If there is a Creator, Why did He Choose a Simian Design for Humans?

NOTE: I do not believe in a Creator. I believe in the Theory of Evolution. I'm asking this question to determine what alternative explanation religious adherents and proponents of Intelligent Design offer in regard to the anatomical similarities between Humans and apes.

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."Genesis

According to the Bible, it is believed that Man was created in the image of God. This has two implications:

1. We were physically created in God's image, which means that he (like Humans) has a simian appearance characterized by a symmetrical and upright body consisting of a head, torso, and four limbs with highly dexterous extremities.
2. We were "spiritually" created in God's image, meaning that we have the capacity to think abstractly and subjectively in order to make moral judgments, unlike animals.

Considering the irrefutable and obvious anatomical similarity between Humans and apes, if we were to accept the first implication, we would have to conclude that God (by extension) has an appearance similar to that of apes, as do Humans. If we were to go with the second implication, we would be left with a question: Why did God choose to bestow the creation which he endowed with His own characteristics, with a form similar to that of apes? Why not choose a form similar to some other order of animals? What was so special about apes that he chose to make use look like them? Were they prototypes for the final design which turned out to be us? Surely, if there is a Creator, there must be some reason as to why he made this decision.

Even if we were to not restrict this observation to the Bible by considering non-Biblical religions, the question would still remain. Why did God choose to make us so similar to apes? I personally don't believe in any religion; I'm asking this question to learn how religious adherents and proponents of Intelligent Design rationalize the supposed Creator's choice to make us similar to apes. He must have been aware of the similarity, and as we are his greatest creation, there must be a reason why he chose to make us the way he did.

Well, someone who has strong religious beliefs would probably tell you "humans are beautiful, nature is beautiful, therefore God must've done it!".

Well, someone who has strong religious beliefs would probably tell you "humans are beautiful, nature is beautiful, therefore God must've done it!".

bloodling

This does nothing to answer the question.

Because then it's funnier for humans to watch monkey's/apes do stupid ****

[QUOTE="bloodling"]

Well, someone who has strong religious beliefs would probably tell you "humans are beautiful, nature is beautiful, therefore God must've done it!".

BluRayHiDef

This does nothing to answer the question.

My thoughts exactly.

Why do different car models look similar?harashawn

What's your point?

[QUOTE="harashawn"]Why do different car models look similar?BluRayHiDef

What's your point?

Well, the Bible doesn't deny that God looks like an ape. :P

I think there are two possible answers.

1. Because he knew that the environment that humans would eventually live in would be suited for a species of primate (humans).

2. He did it for the lulz

[QUOTE="harashawn"]Why do different car models look similar?BluRayHiDef

What's your point?

Hes trying to pull the common design/ common designer BS

"Hey, how exactly is a rainbow made? How exactly does the sun set? How exactly does the posi-trac rear end on a Plymouth work!? It just does..."

I've objected many times to situations where a creationist's final answer to a question is "I don't know", and even I feel that would be a reasonable answer to this question.

Just wondering, did most of you actually read the entire OP?

Well, the Bible doesn't deny that God looks like an ape. :P

I think there are two possible answers.

1. Because he knew that the environment that humans would eventually live in would be suited for a species of primate (humans).

2. He did it for the lulz

Just wondering, did most of you actually read the entire OP?

BluRayHiDef

Just wondering, did most of you actually read the entire OP?

BluRayHiDef

The OP implies that there is a creator. I'd rather not dig into hypothetical scenarios.

[QUOTE="BluRayHiDef"]

Just wondering, did most of you actually read the entire OP?

bloodling

The OP implies that there is a creator. I'd rather not dig into hypothetical scenarios.

I've written the OP within the the context of assuming that there is a Creator. However, I don't actually believe in a Creator.

I've written the OP within the the context of assuming that there is a Creator. However, I don't actually believe in a Creator.

BluRayHiDef

If I were you, I would keep all possibilities open, otherwise people can't give their opinion by answering your question.

Just wondering, did most of you actually read the entire OP?

BluRayHiDef

Yes... :?

[QUOTE="BluRayHiDef"]

Just wondering, did most of you actually read the entire OP?

cd_rom

Well, I created this thread to determine what religious adherents and proponents of Intelligent Design think of the possibility that God looks like an ape (assuming that they believe that we are physically created in God's image).

Well, the Bible doesn't deny that God looks like an ape. :P

I think there are two possible answers.

1. Because he knew that the environment that humans would eventually live in would be suited for a species of primate (humans).

2. He did it for the lulz

I don't know.

He just did; I don't see how speculation here could be meaningful here.ghoklebutter

[QUOTE="BluRayHiDef"]

I've written the OP within the the context of assuming that there is a Creator. However, I don't actually believe in a Creator.

bloodling

If I were you, I would keep all possibilities open, otherwise people can't give their opinion by answering your question.

I wrote it within that context so that it would be in accord with a religious person's perspective. I'm mainly interested in their responses, since most of them deny that our similarity to apes is due to evolution. In light of their denial that Humans and apes evolved from a common ancestor (which explains the anatomical similarities), I'd like to know what alternative reason they think explains the similarities.

[QUOTE="bloodling"]

[QUOTE="BluRayHiDef"]

I've written the OP within the the context of assuming that there is a Creator. However, I don't actually believe in a Creator.

BluRayHiDef

If I were you, I would keep all possibilities open, otherwise people can't give their opinion by answering your question.

I wrote it within that context so that it would be in accord with a religious person's perspective. I'm mainly interested in their responses, since most of them deny that our similarity to apes is due to evolution. In light of their denial that Humans and apes evolved from a common ancestor (which explains the anatomical similarities), I'd like to know what alternative reason they think explains the similarities.

I understand, I tried to give you my response as to what I think some of them believe. I think open discussion that may lead to other concepts or issues can only be beneficial to discussion between both atheists and religious people.

I disagree with your first "implication." I think that the Bible is referring solely to the latter.

Another durp, durp religous thread.

Humans aren't really all that well adapted to walking on 2 feet – we're plagued by back problems after all. I can only assume god suffers from back problems too. Maybe he has access to a bloody good masseuse

I find it disheartening that you have such a logical guy in your signature but keep bringing up the illogical threads about an irrational concept of higher power. You won't be given an answer because they have no idea themselves. Obviously.Human-after-all

If I supported the irrational concept of a higher power, you'd have a point. However, I do not. I create these threads to critique this concept because I do not believe it to be logical. Hence, I am defending logic, by critiquing that which opposes it.

He just did; I don't see how speculation here could be meaningful here.ghoklebutter

[QUOTE="bloodling"]

[QUOTE="BluRayHiDef"]

I've written the OP within the the context of assuming that there is a Creator. However, I don't actually believe in a Creator.

BluRayHiDef

If I were you, I would keep all possibilities open, otherwise people can't give their opinion by answering your question.

I wrote it within that context so that it would be in accord with a religious person's perspective. I'm mainly interested in their responses, since most of them deny that our similarity to apes is due to evolution. In light of their denial that Humans and apes evolved from a common ancestor (which explains the anatomical similarities), I'd like to know what alternative reason they think explains the similarities.

Suppose there was this creator who created humans with a simian design. Do you expect that we would be able to figure out for ourselves what the reason for this was?

The fact that creationists don't have an answer to this question is not a meaningful refutation of their position, as it does not logically follow that the existence of this creator would imply that we would be able to understand all of its reasons behind its creation.

[QUOTE="BluRayHiDef"]

[QUOTE="bloodling"]

If I were you, I would keep all possibilities open, otherwise people can't give their opinion by answering your question.

GabuEx

I wrote it within that context so that it would be in accord with a religious person's perspective. I'm mainly interested in their responses, since most of them deny that our similarity to apes is due to evolution. In light of their denial that Humans and apes evolved from a common ancestor (which explains the anatomical similarities), I'd like to know what alternative reason they think explains the similarities.

Suppose there was this creator who created humans with a simian design. Do you expect that we would be able to figure out for ourselves what the reason for this was?

The fact that creationists don't have an answer to this question is not a meaningful refutation of their position, as it does not logically follow that the existence of this creator would imply that we would be able to understand all of its reasons behind its creation.

The fact that we are so anatomically similar to apes implies that there is a connection between us and them. However, religious adherents deny any connection between us and apes. The anatomical similarity refutes their denial.

Religion doesn't make sense. The end.

Look around you. Who is calling the shots on planet earth right now? Human beings are. So whatever reason a creator may have had to make humans the way they are, it seems to have worked pretty well for us.

God created Man in his image, and apes in the image of his freeloading, good for nothing brother Larry.

Suppose there was this creator who created humans with a simian design. Do you expect that we would be able to figure out for ourselves what the reason for this was?

The fact that creationists don't have an answer to this question is not a meaningful refutation of their position, as it does not logically follow that the existence of this creator would imply that we would be able to understand all of its reasons behind its creation.

GabuEx

but...but.....it's fun to psychoanalyze an infinitely powerful creature! :(

[QUOTE="GabuEx"]

[QUOTE="BluRayHiDef"]

I wrote it within that context so that it would be in accord with a religious person's perspective. I'm mainly interested in their responses, since most of them deny that our similarity to apes is due to evolution. In light of their denial that Humans and apes evolved from a common ancestor (which explains the anatomical similarities), I'd like to know what alternative reason they think explains the similarities.

BluRayHiDef

Suppose there was this creator who created humans with a simian design. Do you expect that we would be able to figure out for ourselves what the reason for this was?

The fact that creationists don't have an answer to this question is not a meaningful refutation of their position, as it does not logically follow that the existence of this creator would imply that we would be able to understand all of its reasons behind its creation.

The fact that we are so anatomically similar to apes implies that there is a connection between us and them. However, religious adherents deny any connection between us and apes. The anatomical similarity refutes their denial.

Cars are all fundamentally structurally similar; that doesn't imply that they are the product of some sort of natural evolution. If the creator created everything, as the fundamentalist interpretations of the Abrahamic religions maintain, then clearly the creator would be responsible for the anatomical similarity, not evolution. Your assertion contains within it the implicit presupposition of the correctness of evolution. You are, therefore, begging the question.

Look around you. Who is calling the shots on planet earth right now? Human beings are. So whatever reason a creator may have had to make humans the way they are, it seems to have worked pretty well for us.

ExGabu

[QUOTE="BluRayHiDef"]

[QUOTE="GabuEx"]

Suppose there was this creator who created humans with a simian design. Do you expect that we would be able to figure out for ourselves what the reason for this was?

The fact that creationists don't have an answer to this question is not a meaningful refutation of their position, as it does not logically follow that the existence of this creator would imply that we would be able to understand all of its reasons behind its creation.

GabuEx

The fact that we are so anatomically similar to apes implies that there is a connection between us and them. However, religious adherents deny any connection between us and apes. The anatomical similarity refutes their denial.

Cars are all fundamentally structurally similar; that doesn't imply that they are the product of some sort of natural evolution. If the creator created everything, as the fundamentalist interpretations of the Abrahamic religions maintain, then clearly the creator would be responsible for the anatomical similarity, not evolution. Your assertion contains within it the implicit presupposition of the correctness of evolution. You are, therefore, begging the question.

Though I believe in Evolution as the correct explanation for the anatomical similarity between Humans and apes, my question does not necessarily support Evolution. It merely critiques the concept of a creator and the idea that there is absolutely no connection between Humans and apes. Criticizing one argument does not necessarily imply support of an opposing one.

[QUOTE="ExGabu"]

Look around you. Who is calling the shots on planet earth right now? Human beings are. So whatever reason a creator may have had to make humans the way they are, it seems to have worked pretty well for us.

ghoklebutter

[QUOTE="GabuEx"]

[QUOTE="BluRayHiDef"]

The fact that we are so anatomically similar to apes implies that there is a connection between us and them. However, religious adherents deny any connection between us and apes. The anatomical similarity refutes their denial.

BluRayHiDef

Cars are all fundamentally structurally similar; that doesn't imply that they are the product of some sort of natural evolution. If the creator created everything, as the fundamentalist interpretations of the Abrahamic religions maintain, then clearly the creator would be responsible for the anatomical similarity, not evolution. Your assertion contains within it the implicit presupposition of the correctness of evolution. You are, therefore, begging the question.

Though I believe in Evolution as the correct explanation for the anatomical similarity between Humans and apes, my question does not necessarily support Evolution. It merely critiques the concept of a creator and the idea that there is absolutely no connection between Humans and apes. Criticizing one argument does not necessarily imply support of an opposing one.

That doesn't change the fact that you're begging the question. Your argument more or less looks like this:

1. Humans and apes are anatomically similar.

2. Anatomical similarity between two animals implies a connection between those two animals.

3. Therefore, there is a connection between humans and apes.

#2 is basically a flat-out assumption of the correctness of evolution. There is no reason whatsoever to suppose that simply because two things are structurally similar that there is a connection between them. If there was a creator, it would have created everything, and it would be responsible for any anatomic similarities. You have assumed that implication to prove your conclusion, yet your conclusion more or less is that very assumption.