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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 .................................... Dear Lionstrong, I think that I am beginning to see what you are meaning when you talk about being "rational". In your last post, you said there was a "line of the personal. Now, what we have above the line is God, men and angels, and below the line everything else." On that point, I completely agree with you. God has personality, angels have personalities (I think), and humans have personalities. Animals DO NOT have personalities. An animal (especially a pet) may appear to have a personality, but I believe that it is not real. Rather, I believe that it is merely instincts and learned behaviors that we associate with personality traits and therefore project onto the animal. This description seems to fit what you are calling "rationality", and if that is what you mean, then we really have no disagreement, other than definitions. In any case, we agree that humans are in the image of God, animals are not, and that is what totally seperates us from them. P.S. Dear Charis, I would have to do some research to know for sure, but I'm relatively certain that some animals (dolphins, gorillas, etc.) have been taught to complete three tasks in a row on command. |