According to a recent study of baby chimpanzees, some scientists now believe that baby chimpanzees are as or more developed than human infants. If one has a purely naturalistic worldview, does that mean that chimps are therefore more valuable (at least at that stage) than human infants? Princeton bioethicist Peter Singer thinks so. (A few years ago World magazine ran a story on this influential professor that you might want to check out).
What should we say then to someone who says a chimpanzee is just as valuable to the world as an infant? (Can you give an answer without referencing the Bible?)
3 comments:
Question:
What should we say then to someone who says a chimpanzee is just as valuable to the world as an infant? (Can you give an answer without referencing the Bible?)
Response:
Suggest that they avoid procreation and instead pursue the adoption of chimps. (kidding)
Or...
Remind them that God sent Jesus Christ to this earth not as a chimp, but as an infant - to redeem not chimps, but humans.
Or...
Propose that in a few years, the chimp might have mastered swinging from trees but the infant might have been educated to be a doctor, a carpenter, an accountant or a mechanic.
Or...
Suggest that even this consideration of relative value is reserved for beings with the ability to apply logic and reason - something created and quite exercised in humans while being only limited in chimps.
But what should we say? (There's gotta be a better response out there)
We could probably all think of many answers to give without referencing the bible or biblical teaching, but ultimately why should we?
When it is all said and done no amount of logical, persuasive argumentation will transform people.
Now I know the arguments for the use of apologetics as a pre-evangelistic tool. I know that there can be value in citing extra-biblical evidences for the truths that we proclaim. But that only has the power to, on one level, show people that they are wrong. The problem is that almost every time I have seen this put into practice it usually degenerates into an argument with both sides getting angry.
The bible says:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.(Rom 1:16 )
and,
For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.
(1Co 1:17-21 ESV)
Preach the Gospel.
Alright fellow blogger, here's my challenge to you: In the public sphere, meaning government, business etc, we must try and frame our arguments for the way culture should go on natural revelation shouldn't we?
In other words, if I am a Senator and I get up there and quote Scripture for why I believe in the passage of a certain law that's great. But you will not persuade non-believers to get rid of abortion or infanticide that way because we are talking about the kingdom on the left (you know what I mean with this lingo). The kingdom on the left is based on reason, not faith (not that either are mutually exclusive.) Therefore the pro-life movement (a kingdom on the left movement) is made up of Christians, Muslims, Mormons, Atheists and anyone else who has been persuaded that it's bad for a society to kill it's weakest and indefensible members.
All that being said, I think you're right when it comes to witnessing to others; we ought not be as concerned with reasoning with them about the lives of babies as much as we should talk to them about the gospel. I think we're just talking about the two kingdoms here.
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