Friday, October 1

What if Neanderthals Survived?

Let's say that the consensus is that our species, being the higher primates, Homo Sapiens, has been on the planet for at least 100,000 years, maybe more. Francis Collins says maybe 100,000. Richard Dawkins thinks maybe a quarter-of-a-million. I'll take 100,000. In order to be a Christian, you have to believe that for 98,000 years, our species suffered and died, most of its children dying in childbirth, most other people having a life expectancy of about 25 years, dying of their teeth. Famine, struggle, bitterness, war, suffering, misery, all of that for 98,000 years. Heaven watches this with complete indifference. And then 2,000 years ago, thinks "That's enough of that. It's time to intervene," and the best way to do this would be by condemning someone to a human sacrifice somewhere in the less literate parts of the Middle East. Don't let's appeal to the Chinese, for example, where people can read and study evidence and have a civilization. Let's go to the desert and have another revelation there. This is nonsense. It can't be believed by a thinking person.

- Christopher Hitchens

One of my favorite quotes... But what makes this even more fascinating is that for a bit, we weren't the only bi-pedal hominids around. We more or less shared the earth with the Neanderthals, for several thousand years. This is simple stuff in the science room, but raises perplexing questions in the church. 

Were they some sort of experiment God was planning? 
Is there a Neanderthal Jesus?
What sort of relationship did we hold, relative to a deity's plan?

It makes it even more ridiculous to believe in such a God. This all makes for great science fiction as well. I plan on writing a short story about the survival of our extinct friends. That is, if our closest relatives never died out, and were still with us today.
 

The set of possible scenarios and histories of the human race could be endless.

What are your thoughts on what would happen? I need some brainstorming ideas.

8 comments:

  1. one of the more interesting blogs ive seen today, will follow!

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  2. You speak as if believing in any god could be any more ridiculous.

    Of course, people have their beliefs and there is no changing that.

    The world would be a better place without religion...

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  3. It was proven recently that all humans have some Neanderthal admixture, except for Subsaharan Africans.

    I have also read studies that say Aboriginal Australians are Neanderthals. If you look at Aboriginal Australians, they do look like Neanderthals.

    You have to then ask yourself "what is a species?" If a species is a group of organisms that can only produce fertile offspring with each other, then that would mean Neanderthals were human, because we mated with them.

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  4. that definetly is a good quote, really makes you think

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  5. This is a very nice post you got here thank's for sharing with us :)

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  6. nice post dude, gives food for thought!! defo be following!!

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  7. You should read "The Lost World" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It essentially covers this premise as a plateau that never evolved. There are neanderthals and dinosaurs. Its a good read.

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