Why Man is Superior to Animals

Some may wonder why we even need to explain why men are superior to animals. But in our society, the view of academia and the media is generally that man may be further advanced than lesser animals, but he is still just an animal. And this creates problems. In this article, we propose to present the Biblical view of God’s creation of animals and man and celebrate the value of the distinction he has made.

Scientists who hold to Darwin’s theory of evolution “believe simple life (forms) have changed over millions of years into more complex states by a process of natural selection. …life arose naturally into a one-celled animal, then mutated and changed or evolved over millions of years into the various kinds of life we see today (with) humans being the highest on the chain.” ¹Geisler, Norman and Holden, Joseph. Living Loud, Defending Your Faith. Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2002, p 56 They believe, therefore, that all creatures, including humans, are descended from a common ancestor. Their view is that we all are the result of natural causes without any intervention from God. This is an atheistic view of creation.

However, these beliefs have been questioned in recent years by reputable scientists. For one thing, the fossil record shows exactly the opposite of what they claim. Instead of emerging gradually over a long period of time, “major groups of animals…appear essentially at the same time in the fossil record.” ²Strobel, Lee. The Case for a Creator. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004, p 45. Incredibly, when Darwin himself put forth his theory, he knew then that the fossil record didn’t support it, and over the last 170 years paleontologists have not been able to find transitional life forms between the species. Thus, on purely scientific grounds, it is reasonable to reject the evolutional theory and label it a false idea. Other reasons to discredit this theory are found in an article on this web site, “Why Christians Believe in God.”

When part of the scientific community denies the involvement of a Creator-God in the origin of human life, and when they claim that human beings evolved directly from animals, they demean the value of man and by implication overvalue the worth of animals. And because this is taught at most of our schools and universities, it has affected the attitudes of vast numbers of people in our society.

I believe it is important to understand clearly what God says about the value and status of man as compared with that of animals. This matters because our attitudes are directly affected by what we believe about our origin. When people get this wrong, it damages their sense of personal self-worth and negatively affects how they think about other people. When they get it right, they can truly value themselves and others in the way they should be valued.

The Creation Of Animals

First, let’s look at the creation of animals in the Bible. In Genesis 1:24 NIV it says, “God said, ‘Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind,'” Here, we see God has created three kinds of land mammals: 1) animals that move along the ground including snakes, lizards, alligators and such, 2) “wild animals” which are difficult to tame, and 3) “livestock” such as cattle, sheep, and dogs which can be “domesticated for agricultural purposes and…tamed as pets.” ³Ross, Hugh. Why the Universe is the Way it is. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2008, p 138.

The Hebrew word used for “living creatures” is “nepesh” which refers to their soulish nature. This tells us that they have some degree of self-awareness or soul. The behavior of animals varies from those who are controlled by instinct to those who are guided by both instinct and intelligence. Domesticated animals display an interesting array of capabilities including intelligence, memory, emotion, a will of their own, an attachment to their owners (in the case of pets), as well as instinctual behavior. Because of the service and joy these docile and tamed animals give their owners, Hugh Ross comments that it appears that they “were designed by the Creator to serve and please the human race.” ⁴Ross, Hugh. Why the Universe is the Way it is. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2008, p 138.

The Creation Of Man

Genesis 1:26-28 NIV reads: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our own image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.'” Then in Genesis 2:7 NIV it says: “The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”

In these verses, several things are emphasized. Man is created by God, not evolved; Man is not a descendent of lower animal life – he is a separate creation; Man is created “in the image of God” making him qualitatively different from and superior to the animals; Man is created with (only) two genders – male and female; Man is created to rule over all the creatures made by God and to care for the plant life in the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15 NIV); Man is given authority and responsibility and thereby becomes accountable to God for his work.

Man is said to be unique in two principal ways. 1) First, he is made in God’s image and as such “is worthy of honor and respect; he is neither to be murdered (Genesis 9:6) or cursed (James 3:9).” [NIV note, p.7] Man is of value! He is a treasure! And, he is to be treated accordingly. Further, man, made in the image of God, has the capacity for God-consciousness which allows him to communicate with and relate to his Creator.

2) Second, “man is the climax of God’s creation. God has crowned him with glory and honor and made him ruler over the rest of his creation.” God, who is a “divine King, (has) delegated sovereignty (kingship)” to man as ruler. [NIV notes p.7] Thus man by virtue of being made in the image of God has both a unique relationship with God Himself, and a unique delegated relationship with God’s other creatures and with plant life as sovereign ruler and steward under God.

Men And Animals Are Similar

We believe the similarities between men and animals are present because both were made by the same Intelligent Designer who used similar body patterns for different created beings. We do not believe these similarities exist because man has descended from a lower animal species as Darwin’s theory asserts. In our view, there is convincing scientific evidence to support the Biblical teaching that an infinite Creator-God brought into being the entire universe and all life by his power and made man separately as a unique creation. See the article, “Why Christians Believe in God” for more information.

Men and animals are similar in the following ways: To start with, both men and animals are mammals who breathe air, walk on the earth, are vertebrae, and nourish their children with milk. Both have self-consciousness or self-awareness or “soul.” However, man’s self-conscious awareness is vast compared with that of animals. Intelligence is a common feature as well, including thinking, memory, awareness of one’s surroundings, problem-solving, choosing courses of action, and ability to mentally process verbal information. Also, both men and animals show emotion and are social. While men and animals share these common features, these features are not shared equally; rather there are profound differences that define man as a unique being who excels in his capabilities far beyond those of animals.

Men And Animals Are Different

We note differences in two ways: by degree and by kind. Both men and animals have some degree of self-awareness, but in men, self-awareness is much more highly developed, so much so that we can say it is also different in kind. Man is made “in the image of God.” Animals are not made in God’s image. As such, man is of infinite value, worthy of honor and respect, able to have a personal relationship with God, has a moral nature, is the crown and ruler of God’s creation, is a servant of God, and his spirit lives forever. Animals have value, are to be treated with kindness, cannot have a personal relationship with God, have an amoral nature, are subject to the rule of men, have no assigned mission to serve God, and the Bible does not say that they have an eternal spirit.

Both men and animals have intelligence, but man’s is much more advanced than that of animals. Man’s behavior is mostly intentional; animal behaviors tend to be driven by instinct. Men and animals are both social, but man’s social abilities are much greater. With regard to language, only man speaks, writes, and reads language; animals can be taught to respond to language in limited form. The Bible tells us that man was formed with body, soul, and spirit. Animals are said to have body and soul. God forbids the killing (murder) of man. He permits and even commands the killing of animals for food. This tells us that God places an extremely high value on man.

Man is superior to animals in two major ways. He is intrinsically superior because of his nature – he is made in the image of God. And, he is functionally superior because of his abilities.

Intrinsic Superiority

What is it about the nature of man that makes him so exceptional? First, it is his spiritual nature. He was made for God, to know God, and to have a personal relationship with God. As such he becomes a servant to God and a worshiper. He can talk to God in prayer and God speaks to him in his Word, the Bible. There is joy in this relationship and certainty. Men, in this relationship, are grounded in truth about creation, the moral order, their own personal identity, and their purpose and destiny. Man is anchored to the source of all reality, the living God. He can be sure about himself because he is sure about his God. Animals know nothing of this, it’s not even on their radar. They are devoid of this kind of relationship with God.

Second, man is given a moral nature. The Bible spells out for us God’s moral standards in the ten commandments and in other passages. It also tells us in Romans 1:18-32 that these standards are written in the hearts of men so that deep down everyone really knows the difference between right and wrong, even if they neglect or suppress that knowledge. Animals do not have this moral sense.

Third, man is given an eternal spirit. Death is not the end for man, his spirit lives on. We believe, based on Scripture, that animals do not have an eternal spirit.

Fourth, man possesses self-consciousness. He is consciously aware of himself in real space and time. He can think about the past, the present, and the future. He is aware of his inner self, his body, the physical world – things, the social world – people, and he may be aware of the spiritual world – God.

He can think about his impressions, even think about his thoughts. He can evaluate, reflect, ponder, analyze, form opinions, construct logical arguments, agree or disagree, like or dislike, love or hate, feel peace or tension, feel pleasure or pain. He can weigh evidence, consider pros and cons, evaluate alternatives, build a case for or against something, and make decisions regarding his thoughts, speech and behavior. He is a “Me.” He is a “Self.” He experiences “Himself” every day of his life. Animals do not even come close to having this level of self-awareness.

Fifth, man has free will. God created man to have free will so he could choose to obey, love and serve him. God didn’t want a race of robots; he wanted a relationship that is built on the choice of love with man. Animals do make choices regarding their behavior, but these are not on a scale with those of man. Generally, the behavior of animals is mostly driven by instinct whereas man’s behavior is much more driven by intellect.

Sixth, man is a social creature, as is God. The Bible tells us that throughout eternity – past, present, and future – God in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – has fellowship and relationship with himself within the Trinity. We are made to be social, to engage in relationships, both with God and with others. While animals engage in social behavior, they do not do this at the level of complexity or with the sense of being and conscious awareness that man does.

Seventh, man is creative. He can conceive of things that don’t exist and devise ways to make them. He cannot create something from nothing as God can do, but he can create something from the materials that God has given him to work with.

In The Image Of God!

So what does this mean? How are we like God? As discussed, we resemble Him because of our spiritual nature, moral nature, eternal spirit, self-consciousness, free will, social nature, and creativity. In addition we are like Him because we have intelligence, language ability, and authority over the earth and animals as delegated from Him. Further, we derive from our sense of being in the image of God, an awareness of who we are – our identity, and why we’re here – our purpose. We are immortal spirits created to do good and to love and serve a God who created us and loves us dearly. What joy it is to be made in the image of God!

We are not God, but we are like God in our very nature. He made us this way. And this makes us to be of inestimable worth and value. This gives us dignity. The animals do not share these endowments. Thus man, in his very nature, is unique and superior to all other earthly created beings.

A Marred Image Of God

When Adam was created by God, he was created innocent. But something happened – he disobeyed God and God’s punishment fell upon him. Adam was created “from the dust of the earth,” which made him a material being, and God breathed into him “the breath of life” which gave Adam his spiritual nature. When he sinned, Adam’s body and spirit were affected; he would die physically and loose his close fellowship with God, a spiritual death.

Beyond that, all of creation including the animals were also affected, so much so that God tells us that he will in the end destroy this creation and replace it with one that pure and holy. As a result the moral image of God that we see in every man is marred. Men are capable of evil. We all are. So we have to understand that while we are like God in many respects, we are not like Him with respect to our sinfulness.

Functional Superiority

Man is also superior to animals because of his abilities. Intelligence: Let’s begin by noting that man’s intelligence is superior to that of animals. Out of man’s intelligence comes many things: language, mathematics, accounting, science, computers, engineering, technical expertise, inventions, use of tools, philosophy, music, arts, drama, fashion (clothing), jewelry, cooking, culture, government, social organizations, and the ability to domesticate animals.

Man can create complex mathematical formulas which allow him to accomplish amazing engineering feats such as designing computers, harnessing electric power, building houses, buildings and bridges, making appliances, and manufacturing cars, airplanes and a myriad of other goods. He can develop large farming operations and build factories which require extensive planning, organization, and implementation.

Animals cannot do these things or even conceive of them. Beavers construct dams, some animals make burrows, and birds build nests, but all these behaviors are driven by instinct. They always do what they do in the same way from generation to generation. There is no learning to do things better or in a new way. They are locked into their patterns and they can’t think outside of them.

Language: Man is also superior to animals because of his language skills. The English language is said to have approximately 170,000 words. A child at age two will know about 300 words; at age twelve about 12,000 words. A college graduate will know about 20,000 words and those with advance degrees and superior intellects as many as 35,000 words.

Animals can learn a limited number of words in the language of their owner. Dogs can learn about 100 words and cats from 25 to 35 words. Horses, chimpanzees, apes and Asian elephants can learn to respond to verbal commands. Such animals have passive vocabularies, that is they recognize words and respond to them; they cannot actively produce words. Only humans can teach language; animals must be taught language. And notice, even a two year old child knows more words than a dog or a cat.

Some scientists who work with animals to teach them vocabulary seem to want to believe that animals have more language ability than the actual performance of the animals can justify. It’s as if they want to prove that man is just another ape and they keep hoping that the ape or chimpanzee will finally demonstrate human language skills. One argument they give is that since animals don’t have the vocal apparatus that humans have, they can’t speak but they may communicate in other ways that we haven’t yet discovered. I don’t think that’s the problem. If any animal ever had possessed the cognitive capability for language on a human scale, by now, with all the years of research, surely some animal would have broken through that communication barrier and found a way, using symbols, to communicate with us. This has not happened and I believe never will.

There isn’t an animal in the past, present, or future who could write this article, conceive of it or even begin to comprehend it. Animals simply don’t have the sense of consciousness and intellect required to conceive, produce, communicate, read or comprehend complex language the way humans do. Clearly man is superior to animals with respect to language.

The Gulf is Wide: Our discussion reveals that there a wide gulf between both the intrinsic nature and the functional capabilities of man and animals. We now understand that man is truly superior to animals in his essence and in his abilities. Man exhibits a vast intelligence, a breadth of personhood, and a depth of soul that is not found anywhere else.

Francis Schaeffer, a Christian philosopher, theologian, pastor, and counselor wrote repeatedly that there are basically two views of reality in Western culture: 1) The view that man came into being through the process of evolution and 2) the opposing view that man is a creation of God. And he said that the view that one holds results in inevitable consequences for the individual and for the institutions of society. ⁵Schaeffer, Francis. A Christian Manifesto. Westchester, Ill.: Crossway Books, 1982, p 17-18, 131. These consequences have to do with both the valuation and the treatment of man.

Evolutionary Theory

Belief in the theory of evolution inevitably results in the devaluation of human beings. It robs man of his dignity, value, true identity, and purpose. It eliminates the basis for morality, removes life’s meaning, cancels out free will, destroys the value of life, trashes hope, altruism, and love, introduces irresponsibility and despair, creates arbitrary values because there are no standards, resulting in arbitrary rules and laws which reflect the whims of whoever is in charge. This can lead to governmental tyranny and the loss of individual God-given rights.

Belief in the theory of evolution inevitably
results in the devaluation of human beings

How does this view manifest itself in our society? A fetus in the womb is not considered a human life and is killed by the abortion industry because there is no understanding that this precious baby is made in the image of God. A young mother leaves her newborn in a trash can to die because she doesn’t want it. The elderly are encouraged to take lethal medication to end their life prematurely to avoid pain or because life seems meaningless. And this is legal in some states.

The airline industry stuffs people into small spaces like cattle to make more money. Investors trade junk bonds or derivatives which have no intrinsic monetary value because there’s a lot of money to be made, but somebody always looses and they don’t matter. There are scams, fraud, and dishonesty, all designed to steal something that belongs to someone else. There is disrespect and character assassination. Employees are treated unfairly. Products are made to fail so customers have to buy more frequently. Hoarding takes place during a national crisis with no thought for the needs of others. False accusations are made by people who know they are false because they want to cause someone else pain. And then there is infidelity, assault, and murder. In each case people are not treated as persons of value, as made in the image of God..

I think all this makes God both sad and angry. Sad, because he sees our suffering and he cares about us; angry because in believing the lie that man is no more than an animal and in disobeying his plain command to love ourselves and others we have offended him.

This point of view, which assigns an animal-like status to man, may also make another mistake, that of assigning human-like characteristics to animals. Don’t get me wrong. We love our pets. But they are not human and do not carry the same value as humans. In our society some laws protect animals more than human beings. It may be against the law for an individual to mercifully kill his pet (although the vet can do this), yet killing a baby in the womb is legal.

A wrong view of man, the view that man is merely the result of natural forces, corrupts because it makes it possible to treat ourselves and others with disrespect, indifference, and contempt, destroying the plan God has for us to love ourselves and others as he loves us.

Man Is A Creation Of God

Belief in man made in the image of God inevitably results in the ennoblement of human beings. This belief affirms man’s dignity, value, true identity and purpose. For people who know that God is their Creator, life has meaning; there is a real basis for morality, love, and altruism; there is free will; there is life after death; there is great hope and an expectation for ultimate justice; moral lines are drawn and we know the difference between benevolence and cruelty; we have the privilege of taking on responsibility for others, our self, and toward God; we can value our self and others because we are made in the image of God; and we treat our fellow man with respect and kindness because they too are made in the image of God.

Belief in man made in the image of God inevitably
results in the ennoblement of human beings.

It is interesting to note that most people feel they have a right to these hopeful views, especially when it comes to the value of one’s self, even if they are agnostic or atheist. But what gives the atheist the right to think this way? By his own standards he has no such right, but he does so anyway. Why? I think it is because they “know” in their inmost being that they have intrinsic value. This to me is God’s witness to them through their own humanity that He is real and He is their Creator.

How does this view manifest itself in our society? Christian organizations counsel young women with unwanted pregnancies to help them understand that the unborn baby in their womb is made in the image of God and they give them support in making the right decision. Christians gather around their elderly, give them their time and presence, make them feel loved, make them as comfortable as possible, encourage them with the hope of eternal life, and pray with them.

People give time and money to charities. Soup kitchens and food banks provide meals and food for the disadvantaged. The homeless are fed and housed. Charitable organizations help working people pay utility bills and rent when due to no fault of their own they can’t quite make ends meet. Businesses treat their employees well, make reliable products, and give back to society.

Families strengthen themselves and stay together. Mothers love, care for, teach, and raise their children. Fathers are committed to their families. Parents make sacrifices for their children. Spouses are faithful to each other. People are considerate of others’ needs – not just their own. People show kindness. They show respect for others’ persons and property. People make friends and keep friendships. People forgive each other and give each other a second chance.

Churches teach God’s truth and provide tangible service to the community. Christians individually and organizationally promote God’s truth about the true identity and value of man who is made in His image. They teach the world about God’s moral standards, his love, eternal life, heaven and hell, and the wonder of God’s plan for each person’s life. In each of these examples people are treated as persons of value, as made in the image of God.

The Value Of A Person

What’s the value of a human being? A man, a woman, a boy, a girl? Is $5,000 enough? $50,000? A million dollars? Is there any price great enough to equal the value of a human soul? If we were to take the entire sum of all the wealth that exists in the world today, it would not be enough to equal the value of one person. Each of us is given an infinite value by our Creator. In his eyes we are special, a treasure, precious, and intensely and intentionally loved by him.

The right view of man, the view that he is created in the image of God, liberates him from the devaluation of himself, enables him to view himself with dignity, allows him to embrace his true worth and love himself and others because Almighty God made him and loves him.

A Crisis Of Human Dignity

Stephen Nichols gave a talk, “The Dignity of God’s Image Bearer,” at a 2020 Ligonier Ministries conference, with the topic “Made in the Image of God.” In his talk, Dr. Nichols points out that we have a “crisis of human dignity” in our culture. He gave these examples: Existentialism holds that life is meaningless. Political philosophies such as Adolph Hitler’s reduced the value of “unacceptable persons” to zero and judged them worthy of death. Communist-Socialist Marxism redefined the worth of each individual to whatever that individual could contribute to society. Humanism ascribes dignity to man but then says life is meaningless. The LGBT community says that identity is the same as sexual orientation, missing the profound truth that God has given us a unique identity, superior to and apart from our feelings and behaviors. And, “for the first time in history” we now call gender a social construct instead of a given at birth. All this indicates, says Dr. Nichols, that there is a lot of confusion in our society about man’s God-given dignity and true identity.

Then he addresses the question of how we can begin to talk about the dignity man in our society, with so many philosophies floating around which attack that very dignity? He replies that the only correct answer to the question. “Who am I?” has to be theological because the secular answers are always unsatisfactory. Thus, the only way out of this confusion is to get people to recognize, understand, and embrace the fact that all men are created in the image of God.

So, how should we respond to this crisis? Dr. Nichols urges us to affirm that every person has value and the right to life; to show kindness and respect to everyone; to love our neighbor and ourselves; and to teach others that they are made in the image of God.

In this article, we have shown why man is superior to animals.To make our case, we have presented the Biblical view that man is unique; created separate from and superior to animals.

But we have gone beyond just presenting the Biblical account. We have explored the nature of man; we have described his essence. We have compared him with the animals and shown that animals simply do not have the sense of being or the spiritual nature that is required for personhood. We have compared the abilities of man and animals and discovered that man’s intelligence and language skills far exceed those of animals. In short, we have used facts and reason to make our case

Then we noted that what one believes about this matters a great deal. If man is merely the result of natural forces, certain things follow; if man is God’s creation, other thing follow. The first position devalues man; the second ennobles him. If one thinks that man is merely an animal, this will have a detrimental effect on how he values and treats himself and others. If he thinks man is created by God, in His image, he will value and treat himself and others in an entirely different way. The latter will give him a firm basis for morality, meaning, love, altruism, justice, belief in eternal life, and fellowship with God. The former will not.

Intuitively, we know we have value. Otherwise, why do we put forth so much time and effort to take care of ourselves and our loved ones? Even if a person does not know why they feel this way, they do. We contend that it is because real value is derived from God, and he has bestowed it upon each of us. We hope this article will help the reader understand and appreciate that they are made in the image of God, and therefore are of inestimable value and worth.

We conclude that man is superior to animals, that he is of a different kind than animals, and that he is to be respected, loved, and cherished. He is responsible before God and he is loved by God.

Further, it is incumbent upon Christians to let the world know this truth of God which liberates from despair and elevates to dignity every person who grasps it. We owe it to them because they are made in the image of God. And let us embrace this gift from God and move forward, valuing human life personally, relationally, and in our society. May God give us the grace to live out this marvelous truth that we are all made in the image of God!