The Modern Dichotomy In The Human Being
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

The Modern Dichotomy In The Human Being

We are more than mere animals.

830
The Modern Dichotomy In The Human Being
Unknown

In the last couple of decades of human history, there has been an explosion of movements attempting to remedy the injustices perpetrated against all kinds of peoples believed to be inferior. These crusaders held to the idea that human beings--regardless of race, gender, mental capacity, or religion--are all entitled to the same rights (called “human rights”) simply because they enjoy the privilege of existing. More recently, we have seen in the news that this war rages on. With the massacre of Christians beyond our borders and the murders of black youth in our own country, we know that the fight for human rights is far from over.

And fight on we should. Protecting the sanctity of all human life by standing up for the oppressed in the face of adversity is one of the basic tenets that comes with being a Christ-follower. If we believe God created human beings in His image and have inherent objective rights over all other things, then any offense against ourselves and, in turn, our Creator should be met with vehement opposition. But what puzzles me is a contrary idea about humanity also perpetuated by modern society, and that is the belief of man is purely chemistry and biology; that a human is no more than a somewhat rational animal, whose knowledge is illusory and existence, if he or she should call it that, is no more than a functioning mass of amalgamated atoms. Now, we are animals, and I don’t strive to deny that. It would be preposterous to assert I am a member of a race of supernatural entities floating about, made of some transcendental substance, since my every breath would be actively refuting that claim. No, we are subject to the same pleasures and torments of this reality as every other living thing on Earth, but that’s where it stops. Where the biological stops, the philosophical and the spiritual pick up.

My immediate reaction to the naturalist’s philosophy is to wonder if anyone actually believes it. If someone told you she wholeheartedly believes her existence is fictitious, you should respond with, “Who’s talking to me?” I would think a man would be very upset if he came to me in a moment of desperate crisis and I told him, “I’m sorry, but you’re simply a phonating mass of matter; therefore, you’re feelings are insignificant.” The entirety of human psychology is deemed irrelevant and the course of human history would have happened in spite of itself, for as G.K. Chesterton pointed out man’s existence is not purely “economical.” If it were, there would be no annals of human history shaped by its own free will but merely a short story about eating and reproducing, like goats or cows grazing in meadows.

For the argument’s sake, let’s assume people do believe existence is futile. Then what? The entire human struggle has been in vain. There is no origin and there is no point of arrival. What gives us any rights, then, or even any objective moral framework? Ourselves? History has shown we aren’t very good at that. We will all simply go about our own lives doing our own senseless things, perhaps having a few wars and battling for some invention of truth, until some cataclysmic event, either by some external phenomenon or by our own hand, causes our inevitable mass extinction. And who is to blame? The course of all evolutionary nature. In its indiscretion, evolution somehow found it favorable to make us thinking animals painfully aware of our own existence who, in a strange and possibly self-destructive moment of our primal youth, instinctively pointed to the heavens for guidance and purpose. If this is true, this was a vicious thing for nature to have accidentally concocted.

I would maintain this kind of bleak existentialist philosophy to be an absurd one and, on close examination, does not account for the overwhelmingly contrary ideology represented by the majority of mankind evidenced throughout its history. It is impossible to cling to modern science’s interpretation of the human being and maintain that our race is under the law of objective rights, privileges, and punishments. The dichotomy is irrational and counterintuitive.

Perhaps we should start giving credence to the idea that humans are truly more than the sum of their parts. We contain within us the image of something more everlasting and are equipped with an innate purpose to attempt to realize that image. That image is, of course, the majesty of God. And should that be too difficult to grasp, reflect on the incarnation of Jesus Christ; that God fully took on the nature He had created--our bones, our skin, our DNA, our atoms--to visibly proclaim that He

is the everlasting image, the “I Am” our hearts yearn for. And when we do advocate for the basic rights of all image-bearers of God, what do we ultimately strive for? For light, peace, justice, charity, and love, all of these everlasting truths accomplished in the life and ministry of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

57558
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

37074
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

958807
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

191355
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments