Animals Actually Do Think Rationally

[Hidden In Him]

Look at this stuff! Unbelievable.

 

[Hidden In Him]

 

[Desire Of All Nations]

Just because animals do what God programmed them to do and are able to perform a few tricks does not prove they can think rationally at all. Can they read a book on thermonuclear physics and explain what it's about? No. Can they read the Bible and give a rudimentary explanation on what it's about? No. Human beings have the potential to receive salvation because we have what animals do not: the ability to think rationally, process material knowledge, and act on that knowledge.

You find it "tired" and "senseless" for someone to argue that animals can't think rationally because you don't believe the Bible, which is really nobody else's fault but your own. I advise you to learn what it means to be able to think rationally and being able to prove your case with the Bible before making these kind of silly arguments.

 

[Hidden In Him]

You find it "tired" and "senseless" for someone to argue that animals can't think rationally because you don't believe the Bible, which is really nobody else's fault but your own.

It's "nobody else's fault that you don't believe the Bible"... Ok, let's take the story of Balaam's donkey, which appears to be something I think you should be able to relate to given your response. The text states as follows:

21 Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. 22 But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road. 24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat the donkey again. 26 Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff. 28 Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?” 29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.” 30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?” “No,” he said. 31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown. 32 The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me. 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it.”

What this event demonstrates is that the donkey's thinking was logical while Balaam's was not. He was essentially asking Balaam, "Why would I do these things if there were no reason?" In fact, the donkey's determination to get out of the road even at the expense of incurring the wrath of his master demonstrates a calculated decision. He had come to the conclusion that regardless of what was going on with the dummy riding him, it was the more intelligent and more rational move to get out of the road than risk both of them getting their heads lopped of by the angel standing there in front of them.

Since you insisted on being needlessly insulting, what say you? Since you presume to be smarter than the average donkey, are you sure you're not operating under a similar presumption as well?

 

[Pearl]

The jackdaws, magpies and starlings which come in my garden to feed have learned - probably by watching the smaller birds - how to hang on to the feeders to get food. The robins haven't mastered it yet but one intrepid little red breast keeps trying.

 

[Hidden In Him]

It's "nobody else's fault that you don't believe the Bible"... Ok, let's take the story of Balaam's donkey, which appears to be something I think you should be able to relate to given your response. The text states as follows:

21 Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. 22 But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road. 24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat the donkey again. 26 Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff. 28 Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?” 29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.” 30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?” “No,” he said. 31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown. 32 The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me. 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it.”

What this event demonstrates is that the donkey's thinking was logical while Balaam's was not. He was essentially asking Balaam, "Why would I do these things if there were no reason?" In fact, the donkey's determination to get out of the road even at the expense of incurring the wrath of his master demonstrates a calculated decision. He had come to the conclusion that regardless of what was going on with the dummy riding him, it was the more intelligent and more rational move to get out of the road than risk both of them getting their heads lopped of by the angel standing there in front of them.

Since you insisted on being needlessly insulting, what say you? Since you presume to be smarter than the average donkey, are you sure you're not operating under a similar presumption as well?

@Desire Of All Nations

No response?

 

[Pearl]

• Otters are the only marine mammal that uses stone tools and rocks to break open shells. Sea otters have been known to crack open shells on their chests using rocks as they float on their backs, but they've also been observed using rocks along the shoreline as "anvils" to crack open mussels, clams and crabs.

Who taught otters to do that?

 

[Hidden In Him]

• Otters are the only marine mammal that uses stone tools and rocks to break open shells. Sea otters have been known to crack open shells on their chests using rocks as they float on their backs, but they've also been observed using rocks along the shoreline as "anvils" to crack open mussels, clams and crabs.

Who taught otters to do that?

• Otters are the only marine mammal that uses stone tools and rocks to break open shells. Sea otters have been known to crack open shells on their chests using rocks as they float on their backs, but they've also been observed using rocks along the shoreline as "anvils" to crack open mussels, clams and crabs.

Who taught otters to do that?

I'm still trying to figure out who could teach mice to drive a car. It's either something they figure out or they don't, but it's not like you can sit them down for an hour and go over the details in English.

 

[BeyondET]

There are videos out there of sharks letting little fish clean their teeth and gills.

But years ago I saw a documentary of little fishes cleaning the teeth and gills of a predator fish....maybe a barracuda. He is setting there and they are swimming in and out of his mouth and gills and some were even eating something of his scales.
And at the time I thought that took a little thought. LOL But then the camera panned back and there was a line of fish waiting their turn....they were thinking something?

You mean like this

 

[BeyondET]

 

[BeyondET]

Look at this stuff! Unbelievable.

The truth is they are tortured to do it not good.

 

[BeyondET]

Sharks can tell others where to go to get a hook removed.