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NASB | Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty (subtle, skilled in deceit) than any living creature of the field which the LORD God had made. And the serpent (Satan) said to the woman, "Can it really be that God has said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" [Rev 12:9-11] |
Subject: Animal Intelligence Isn't Rational |
Bible Note: Clarification, Scripture ....................... Dear Lionstrong, I do not think that we actually disagree with each other on this matter. Instead, I think that we are talking about two different things. You are talking about a spiritual rationality and I am speaking of a physical rationality. I assume that we both agree that both of these exist. The Bible clearly seperates Godly wisdom from earthly wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:19-21). It also talks about how one could "see without seeing" and "hear without understanding" (Matthew 13:13). It seems clear that human reason and spiritual understanding are two distinct abilities. You seem to be making the case that only humans (due to being in the image of God) have the ability to have "spiritual understanding". I agree completely. I am making the case that animals and humans both have the ability to have earthly "reasoning" (as defined in the dictionary). I think that you would agree as well. I would mention that even in this kind of rationality, there is a matter of degree (1 Corinthians 13:11), and a human has much greater reasoning than an animal. |