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Grace Church
257 Kendall Street
Burlington, WI 53105

(262) 763-3021

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Pastor Scott Carson

Secretary Patti Hall

PASTOR'S PENS 2005

Grace Church of Burlington November 20, 2005 “There are one hundred and ninety-three living species of monkeys and apes. One hundred and ninety-two of them are covered with hair. The exception is a naked ape self-named Homo sapiens.”   Desmond Morris             Forty years ago, Zoologist Desmond Morris, launched something of a revolution with those words from his book, The Naked Ape. His book was symbolic of the reorientation of the modern mind. He analyzed human behavior in terms of animal behavior, placing humans in their place as just one more species of ape. His “naked ape” represented the logical end of how human beings see themselves from an evolutionary worldview. Evolutionary theory demands the redefinition of human nature. Human beings are displaced as creatures specially made by God and uniquely bearing God's image and are reduced to the status of highly-developed apes.             The end result of this was seen recently when the London Zoo developed a new exhibit – putting human beings on display with the rest of the animal kingdom. According to news reports, the human “captives” in “The Human Zoo” exhibit at the London Zoo are identified by a sign that reads, “Warning: Humans in their Natural Environment.” The exhibit ran for several days. Volunteers, wearing minimal coverings, were involved in various activities, playing games and interacting with the crowd. And the exhibit was a big draw. The Associated Press reported, “The captives in the human zoo exhibit sunned themselves on a rock ledge, clad in bathing suits and pinned-on fig leaves. Some played with hula hoops, some waved. A signboard informed visitors about the species' diet, habitat, worldwide distribution and threats.”             Observing the scene, several children asked, "Why are there people in there?" Polly Wills, spokeswoman for the London Zoo, was ready with an answer. "Seeing people in a different environment, among other animals...teaches members of the public that the human is just another primate." And some of the participants saw the whole exercise as a means of having fun. For example, Actor Brendan Carr, 25, submitted a poem with his application. "I'm funky like a monkey and cool as a cat, talk more than a parrot, up all night like a bat," other participants volunteered in order to make a point. Tom Mahoney, a 26-year-old chemist, explained his participation, "A lot of people think humans are above other animals. When they see humans as animals, here, it kind of reminds us that we're not that special." This idea that humans are "not that special" was the central theme of the exhibit.             “The Human Zoo" exhibit at the London Zoo was a perfect illustration of our contemporary confusion. The organizers may claim to be making a serious point, but their point can’t be taken seriously once the slightest thought is devoted to what the exhibit truly means. The London Zoo may want its visitors to learn "that the human is just another primate,"  but the undeniable reality is that these humans are buying the tickets, orchestrating the event, volunteering for the exhibit and going home to sleep in their own beds at night. Did they really intend for this to be taken seriously? All this talk about human beings as mere animals – just like all the other animals in the zoo – is undermined by a simple  reflection on the fact that it is the humans who built the zoo, captured the animals and came up with such a silly idea as "The Human Zoo" in the first place. The humans on display at the London Zoo were not captured and placed there by apes or elephants. The signs identifying the various creatures were not produced by the inhabitants of the reptile house. The apes and other primates resident at the zoo may look upon the humans with curiosity, but they have no control over their own destinies. And unlike their hairless counterparts, they stay in the zoo overnight.             The Christian worldview asserts the fact that human beings are not just highly developed animals, but are creatures specially made in the image of God. As such, humans are the only creatures to experience self-consciousness and are the only creatures able to know and glorify God. They are characterized by a moral accountability completely lacking in the animal world and by a relatedness that exceeds anything found in the animal kingdom. "The Human Zoo" exhibit in London is just more evidence of the confusion that occurs when human beings ponder their status only by considering themselves because we can only know ourselves after coming to know our Creator.             The London Zoo's example of confusion underlines the necessity of a view of humanity rooted in the Biblical revelation. Without the light of this revealed knowledge, we are left with nothing but the confusion and deception of self-analysis. But even then, the "naked ape" is the only creature who can even understand the problem. The recovery of a true knowledge of humanity comes only by knowing and contemplating the Creator – and by accepting His definition of what it means to be human. Anything else leads to foolishness like "The Human Zoo" and sadly, to much worse.