Poll: Do you believe humans are apes?

[stoaster]

I still don't know why evolution is still considered a theory.

The same reason that relativity is still considered a theory, even though there is so much science based around it.

It's so that if something ever ever comes along to disprove it, scientists don't have to put up with all the ridicule and "neenurneenur" etc.

They try to avoid using absolutes whenever they can.

In scientific terms, something is only a theory when it has been rigorously tested, confirmed by evidence and peer reviewed many times. I think most people just don't understand what theory, hypothesis and law are in science and confuse them all with colloquial terms.

Evolution is a theory. That doesn't mean it's just some untested or unproven idea. It means it's an idea that has been tested thoroughly, peer review, supported by a large amount of evidence(in this case, perhaps more than any other theory) and generally accepted by the scientific community.

For clarification on the other two terms that people mess up:

A hypothesis is a TESTABLE idea.

A law is a short rule that we assume to be true throughout the universe.

For example, gravity is a theory, but we have the laws of gravity that each explain aspects of how it works.

 

[BlumiereBleck]

No, it's impossible. There are very huge differences that separate us completely

I don't think that word means what you think that it means.

No I meant what I said.

 

[philosophicalbastard]

It doesn't matter what you are, it matters who you are.

So, yes we are grapes (Great apes)

 

[BlumiereBleck]

Speaking for everyone who doesn't believe in evolution (such as myself) No we are not apes. We never were. And we never will be

 

[Circleseer]

think you're lookin for the "golden rule"

What is that?

well it's almost as smart as the silver rule (which is do unto others before they can do unto you) but it's this kind thing that Gandhi talked about liking about Jesus and wondered why Christians didn't follow the same rule.

It's something like "treat others how you want to be treated"

Perhaps, but I dislike the idea I need a rule for that. Can't it be self-evident? A normality? Good manners, perhaps?
We're all civilized and intelligent. The agressive ranting and disregard for the words of others are what turns internet discussions into the disgrace they usually are.

 

[Velvo]

I do not believe that humans are apes because I do not believe in evolution. I am Catholic so that is why I do not believe any of it.

I do not believe a lot of the scientific theories that scientists came up with, they are all liberal pigs. I believe that humans have always been human. I also do believe in the story of Adam and Eve. Humans also have the same all the same bones of a horse and the same organs of a pig, but I doubt you believe that humans evolved from those animals; also the theory of the big bang is all false too.

So, humans have always been human? How do you account for the stark differences in the bones of human ancestors? Neanderthal, Homo erectus, and even homo sapiens (modern humans are now classified as Homo sapiens sapiens to distinguish from earlier forms of human). Things change all the time. Watch the seasons change. Watch years pass. Watch people grow old. Watch flu viruses evolve every flu season to keep getting you sick (if it didn't your body's immune system would recognize it and destroy it quickly). Time changes everything and the change of species is no different.

As far as horse bones and pig organs, of course we are going to have similarities to those animals. We are distantly related to these creatures. Mammals all date back to reptile-like creatures about 200 million years ago. ALL life is related. If you want to see some REALLY distantly related creatures look at jellyfish or blueberries. All coded using the same genetic sequences. We even have approximately the same junk DNA (DNA that codes for nothing, leftover from eons of random mutation) as all of these life-forms.

Do not discount the ideas of people who have thought about this for much longer than you with much better equipment, measurements and observations. The evidence for evolution, and by extension, the ape-defined man, is staggering. The modern era of science may make mistakes, like any era, but it corrects them quickly. Evolution is too correct an idea to be replaced by "God did it."

As far as the big bang goes, I guess we'll have to discount the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation, the expansion of the universe evidenced by galaxies moving away in every direction (faster the further they are), and the observed type and amount of matter in the universe being approximately equal to the estimated amounts put forth by pure theory postulated from a "big bang" event.

Either God put everything in place to seem exactly like evolution and the big bang are true theories (in which case I'd venture to guess that it's in our best interests to act as though they are), or God simply wasn't involved.

 

[diasravenguard]

Speaking for everyone who doesn't believe in evolution (such as myself) No we are not apes. We never were. And we never will be

Beyond the argument of evolution being real or false... what would you define us as human is a species we need a bit more than that to follow basic taxidermy requirements to be a species.

Oh I guess a good spot is are we animals or plants? You'll need to fill all of these levels with relevant information (as in logical information that will assist with medical (anatomical and physiological) technological (mechanical and behavioral) description of the human race)
Latin English
regio domain
regnum kingdom
phylum Phylum
classis class
ordo order
familia family
genus genus
species species

 

[Jack Nettle]

Well, the topic says "...Humans ARE apes."
I disagree, as I am a very picky grammar nerd, I believe humans EVOLVED from apes.

Anyways, stupid comments aside, it's nearly proven fact that we evolved from our hairy ancestors. Most people who do not believe this statement say that we look nothing like apes/chimpanzees, which in my opinion, that just means they obviously do not understand evolution and should go back to grade school. As for the religious viewing of creationism, people need to realize that religious scripture is eventually going to be viewed as lacking or completely disproved. Oh well, back to gaming.

 

[diasravenguard]

Oh I guess a good spot is are we animals or plants? You'll need to fill all of these levels with relevant information (as in logical information that will assist with medical (anatomical and physiological) technological (mechanical and behavioral) description of the

This link might help you (yes its wiki and yes it's got references)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_classification

 

[diasravenguard]

Well, the topic says "...Humans ARE apes."
I disagree, as I am a very picky grammar nerd, I believe humans EVOLVED from apes.

Anyways, stupid comments aside, it's nearly proven fact that we evolved from our hairy ancestors. Most people who do not believe this statement say that we look nothing like apes/chimpanzees, which in my opinion, that just means they obviously do not understand evolution and should go back to grade school. As for the religious viewing of creationism, people need to realize that religious scripture is eventually going to be viewed as lacking or completely disproved. Oh well, back to gaming.

As a grammer nerd you might need to learn a bit more apes aren't a species...

 

[Dorby5826and360]

I do not believe that humans are apes because I do not believe in evolution. I am Catholic so that is why I do not believe any of it.

So, because you believe that Jesus died for our sins, you believe that man did not descend from apes, thus causing men of science to classify ourselves under "great ape?" Despite the mountains of genetic evidence, behavioral evidence, and the fact that they just look almost EXACTLY like us (compared to all other forms of life) you choose to believe that God made us in his own image?

I it seems more likely that man made the image of God in HIS own likeness. That man could ever know the "face" or "shape" of God is ridiculous. The image we all hold so dear of God as a bearded, robed man among the clouds was just a carry-over from Zeus or Jupiter imagery in order to make the conversion process easier on the pagans.

Certainly eventually it wouldn't matter what God looked like so long as they were worshiping the one true God, right?

Or perhaps you take the Adam and Eve metaphor literally because your creed demands it. Either inbreeding did not cause infant death within 3 generations back then, or it's not literally true.

Besides, that was in the Torah first, and the Jewish people don't claim to take it literally. I would trust their interpretation before a faith based more on the New Testament.

Believe what you will, but understand that the diversity of life makes a LOT more sense if you look at it from an evolutionary standpoint. Intelligence such as ours could have come in any shape imaginable, and likely has among the stars. Didn't you hear? The Pope said it's okay to believe in aliens now.

I do not believe a lot of the scientific theories that scientists came up with, they are all liberal pigs. I believe that humans have always been human. I also do believe in the story of Adam and Eve. Humans also have the same all the same bones of a horse and the same organs of a pig, but I doubt you believe that humans evolved from those animals; also the theory of the big bang is all false too.

Do you have health insurance? Cause your bible says to pray while on your sickbed and that you will be healed. If ya got health insurance you don't believe all of the bible...

It does not say it anywhere in the Bible that if you pray for someone it will heal them, we pray to give hope to the people that are sick to let them know that God is watching him or her so if they do die they could go to Heaven. I do not know where you have heard that story from.

Are you insane James 5:15, where the Bible says:

And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.

You took the quote to literally, the quote means that when someone dies and people are praying for them, they will most likely go to heaven and your soul will be well. When he says the Lord will raise him up means that the person will be raised up in Heaven, my Religion believes when you go to Heaven you are living forever, so technically you are well, again. You took the quote to literally, which is what most of these Christian Religions do.

There's another wording for it that says "The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well."

If that isn't enough for you how about this line John 14:14

"If you ask anything in my name, I will do it."

You're telling me not to take a work of literature literally? Don't try to put your own spin on things if a line reads "don't touch this button" it doesn't have anything there to make someone think "don't touch this button if you have on a blue shirt" and learn to eat some humble pie every now and then!

Oh and if that wasn't enough here are a few other bits of information related to this for you Matthew 7:7, Matthew 17:20, Matthew 21:21, Mark 11:24, John 14:12-14, Matthew 18:19 and James 5:15-16 as well.

*edit syntax on quote ' instead of "*

With all of those quotes many of the stories they teach did not happen in real life most are just stories that have moral values that they teach. With Jesus teachings when he said a story or moral he wanted them to comprehend it correct way. I know all of this because I am currently going to different classes at my church to learn about the religion. Religion is not supposed to be something that is easy to understand, you have to listen carefully to what the stories say.

 

[McNinja]

Just because we're similar doesn't mean were are. Also, no I don't think we are apes; we might be quite similar, but that doesn't mean we came from them. No one has proven we have a common ancestor, and no one has proven we descended from apes (of any kind).

 

[Circleseer]

Speaking for everyone who doesn't believe in evolution (such as myself) No we are not apes. We never were. And we never will be

If it is any consolation; 'Apes' is a catagory. A thought. Something people made up to make life easier. We tend to put everything in boxes. Mammals, minerals, plants. We put things in seperate boxes. We look at shared traits, or ideally, shared ancestors.
But factually speaking, you have a different geno and fenotype than anyone else on earth. We're all unique. More correctly even, everything is all a temporal accumulation of energy and mass. We're all the same. The fact that you see everything as a seperate entity comes from that you need to deal with this reality, and you do so by sorting things into boxes in your mind. You think you are an individual creature, but you have a strong connection to the world around you. You aren't a closed system. In fact, you're part of this planet, and even the planet is part of a bigger system. And every single thing therein is made of the same basic particles. You see a chair as a manipulatable object. Not connected to the ground it's on or the air that surrounds it. But factually it is the same as both, depending on how you wish to look at it. You just decide to treat it as in individual entity, to be able to deal with it.

And that is where we arrive. Reality lies, partially, in the eyes and mind of the observer. The 'truth' is both impossibly simple and mindblowingly complex.

Do you truely give a damn whether someone decides to classify you as an ape or not?

 

[Jack Nettle]

Judged by biological aspects: Yes.

Judged by the general behavior of humans: No! We are sheep.

That was a baaaaaaaaa-d joke.
See what I did there?

 

[Jack Nettle]

Well, the topic says "...Humans ARE apes."
I disagree, as I am a very picky grammar nerd, I believe humans EVOLVED from apes.

Anyways, stupid comments aside, it's nearly proven fact that we evolved from our hairy ancestors. Most people who do not believe this statement say that we look nothing like apes/chimpanzees, which in my opinion, that just means they obviously do not understand evolution and should go back to grade school. As for the religious viewing of creationism, people need to realize that religious scripture is eventually going to be viewed as lacking or completely disproved. Oh well, back to gaming.

As a grammer nerd you might need to learn a bit more apes aren't a species...

I don't see how that makes any difference, nor what it has to do with grammar.

 

[Treblaine]

No, calling us "apes" is an insult to the majestic animal that is the ape. Apes are generally peaceful, although they might get into squabbles every so often, they don't try to kill whole parts of their species, kill for pleasure, or destroy the earth. Obviously, we evolved from some kind of ape, but I wouldn't call us apes now.

Well I wouldn't call Gorillas or Orangutans peaceful in a "majestic" sense, more in a cow-like sense. They just sit around chewing all day (literally 40% of apes' waking day is spent grinding raw food, see the benefits of cooking?).

Gorillas lack the mental capacity for massive scale calculated destruction of entire opposing groups, or make chemicals (pollute and destroy the earth?)... so who is to say they wouldn't if they could? They'd certainly try to kill you if you set off the right instinctive triggers in a chimpanzee or Gorilla and may be quite successful considering their strength advantage.

It's hardly a merit to be too stupid to kill/destroy en mass. Billions of species qualify for that (though not Mosquitoes and certain Bacteria).

(agree though that the term "ape" was coined to distinguish Chimpanzees and Gorillas and so on FROM Humans, though all could reasonably be classified as primates)

 

[diasravenguard]

think you're lookin for the "golden rule"

What is that?

well it's almost as smart as the silver rule (which is do unto others before they can do unto you) but it's this kind thing that Gandhi talked about liking about Jesus and wondered why Christians didn't follow the same rule.

It's something like "treat others how you want to be treated"

Perhaps, but I dislike the idea I need a rule for that. Can't it be self-evident? A normality? Good manners, perhaps?
We're all civilized and intelligent. The agressive ranting and disregard for the words of others are what turns internet discussions into the disgrace they usually are.

*blinks* you must be one of those strange things known as a good person...

 

[diasravenguard]

Well, the topic says "...Humans ARE apes."
I disagree, as I am a very picky grammar nerd, I believe humans EVOLVED from apes.

Anyways, stupid comments aside, it's nearly proven fact that we evolved from our hairy ancestors. Most people who do not believe this statement say that we look nothing like apes/chimpanzees, which in my opinion, that just means they obviously do not understand evolution and should go back to grade school. As for the religious viewing of creationism, people need to realize that religious scripture is eventually going to be viewed as lacking or completely disproved. Oh well, back to gaming.

As a grammer nerd you might need to learn a bit more apes aren't a species...

I don't see how that makes any difference, nor what it has to do with grammar.

You don't have a SPECIES evolve from a FAMILY the species evolves from a species... That would be the grammatical equivalent of saying a plural for a single and that sets off most grammer nerds almost as much as the undefined term "a white mans wallet" (is this a white wallet for a man or a mans wallet owned by a white man)

*edit corrected syntax " replaced with )*

 

[Jack Nettle]

Well, the topic says "...Humans ARE apes."
I disagree, as I am a very picky grammar nerd, I believe humans EVOLVED from apes.

Anyways, stupid comments aside, it's nearly proven fact that we evolved from our hairy ancestors. Most people who do not believe this statement say that we look nothing like apes/chimpanzees, which in my opinion, that just means they obviously do not understand evolution and should go back to grade school. As for the religious viewing of creationism, people need to realize that religious scripture is eventually going to be viewed as lacking or completely disproved. Oh well, back to gaming.

As a grammer nerd you might need to learn a bit more apes aren't a species...

I don't see how that makes any difference, nor what it has to do with grammar.

You don't have a SPECIES evolve from a FAMILY the species evolves from a species... That would be the grammatical equivalent of saying a plural for a single and that sets off most grammer nerds almost as much as the undefined term "a white mans wallet" (is this a white wallet for a man or a mans wallet owned by a white man)

*edit corrected syntax " replaced with )*

Ah, I see what you're trying to say now, thanks.

 

[diasravenguard]

Ah, I see what you're trying to say now, thanks.

No prob it seems to be the main disagreement for humans being apes. Sorry if i said it in an offending way wasn't meant to be.