Atheist heads explode in 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . .

Scientists: Observed chimp behavior suggests belief in God

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The atheist cynic who thinks he has a sense of humor will insist, “Chimps are too smart to believe in that nonsense!” In fact, some already have. But the rejoinder would be that chimps - and all animals for that matter - are too honest not to believe in God because, as with humans, the knowledge of God is part of their nature.

So can human scientists really observe behavior in chimps that suggests a belief in God? Some of them certainly seem to think so:

  Chimpanzees in West Africa have been spotted banging and throwing rocks against trees and throwing them into gaps inside, leading to piles of rocks. Those rocks do not appear to be for any functional purpose — and might be an example of an early version of ritual behaviour.

  The discovery might help researchers learn more about the basis of human religion and rituals, and how such activities formed in our own history.

  The scientist described seeing the behaviour through cameras that were set up to watch the chimpanzees. They saw them assembling piles of stones — of a similar kind of the ritual cairns that have been found throughout human history.

  Chimpanzees and other apes have long been known to use stones and other materials as tools, including their use as nutcrackers to get into food that is cased in a hard shell. But the new behaviour doesn’t seem to have the same functional purpose.

Now sure, just because we can’t discern a practical purpose for the behavior doesn’t prove it’s a religious ritual. This is strictly a theory based on some observation, and if you’re serious about doing science correctly you would look for ways to disprove the theory. That’s how science works when you’re not trying to make it a religion unto itself, as the left is fond of trying to do these days.

But if you want something from Scripture that backs up the theory, try Romans 1:18-21:

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

I’ve often cited this passage to back up my argument that all atheists really know that God is real. It doesn’t make sense to spend so much time railing against something that you don’t think exists. It makes a lot of sense, however, to rail against something you know exists and that makes you angry.

The passage above from Romans essentially tells us that God put an understanding of His existence into each of our hearts from the moment we were conceived. It’s up to us whether to worship or glorify Him, but we know He is there because that knowledge is hard-wired into each one of us. It’s like when you first joined MySpace and you were friends with Tom Anderson even though you neither sent nor approved a friend request. He was just there. You don’t have to go and find out God exists. You know it from the moment you’re born, and you have to work very hard and rebel very intentionally to convince yourself He isn’t.

There are other things we know inherently, and we share these things with animals. We know we need food to survive. We know we need to breathe to survive. No one has to explain to a baby, or to a chimp, the importance of eating or breathing. They just know on some level that they need to do it.

So why wouldn’t animals also share an inherent knowledge of God? It makes perfect sense that they would. It’s a much less intellectual knowledge, but it’s still there. And they don’t knowingly reject that knowledge like many humans do, because humans are the one species that possesses both the capacity and the foolishness to outsmart itself and come up with rationalizations for denying its own inherent understandings.

So are those chimps really worshipping God by throwing those rocks? Got me. But they could be. And I’m quite sure they’re not going to waste their time railing against anything they don’t really think exists. Only humans are dumb enough to do that.