Mary, my wife, and I saw Rise of the Planet of the Apes on Monday and were greatly moved by the tale and the special effects. But one thing that didn't move me was the basic premise, which is that a serum could change the way apes and man are regarded. In other words, one dose and the apes are as intelligent as man and that is the only thing that separates us.
I take a bit of umbrage at this. I believe, without going into a rampage about what Genesis teaches, that we are created in the image of God with a soul that makes a huge difference no matter our smarts. There is one scene in the movie that stands out to me. The owner/father of Caesar the chimp takes him for a walk in the forest and they come across a couple walking their dog. Caesar takes a good long look at that trio and then signs to his owner/father, "Am I a pet?" He's wondering where he fits in. It's a memorable moment and it speaks to all of us, I think.
But the answer is not, "You are one of us."
Shakespeare said it this way, "What a piece of work is man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals -- and yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust?"
We, humans, are many things. We are the best of God's created work. Ephesians calls us his masterpiece. We are to rule, to be in dominion, over all he has created. That would include, presumably, the apes. Though their DNA isn't far from us, it does not mean they are us and no serum would change that.
No need for a Scopes monkey trial or anything. It's just a work of fiction. But it bothered me that no one in the movie for a second even talked about the implicit loss of God in the framework of the fiction.
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