I am whatever God says I am. And I don’t need a mans definition to make me feel all warm inside. There is humankind and there is ape-kind and a million other species. Your compelling term “by definition” of what humans ‘are’ is nothing more than men attempting drag and drop all species where they THINK they belong. By NO means - does this imply men ‘thinking’ has anything to do with God CREATING! This is not something I need to learn. You need to learn that humans don’t have all the answers - even when we THINK we do.
This is fascinating. I've never had a discussion with someone who rejected Linnaean taxonomy on philosophical basis! I'm curious just how far you take this. We've established that you don't think that you're a hominid (family: hominidae). Do you also deny being:
a) A primate (order: primates)?
b) A mammal (class: mammalia)?
c) An animal (kingdom: anamalia)?
d) A eukaryote (domain: eukarya)?
I must ask - is your record scratched? Or your needle worn out?
This illustrates the dangers of cutting & pasting without proofreading. Don't Let It Happen To You!
Only a few humans have all the answers. Apparently those who are born to the correct religion.
“This is fascinating. I’ve never had a discussion with someone who rejected Linnaean taxonomy on philosophical basis! I’m curious just how far you take this. We’ve established that you don’t think that you’re a hominid (family: hominidae). Do you also deny being:
a) A primate (order: primates)?
b) A mammal (class: mammalia)?
c) An animal (kingdom: anamalia)?
d) A eukaryote (domain: eukarya)?”
I’ll go this far with you.....
First: What do Faith in a Supreme Being Creator and man’s philosophies have in common?
To cut to the chase - I’ll answer this: They have nothing in common. Philosophy is not Faith. Faith is not philosophy.
Is that a difficult stretch? I’m certain it is for some, and I mean that in sincerity and without insult.
Is it possible to accept: God says it, and I believe it - without ADDING man’s “rational investigation”, or his “philosophical study with a view to improve or reconstitute the basic principle”?
These two quotes are defined under “philosophy”.
Could talk here for a while, but I will say that while one may study the scriptures routinely - thinking and deduction is of course required, but this does not mean philosophy is by default included. I meditate on the scriptures - not on my thoughts or additions TO the scriptures. I adhere to them - I do not adapt or rationalize them to fit me. That is my view of te difference in Faith in God and the value of a man’s philosphy is basically.
Now, I said that to get to this:
The questions/comments come right back to you.
God spoke of creating the “wild animals” “according to their kinds” (and all the other creatures according to their kinds).
He did not speak of or relate humans with the wild animals or other creatures in any form of grouping at all!
He is very clear that man(kind) is unique:
He did not classify man with the “wild animals”. He called man a “living being”, but not an animal. Why are humans not in the grouping with “wild animals”? Why in the creation text - are humans defined as their own kind?
God never once called man(kind) an animal in scripture (in a literal definition that I know of). (Some acted like animals for sure....)
And God specifically created man in his own image.
He also placed man over all the other creatures.
And if you do some digging, I challenge you to find any other being that has a “soul”. Mankind again is unique in this fact.
(I’m inclined to say (bad memory) scripture also states that it only mentions God “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” about man alone. While scripture states animals have the breath of life in them, it only specifically mentioned that God breathed into his (man’s) nostrils about man, and no other creature of any kind. (another topic another day)).
Now, conclude what you wish. Philosophies aside, the order of human kind aside....neither you or I will care which of your options we may be - at an approaching specific point in time. That is not a cop-out answer and I realize scientists have an apparent ‘need to know’ in their biological studies.
All I want you to do is at least consider what scripture says, and what it does not say. Of course we are red blooded fleshly ‘beings’, but I also know scripture clearly indicates humans are:
e)Unique! Final answer!
And certainly, the accomplishments of man prove this to be true.