Editorials / Opinions

Have you ever wondered why humans are so different from animals? I mean you are not likely to see a squirrel relaxing in a rocking chair wearing spectacles and reading a newspaper.

Sounds absurd and it is. But we are so accustomed to being humans that our uniqueness escapes our notice. We stand utterly apart from animals in appearance and mind. The question is: Why are we so distinct?

There are two answers to this question, one from science, the other from religion. Let's take science first.

Evolutionary theory states that all life arose from non-living mire. The first living organism was presumably a proto-bacterium. In time, this organism developed into marine and terrestrial plants. Then some plants were transformed into many kinds of animals in the sea and on land, among them the apes. Eventually, an ape became an ape-man – finally, minus some rough edges, us.

The other answer to the question of why animals and humans are poles apart is found in scripture, specifically, the first book of the Bible, Genesis.

Genesis records that all life on earth was created in three 24-hour periods, or days. For brevity's sake, we'll focus on just one of these days, the sixth day. It was on this day by His word alone God brought all the animals that inhabit the land into being. On that same day, He created man. But the manner of this last creation set man apart from animals.

The story of man begins like this.

In mind's eye, I see the Creator of all walking along a riverbank. Then, finding what He seeks, He gets on His knees – He humbles Himself – and with His hands begins to mold a figure. Surely the heavenly hosts – brought into being before the creation of all things physical – were agog at the sight.

The clay figure that the Creator had sculpted was in His likeness. Then He stooped lower, and on His hands and knees breathed into it His breath, and the clay form came alive – a living image of God, Himself. No, the image was not God, it, that is, he, just resembled the shape of God, one composed of spirit, the other made from soil.

Now God presented all the animals of the field before Adam (meaning, red earth) to be named. Then Adam said to God – for at this time there was no estrangement between the two – Behold, all the animals have a mate, yet I have none. Make me, therefore, a mate.

This was the Creator's first lesson to man: to teach him, love.

God cast a deep sleep to come over Adam. He took out a part of his body, then healed it closed. When Adam awoke, he saw before him, woman. His heart burst. God had given him more than he could imagine. You are bone of my bones, flesh of my flesh. I shall name you, Eve (meaning, life-giver) for out of you shall come forth all life.

But God's plan of creation was not complete.

Adam loved Eve. But he had not yet learned to love his Maker, only Eve. This, too, as we shall see, was God's will.

In the midst of the garden, in which the first pair dwelt, God planted a tree. God warned Adam not to eat of it for in the day that you do, you shall surely die.

There came a day when the Adversary appeared before Eve. Eat of it, Eve, he said, for when you do you shall become like God knowing good and evil. So Eve partook of the tree's fruit and saw it was good to eat. Late she offered the fruit to Adam, but he was shocked.

Then God confronted Adam. What have you done? The woman, whom you gave to me, she gave me to eat. Then Adam added least there be any misunderstanding – and I did eat. Whatever fate God had for Eve, Adam would be with her.

God cast them out of the garden into the outer wilderness where to this day all their disobedient children dwell.

Now there remained one more step for God to complete His plan.

In a land called, Judea, on a hilltop known as Golgotha (meaning, the place of the skull), the One who had formed man six thousand years ago would cause Himself to be sacrificed in payment for the sins of His wayward kinsmen.

God, therefore, is our kinsman-redeemer: He will not allow one, no not one, of His kind to be lost. For mankind, unlike animals, is of His family, the God family.

Sincerely,

Bob Scroggins, New Milford, PA

Many babies have survived being born early from their mother's womb.

In 2008, a set of twins had to be taken from the womb. They survived; a boy and a girl that lived. Most recently in Japan, a baby survived after being taken from its mother's womb for a health reason. An unborn baby's heartbeat begins at 5-6 weeks. A baby, at 22 weeks weighs about 16oz, or 1 pound. The baby is about 10 or 11 inches long. A baby at 22weeks most definitely feels terrible pain in an abortion.

Senator Bob Casey said that he would not want a woman to have an abortion after 22 weeks, because that is when a baby feels pain and wiggles in its mother's womb to avoid the terrible procedure. Dr. Bernard Nathanson, a doctor that performed over 50,000 abortions stopped killing babies when he viewed an ultrasound of a baby and saw the baby kicking and screaming. He even wrote a book and made a video- "The Silent Scream".

Sincerely,

Bruce Moorhead, Susquehanna, PA