Sunday, November 8, 2009

What is so special about Humans?

I was asked two questions in my Creation Science Class this week. Here they are along with my answers.

Q) 1. What amazing fact about the human body did you find?

Q) 2. Are there traits or behaviors that are uniquely human?



Well let’s start with what I gleaned about me on the World Wide Web.
Here are some marvels I have discovered about the Human body. Approximately 26 Trillion cells of the human body are replaced every 28 days. The ability to manufacture an almost complete new body is one of the mysteries of human physiology. Here are some other facts I discovered about the machine I call me.
First, the stomach’s digestive acids are strong enough to dissolve zinc. Fortunately for us, the cells in the stomach lining renew so quickly that the acids don’t have time to dissolve it. Second, the lungs contain over 300,000 million capillaries (tiny blood vessels). If they were laid end to end, they would stretch 2400km (1500 miles). Third, human bone is as strong as granite in supporting weight. A block of bone the size of a matchbox can support 9 tons – that is four times as much as concrete can support. Four, each finger and toenail takes six months to grow from base to tip. Fifth, the largest organ in the body is the skin. In an adult man, the skin covers about 1.9m2 (20sq ft). The skin constantly flakes away – in a lifetime each person sheds around 18kg (40 lb) of skin. O K, kind of gross. Sixth, is when you sleep, you grow by about 8mm (0.3in). The next day you shrink back to your former height. The reason is that your cartilage discs are squeezed like sponges by the force of gravity when you stand or sit. Seventh, the average person in the US eats 50 tons of food and drinks 50,000 liters (11,000 gallons) of liquid during his life. Eighth, each kidney contains 1 million individual filters. They filter an average of 1.3 liters (2.2 pints) of blood per minute and expel up to 1.4 liters (2.5 pints) of urine every day. Nine is one I find amazing: the focusing muscles of the eyes move around 100,000 times a day. To give your leg muscles the same workout, you would need to walk 80km (50 miles) every day. Number ten is that in the time span of 30 minutes, the average body gives off enough heat to bring a half gallon of water to boil. The eleventh thing is a single human blood cell takes only 60 seconds to make a complete circuit of the body. (How exactly they know this they did not say, I could not find the research) The twelfth thing was that with humans, the eyes receive approximately 90 percent of all our information, making us basically visual creatures. Thirteen, the female ovaries contain nearly half-a-million egg cells, yet only 400 or so will ever get the opportunity to create a new life, with a gestation of 38 weeks.

Humans like me I am told are “bipedal primates” belonging to the species Homo sapiens which is Latin for "wise man" or "knowing man". Yup that’s me. Another classification used is Hominid, a primate of the family Hominidae, of which Homo sapiens is the only extant (not extinct) species. They are, or should I say I am, the only surviving member of the genus Homo. I am told I have a highly developed brain, capable of abstract reasoning. A good example would be the theory of Evolution. I am also capable of communicating through a verbal language or several in fact since the time of Babble. Then there is my capacity for introspection or plainly stated self-examination. This is the heart-felt look at whether I am living morally according to what I “feel” is appropriate. Last but not least there is my incredible ability for problem solving. Show me a problem and through the thought process of my highly evolved mind I can do anything. I like to think of it this way: I can do all things through me who strengthens me. At least that is the gospel they taught me in public school.

I further learned from my extensive studies that evolution has blessed me with erect body carriage which frees my arms for manipulating objects. How cool am I? This allowed me as an evolved Homo sapien to make “far greater use of tools than any other species”. I wanted empirical proof so I tested this theory. I gave my dog Pavlov a hammer and some nails and told him to go build himself a house from the lumber in my back yard. As of yet he hasn’t put one stick of lumber up. All he has done is chew on the hammer. Apparently Pavlov has some evolving to do.

I have also come to understand that my human ancestors originated in Africa. This was shown to be true by Mitochondrial DNA and “fossil evidence”. If fossils say so we know it’s true. I guess this means I can no longer tell people that I am Native American from Caughnawaga (Gă-hnă-wă-'ge) translated, “at the rapids”, part of the Five Nations, the Iroquois. No, from this day forth I will identify myself as African.

My research showed me that like most “higher primates”, humans are social by nature. However, humans are uniquely adept at utilizing systems of communication. Cell phones, television, radio, printing press, smoke signals, cave paintings, beating a log with a stick, are all good examples of how we as “higher primates” communicate. We also have a desire for self-expression, and the exchange of ideas. We, unlike the rest of the “higher primates”, are able to organize and even show a need for organization in our lives.

We humans have created diverse, complex social structures. Many of these structures or groups are composed of many cooperating and also competing factions. They range is wide, from families, clans/tribes to nations. There are church groups, clubs for people with addictions, political groups, etc. This is our need to belong and have identity through the acceptance of others.

From our social interactions we as “higher primates”, (I really love that term) have established a wide variety of values, social norms, rituals, and religious superstitions which together form the basis of human society. Humans like me also have a well known appreciation for beauty and aesthetics which, combined with the human desire for self-expression, has brought us cultural innovations such as art, literature and music.

Humans are noted for their desire to understand and influence their environment, (control issues, wanting to be their own God). We seek to explain and manipulate natural phenomena through science (evolutionists make it up as they go along), philosophy (people too screwy to have a rational thought), mythology (those screwy people who have a similar mental state as the philosopher but need something more supernatural), and religion (people who don’t understand that God has done it all and are attempting to work their way to righteousness). This natural curiosity led to the development of advanced tools and skills, which are passed down culturally. Humans are the only extant species known to build fires, cook their food, clothe themselves, and use numerous other technologies. Isn’t Evolution wonderful?

Now for what I learned from the Bible…I will start with the first thing I ever learned about me. Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong. They are weak but He is strong.

God spoke the world I live on into existence about 6,000 years ago. Why? Well I have to admit sometimes I wrestle with the why of it all. The real answer is that man was created to praise, worship and ultimately bring glory to a most worthy God. We are made in the image of God with certain similar attributes. Some say that we were made triune: body, soul, and spirit or physical, intellect, and an everlasting spirit that will hopefully fulfill its purpose and spend eternity in the presence of God. We are creative like God, and we are social. We are able to have relationships with others like God does. We have compassion for others and we are jealous just like God. Though not yet in our glorified form we shall be more than this physical façade some day. We shall transcend and be like Christ in similar form. There is no other living creature made like me. There are those that have similarities to my appearance, but none of these animals are capable of having the Spirit of the Most High indwelling them as I do. There is one significant way we are truly different from our Creator, that being that we have sin in us. Thanks be to God, He has made an escape from its consequence for us through Christ the Lord. Some other things the Bible has taught me are as follows.

All mans heart is evil, Human nature is corrupt. “9 The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick (wicked); who can understand it?” Left to our own devices we would rather flee from God then seek Him. “6All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.” When we do acknowledge God we attempt to approach Him through our own righteousness, in our man-made religion. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph. 2:8-10) Then James clarifies what religion truly is. “27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27) Without His mercy we would be forever separated from Him. “13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.” (Eph 2:13) By His power we and our very universe are held together. “16For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Col 1:16-17)

Thank you, God for knitting me together in my mother’s womb, for truly, I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

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