Poll: Do you believe humans are apes?

[The Austin]

You are a moron. You are not in the Dark Ages anymore, you are now the weak minority, it is time to wake up and smell the evidence.

Uh, I think YOU need to wake up.

See that chart? Thats a chart representing the percentage of the world that is religious.
Chances are, quite a few of those people DON'T believe in evolution.

And guess what? Just because you have studied Biology doesn't give you the right to be a jackass.

It does however make him responsible to fight science ignorance.

Also, just because a lot of people believe or do not believe in something does not make it right.

As I said before, my post had nothing to do with the existence of Evolution, it simply had to do with this guy not being a dick.

A few things, this chart is out of date, I don't know how the data was collected, if it was a simple random sample or a world wide poll, and if it was, they missed at least someone cause nobody asked me. If it was a chart of what someone was BORN into, than odds are this char is inaccurate. Children have simple faith, which doesn't stand up well to science, life, and humanity in general. Someone can be born catholic but become aesthetic by age 16. Also, the chart does not include agnostics, which means that they forced someone to pick either aesthism or a religion, which skews results.

I'm just going to Copy/Paste the previous post I made that is right above you.
Ahem:
As I said before, my post had nothing to do with the existence of Evolution, it simply had to do with THIS GUY NOT BEING A DICK.

 

[Dark Knifer]

I don't think we came from apes, because evolution says that creatures evolve to cope with their circumstances and their environment. What kind of environment would be needed for an ape to need emotions, language and everything else that makes us people? This question has had me stumped for a while.

That, and random mutations. It is very handy for a hunter-gatherer race to be able to communicate on a high level. Emotions are like instincts, jealousy, anger, fear, these help survival.

Those with better communication skills would probably find partners more easily, and be more effective in all their group-actions. Once language was there, it should've been easy to improve.



Ever ran a random-letter generator that only saves actual words? Look at it like that. When you run thousands of them at the same time, you'd be amazed how many intelligeble words you'd end up with.



I can't seem to get to bed -_-

I should really go now.

Interesting... Thanks, that clears things up a bit. Enjoy your sleep.

 

[DrEmo]

Well, we could be classified as apes because of the DNA we share with chimps, but we walk upright all the time, something no ape does. We have similar behaviors and child-rearing methods (no under-handed jab intended, scientifically speaking here.) So, we're technically apes in the same way shrimp are technically cockroaches.

 

[Ferrell]

I wouldn't say the issue is even a choice. Asking whether Humans are a type of ape is like asking do all mammals have nipples. It's one of our defining points as a species. Though saying that, we do act rather like a virus at times, multiplying and consuming all natural resources, then moving on to a new area. Though technically, we are not apes, just related. We evolved from ape-like ancsestors (Homonids). We share a common ancestor, that split leading to modern humans and modern apes, we did not evolve from Apes, just along side them.

Time to drop a massive quote from a genius of the modern age:

"The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd; indeed in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind, a widespread belief is more likely to be foolish than sensible."

Bertrand Russell

 

[chemicalfire]

Well, anthropology states that humans are hominids and not apes. The hominids that we came from may have been similar to apes and genetic "cousins" in a way; but we are not, nor did we come from apes. I am not an anthropologist, so if I messed up this information I apologize.

 

[Jonabob87]

I don't know about that, I'm fairly educated and love logical thought. I'm not one of your stereotypical American Christians who is terrified of ever seeing anything vaguely unchristian and think it's my right to throw my faith in your face. I'm one of those Scottish, Godfearing, moralistic Christians who's sick of being told he's a retard because he doesn't fit in with the mold. Maybe atheism vs christianity is an issue in America still. However, in the UK secularism has managed to slaughter almost every religions liberties except Islam, and everyone is going for the throat of Christianity, so forgive me if I'm a little tense on the issue at hand.

Maybe I shoukd've just gone to bed and not posted here...it is 3:23am after all.

I hope you sleep well and I wasn't saying it's right or wrong just saying that atheism is gaining ground probably due to logical thought processes and education (both positive and negative with both side doing fouls)

In the US the big thing is christians see atheists as having horns. I'll leave my beliefs to myself and just say there isnt much sense in that one I've seen a guy say it (with evangelicals around no less) and had them all gasp and act like he was Lucifer himself!

I've seen footage of American Christianity, it blows my mind...in a bad way. Almost like it's forgotten it's an Eastern faith and steeped itself in western civilisation, thus destroying all it's roots and whoring itself to the masses.

Maybe I should move to the middle east...

 

[James Joseph Emerald]

That's semantics. Are we discussing Apes as in a species or a certain morphology, or are we discussing the great apes, as in the phylogenetic group?

Semantics. Exactly.

Let's read Wikipedia's definition of semantics:

Semantics is the study of meaning, usually in language. The word "semantics" itself denotes a range of ideas, from the popular to the highly technical. It is often used in ordinary language to denote a problem of understanding that comes down to word selection or connotation.

Does that sound like a matter for
a) Linguistics and philosophy or...
b) Highly specialised genetic/anatomical biology?

Meaning doesn't come from numbers and lab reports and the arbitrary definitions decided upon by a panel of high-ranking intellectuals. It's an intangible, indistinct imaginary bubble that exists in the social consciousness. Maybe 20 years from now, "apes" won't exist. They'll be called "sentient hairy man-beasts". And "apes" will mean something completely different, and all the scientific classifications for what an 'ape' is will be made redundant.

I mean, what next? Scientists trying to quantify the difference between LOL and LMAO on a logarithmic humour index? (Might sound bizarre now, but in 20 years, when nobody thinks it's weird to find those terms in the dictionary, who knows?)

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

i would say yes, but at the same time say no, we can be generally grouped together with them, but did we evolve from them? im not sure, we have alot of distinct differences in which it doesn't seem logical that they "disappeared" or "changed" over time

 

[Adventurer2626]

I believe we are primates that are descended from a more "primitive" specie(s) of primate. The evidence is there (wisdom teeth anyone?) much like the ties between domesticated cats and dogs and their wild feline & canine brethren. I must confess despite my college education of 2 years the intricacies of the primate family still eludes me so I cannot say whether or not we are "apes." I bet that the species from whatever line we are from are well into extinction simply because they all changed into us. The other primates are there still because they are well suited to their environment and have had no real push to change into something like us.

 

[rees263]

The way I see it, the arguement over whether we are "Apes" is just semantics. I do belive in evolution - I find that the evidence in favour of evolution is strong enough for me to accept it. Also bear in mind that I consider myself a Christian. I'm not a bible basher, but I was brought up in a Christian environment and while I'm not one to blindly follow the bible I'm confident enough to have morals that many would consider Christian.

Back to semantics, "apes" is just a classification that the scientific community has agreed upon. As I said, I accept evolution as the probable explanation of life on Earth, but that doesn't mean I believe everything. Personaly I would say we are not apes. While I can see the logical evolution of man and modern day apes, I refuse to acknowledge that we are so similar as to be classified the same.

The similarities between man and chimpanzee are there for all to see, but that's as far as it goes in my eyes. To say that chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans are basically the same as humans is laughable - this very website basically proves the differences between humans and the other primates. We may have the same origins but humans are definitely a step above the other animals on Earth.

 

[Cavouku]

I... think... so?

As someone who believes in a God, I believe in evolution. The whole apes specific part is left to the other members to discuss. I just skimmed through the first page and there were some people stating that we aren't apes for scientific reasons.

I wasn't paying attention. I said "yes".

 

[Nihilism_Is_Bliss]

No. Humans are not apes, they evolved from apes.

 

[kingcom]

No. Humans are not apes, they evolved from apes.

This.

 

[Knight Templar]

No. Humans are not apes, they evolved from apes.

Not really.

Ducks evolved from birds but a duck is still a bird. Same thing applies to humans.

 

[Digikid]

No I do not. Evolution is a lie. We were CREATED....we did not evolve.

 

[Knight Templar]

No I do not. Evolution is a lie. We were CREATED....we did not evolve.

I hope thats a joke.

 

[Darzen]

put an some apes in football gear and you have my high schools Football team

 

[superbatranger]

I wouldn't say we are apes, but we do share a common ancestor.

 

[hardlymotivated]

Is this really so difficult to grasp? Any member of the superfamily Hominoidea is an ape. Humans are a member of the superfamily Hominoidea. Humans are therefore apes.

 

[Redalert9r9r]

I try not to have a cocky attitude about these things, but my being raised in an open minded family with all the experience in life I have had (I'm not saying that its a lot of experience) lead me to my belief.

Life is as life dictates.

Cause and effect.

Maybe I can't tell you how the universe began, but I can tell you how we did. Perhaps its not right. Perhaps we were all put down on this earth by a magnificent deity, or multiple deitys, but I firmly believe, well, I know that we began from a single cell, and that what we have named 'evolution' took its course right as the waters and the winds and the very creation of the universe took place.

I know we are the current step in the evolution of the universe around us. Facts, proof, evidence, and our ever developing minds are my faith. Questioning oneself and one's surroundings are as crucial as evolution itself, arguably, they're one in the same. I question my existence, it is why I am not religious, I question it further, that is why I am not an Atheist.

Is the Qur'an incorrect? In the same way that the Bible was a failure. All religious beliefs have had arguably nearly as much affect on the world and the human state of being as evolution itself, as far as impact on the human life is concerned. I'll never hate you for your religion or your beliefs, I've no right. But I have every right in the world to hate you for not questioning them.