Day 20 - Evolution/Creation Why Not Both? #edcmooc

I have found this week's topic the most interesting yet, and also the hardest to put my thoughts into words.  In Steve Fuller's lecture, Humanity 2.0, his "jumping off point" for his whole theory about the non-humanity of mankind is that we are really not that different from apes.  That in fact, there is an "overlap of species" on this planet which makes us not all that special. He attempts to use this argument to disprove the theory of creation altogether.

I must object. I would propose instead that the theory of evolution and creation do NOT need to be mutually exclusive.  I ask instead, would not a God who is intelligent enough to create the heavens and earth and all who dwell within, also be intelligent enough to make his creations capable of adapting to change when necessary?  

And are we not all made of the same star dust? Evolutionists believe this is because our ancestor climbed out of some primordial goo.  However, if an intelligent being created us with the same stardust, would we not all have similar components? (90-95% genetic material)

Reproduction of A Starry Night by Jessica Siemens

Do we say that all of Van Gogh's paintings are "the same" because he used similar paint to paint them?  I do not believe you can say a human is less of a human because some of God's other creatures have similar skill sets and are made from the same "star stuff."  While humans share the ability to communicate, build tools and live in communities with other species, humans have taken these abilities to an exponentially higher level than any of the other species currently inhabiting earth.

According to Rod Mickens at the American Museum of Modern History, in Manhattan, 

"All species on Earth, including humans, are unique. Yet our intelligence and creativity go well beyond those of any other animal. Humans have long communicated through language, created and appreciated art and music, and invented complex tools that have enabled our species to survive and thrive, though often at the expense of other species.

We owe our creative success to the human brain and its capacity to think symbolically. While some other species can solve problems and communicate with each other, only humans use symbols to re-create the world mentally and dream up endless new realities. Although humans have not lost their selfish motivations, symbolic thought has opened our minds to spirituality and a shared sense of empathy and morality."

As for me and my house, I'll go with that definition.