s then and our own soon enough … the answer for us, IMO is clear...

The thing that makes human beings exceedingly valuable and thereby due all our concerted respect is our Spiritualized Soul… uniquely, we are, as far as we know, the only entities in creation that have one foot in the spiritual world and the other in the material. Only in us do we find both soul and spirit in combination, throughout all known creation. We are the only bodily beings whose soul is a spirit, and the only spirit which is a soul. Thereby we’re an incredibly rare and significant upgrade from the lower animals and even more significant than that of plant life, all having bodies, all then possessing the energized soul required to continue that bodily life, at all costs. … to etch out as much time for this life’s bodily existence as possible… to live.

Our Spirit is the very face of God. It is the way He speaks of us when he said “Let us make man in our own image and likeness.” Our Spirits are not only made in His image but also in likeness as in knowing, willing, loving and is as God’s is, an absolutely abiding thing, lasting for eternity. The partless make up of our Spiritualized souls … is also as God’s is, one and only one thing. It has nothing in common with the material universe . Our thoughts, which are willed by our Spirit have no weight, no smell, touch, taste… any perceivable material qualities what-so-ever, so they simply cannot be created by the material world, which universally requires exactly such description, to exist. If there are no parts to a thing then the thing does not exist materially...

What is left, then, beyond the material?

Even Godless men should know there is a difference in our physical selves and our ability to think the thoughts that manipulate the physical self. Those thoughts, as stated, which have nothing in common with, nor can be created by a material world. The soul did not receive its existence from the body (how could it? the soul has no material parts). Each soul is created for a body by the Creator of life. Finally, the soul is in every part of the body as there isn’t a single piece of the body that does not require a life giving energy. Our Spirits are the life giving transition of thought to movement, mind to body, now following in the footsteps of our Creator, who charges us, individually, with that same amplifying energy, moving together in the material world while mindful of the ever present, eternal, spiritual being within.

I think it very well said…

“We are not humans on a spiritual journey, we are spiritual beings on a human journey.”
-Stephen R. Covey

What makes us special ? The eternal Spiritual soul, the gift from God that gives us knowledge, a will to proceed and ability to love, not only our creator but essentially and willfully for all those He created, with and for us, to love every day, as we love ourselves.

Peace and Prayer

[Kenny]

How about being created in the image of God? No other creature is.

If being created in the image of God is what makes us superior/special compared to animals, suppose we discovered intelligent life on a distant planet, and they looked much different from us; does this mean we are entitled to treat them as inferior to us; perhaps the way we would treat an animal since we are created in God's image, but they are not?

[Philip]

Ken: If being created in the image of God is what makes us superior/special compared to animals, suppose we discovered intelligent life on a distant planet, and they looked much different from us; does this mean we are entitled to treat them as inferior to us; perhaps the way we would treat an animal since we are created in God's image, but they are not?

Why do you even care about such a question? Because you don't currently accept that humans are uniquely made in God's image. So why would you care to know how we should treat other (theoretical) beings that at least might be? Whatever, I can guarantee you, however, that you don't consider all present life to have the same level of respect as you allow for humans.

[Kenny]

Ken: If being created in the image of God is what makes us superior/special compared to animals, suppose we discovered intelligent life on a distant planet, and they looked much different from us; does this mean we are entitled to treat them as inferior to us; perhaps the way we would treat an animal since we are created in God's image, but they are not?

Why do you even care about such a question? Because you don't currently accept that humans are uniquely made in God's image. So why would you care to know how we should treat other (theoretical) beings that at least might be?

Because if the only reason you consider human life more valuable than a dog, a rat, or even a roach, is because the Bible says humans are created in Gods image and they are not; I would like to know how you would react if we discovered other intelligent life; as intelligent as us or perhaps even more. My guess is if the Bible said nothing about man created in God’s image, you would still consider human life more valuable than the life of a rat or a roach.

Whatever, I can guarantee you, however, that you don't consider all present life to have the same level of respect as you allow for humans.

Of course! That’s because I’m human. However if I were a dog, I wouldn’t consider all present life to have the same level of respect as I would allow for other dogs.

[Kurieuo]

Kenny, it isn't as you think a forward-thinking justification that the Bible says humans are made in God's image therefore we believe humans have value. Such merely comes after the fact of the more obvious and intuitive belief that humans are indeed special and valuable. We merely expect others to realise this as a matter of fact rather than reason.

Consider however that Christians wonder why they feel strongly that human life is valuable, and they consider the real possibility that it is because such has been designed within them. They then read their Bible, and it confirms that indeed their Creator (God) has implanted a standard into human consciousness. This coheres, and being Christain, it becomes subsumed into their beliefs. But, it's certainly not as straight-foward as you kind of say that the Bible says so, thus we believe -- such is really a misknomer.

Atheists on the other hand tend to not wonder at all about such questions. "Why are humans valuable?" the Christian asks? Well they don't believe it is so because the Bible or some book of supposed deity tells me to! But, that's besides the point.

The issue is WE ALL start with certain beliefs that are self-evident to us.

So when I ask a question like why human beings are special, I'm not necessarily trying to have you justify why you believe such. I really don't expect such is possible.

Really I'm firstly wanting to provoke you to think about why it is you strongly feel that way, and then secondly whether the reasons you offer for such feelings can justify your (and other people) continuing to believe in such values. If the second can't be had, then society will rationally unstitch any such value/s that we otherwise start off believing in as self-evident to any reasonable person. This will inevitably lead, and has led, to all sorts of horrors.

[Kurieuo]

K, I don't wish to intrude in your discussion with Kenny. This is what I think. Looking broadly, I'd say that life is special and whatever it entails. Human beings are special only under that and/or because God chose them.

Why is life special?
It is self-evident that it is.

What do you think?

Yes, I think that is where we all start -- that it is self-evident.

Like my previous post, I'd move the question to why is it self-evident? That is, why is it we strongly feel that life is special and human life in particular valuable?

Secondly, based upon our explanation in response to why we feel life is special and valuable, can we find any reason in such an explanation that would continue to validate that life is indeed special and valuable?

[Kenny]

Kenny, it isn't as you think a forward-thinking justification that the Bible says humans are made in God's image therefore we believe humans have value. Such merely comes after the fact of the more obvious and intuitive belief that humans are indeed special and valuable. We merely expect others to realise this as a matter of fact rather than reason.

Sounds like you are agreeing with me.

[claysmithr]

How about being created in the image of God? No other creature is.

If being created in the image of God is what makes us superior/special compared to animals, suppose we discovered intelligent life on a distant planet, and they looked much different from us; does this mean we are entitled to treat them as inferior to us; perhaps the way we would treat an animal since we are created in God's image, but they are not?

I believe, if there are other worlds, there is no way we can access them, so this question is moot.

[Kenny]

How about being created in the image of God? No other creature is.

If being created in the image of God is what makes us superior/special compared to animals, suppose we discovered intelligent life on a distant planet, and they looked much different from us; does this mean we are entitled to treat them as inferior to us; perhaps the way we would treat an animal since we are created in God's image, but they are not?

I believe, if there are other worlds, there is no way we can access them, so this question is moot.

We have already accessed other worlds; or are you one of those type who believe the Moon landing was fake, but Big time Wrestling is real....

[RickD]

How about being created in the image of God? No other creature is.

If being created in the image of God is what makes us superior/special compared to animals, suppose we discovered intelligent life on a distant planet, and they looked much different from us; does this mean we are entitled to treat them as inferior to us; perhaps the way we would treat an animal since we are created in God's image, but they are not?

I believe, if there are other worlds, there is no way we can access them, so this question is moot.

We have already accessed other worlds; or are you one of those type who believe the Moon landing was fake, but Big time Wrestling is real....

He was responding to what you said about discovering intelligent life on a distant planet.

Unless you are suggesting that the moon is what you had in mind when you mentioned "distant planets", then this is also a moot point.

[Kurieuo]

Kenny, it isn't as you think a forward-thinking justification that the Bible says humans are made in God's image therefore we believe humans have value. Such merely comes after the fact of the more obvious and intuitive belief that humans are indeed special and valuable. We merely expect others to realise this as a matter of fact rather than reason.

Sounds like you are agreeing with me.

Sure, I don't mind agree with you.

[Kenny]

How about being created in the image of God? No other creature is.

If being created in the image of God is what makes us superior/special compared to animals, suppose we discovered intelligent life on a distant planet, and they looked much different from us; does this mean we are entitled to treat them as inferior to us; perhaps the way we would treat an animal since we are created in God's image, but they are not?

I believe, if there are other worlds, there is no way we can access them, so this question is moot.

We have already accessed other worlds; or are you one of those type who believe the Moon landing was fake, but Big time Wrestling is real....

He was responding to what you said about discovering intelligent life on a distant planet.

Unless you are suggesting that the moon is what you had in mind when you mentioned "distant planets", then this is also a moot point.

We’ve accessed Mars and Venus as well. Though we haven’t found anything, who’s to say sometime in the future we won’t find a planet that does have intelligent life? What’s to stop us from accessing them?

[claysmithr]

If being created in the image of God is what makes us superior/special compared to animals, suppose we discovered intelligent life on a distant planet, and they looked much different from us; does this mean we are entitled to treat them as inferior to us; perhaps the way we would treat an animal since we are created in God's image, but they are not?

I believe, if there are other worlds, there is no way we can access them, so this question is moot.

We have already accessed other worlds; or are you one of those type who believe the Moon landing was fake, but Big time Wrestling is real....

He was responding to what you said about discovering intelligent life on a distant planet.

Unless you are suggesting that the moon is what you had in mind when you mentioned "distant planets", then this is also a moot point.

We’ve accessed Mars and Venus as well. Though we haven’t found anything, who’s to say sometime in the future we won’t find a planet that does have intelligent life? What’s to stop us from accessing them?

Distance, space is big.