10. Cognitive Support for the Bible
Here, scientific evidence is presented to further establish the scientific accuracy of the Bible. The evidence presented in this chapter is considered to be scientific evidence because it is observable and repeatable. For example, scientists could currently perform experiments which show how only humans understand sin and guilt, and animals do not understand sin and guilt. This agrees with the Bible because the Bible states that God created humans in His image. So, this chapter provides very strong evidence shows that human were created by God.
God Created Humans in His Image
In the Bible, God creates animals first (Genesis 1:24-25). Then, God created humans in His image (Genesis 1:26-27). The phrase “in His image” means that humans have rational, moral, and spiritual aspects that display God’s qualities, and this differentiates humans from simpler animals. For example, humans display a very unique legal and moral code that is not found in other species. No other species on Earth recognizes this legal and moral code.
Also, Christianity is the only religion which explains why humans are the only species on Earth that have developed an extremely complicated legal and moral code. For example, humans recognize right versus wrong. Only humans recognize God, morality, and sin. Humans have a complicated legal system. Humans differentiate between low-level crimes such as stealing and severe crimes such as genocide.
Investigating consciousness and human exceptionalism are the strongest evidence that God created humans in His image because the evidence is directly observable now. This is very strong evidence that Christian is true. Christianity is the only religion that explains why humans are consciousness. Christianity is the only religion that describes God creating Adam by breathing the breath of life into Adam’s nostrils. So, Christianity is the only religion that recognizes that humans are a truly unique creation because God created humans in His own image.
Moral Exceptionalism
In Genesis 3:1-24, the Bible describes how Adam and Eve sinned against God by eating fruit from the tree (verse 17). Also, the Bible says that Adam and Eve have become like God because they know the difference between good and evil (verse 22). So, this shows that humans are fundamentally different compared to animals.
The fundamental difference between humans and animals is that humans recognize the existence of good and evil. Humans realize the fundamental presence of sin. All over the world, humans are very capable of recognizing the existence of right and wrong.
However, animals do not recognize the existence of good and evil. Throughout time, no species of animals has ever been observed recognizing the existence of sin. Christianity is the only religion which provides an explanation for why only humans recognize sin. No other religion explains why humans recognize the existence of sin and animals do not.
Only Humans Understand Sin and Commandments
This fundamental difference between humans and animals is that only humans understand that they are accountable for their sins. There is simply no evidence that animals are aware of sin. For example, the Bible shows that sin came into the world through the actions of Adam and was spread throughout the world (Romans 5:12 and Romans 3:23). Only humans understand the concept of personal accountability for their sins.
Further, God gave the Ten Commandments to Israel at Mount Sinai. At Mount Sinai, God identifies Ten Commandments which the Jews must follow in order to follow God (Exodus 20:2-17, Deuteronomy 5:6-21). However, no animals have ever been found which follow a similar list of commandments. Animals simply do not comprehend the concept of good and evil. Only humans follow a list of commandments, and the Bible clearly identifies that humans should follow the Ten Commandments in order to follow God.
Finally, the Bible instructs people to appoint judges to ensure equitable judgment (Deuteronomy 16:18-20, 1 Corinthians 6:1-8). So, in the Old Testament, the Bible instructs the Jews to establish courts under Mosaic Law. In the Bible, the fair judgment, justice, and righteous judges are emphasized. However, animals simply do not understand the importance of laws or courts. Throughout history, no species of animals have ever been found which used laws or courts. Humans are the only species that understands the concept of laws and courts, and the Bible clearly explains that God created humans in His image.
Humans Have a Higher Level of Consciousness
The concept of consciousness is very challenging to explain. Scientists believe that many types of animals have a strong probability of being conscious, including mammals, birds, crabs, fish, and octopuses. Scientists are also starting to believe that simpler insects and invertebrates are most likely conscious. Scientists also believe that many types of animals have complex structures that are necessary for consciousness.¹
Also, a significant amount of scientific research has been performed on dogs. Scientific research has broadly concluded that dogs are conscious, but dogs have a lower level of consciousness than humans. Scientists have shown that dogs are emotional beings, and dogs are also self-aware. In the past, scientist believed that dogs did not have consciousness.²
However, the Bible describes that God created humans and animals with consciousness, but humans clearly have a higher level of consciousness than other animals. Humans are the only species which understand the concepts of sin and guilt. No other species understands sin or guilt.
Only Humans Write Books and Study Mathematics
God created mankind in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26). Being created in God’s image and likeness means that mankind has the ability to think, love, and choose moral choices. The Bible states that only mankind was created in God’s image, and plants are animals were not created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27).
Since humans were created in God’s image, we many unique qualities which separate us from animals and plants. For example, only humans write books because animals lack the symbolic language and grammar that are required to write a book.³ Beyond merely writing books, humans have the capacity to write fiction, non-fiction, and scientific books.
Further, only humans have the capability to study mathematics. Some animals have the capacity to understand basic math, such as smaller or larger groups of objects. However, animals do not have the capability to understand complex mathematic, such as calculus or quantum mechanics.⁴
If the Bible were false and humans evolved from apes, then other species should have capacity to write books and study mathematics. Scientists have studied animals for hundreds of years, and no species of animals has been found which write books or understand complex mathematics. This provides strong evidence that God created humans in His image.
Science Supports the Bible
There is also very strong evidence to support the creation in the Bible. In the beginning, when God created Adam and Eve, God created them so that they did not feel ashamed for their nakedness. They did not feel any sense of shame. Then, the Bible describes how Adam and Eve both sinned for the first time in Genesis 3:6. The process of sinning against God caused them to realize that they were naked.
Then, Adam and Eve began to wear clothes after they sinned against God (Genesis 3:7-10). Clearly, Adam and Eve understood the concepts of sin, guilt, and nakedness, and they began to wear clothes because they felt guilty and ashamed of their nakedness. However, no animal or insect has ever been observed wearing clothes or displaying any signs of guilt. Scientifically, there is simply no scientific explanation why only humans have a higher level of consciousness.
Science simply does not offer any explanations for this. If evolution were true, then other animal species should wear clothes also. Also, only the Bible describes how God created humans in His likeness, and this sets Christianity apart from all other religions.
Archaeology Shows that Human Age Has Rapidly Declined
There is also scientific support for the declining ages that are reported in the Bible after humans sinned. For example, God removes Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden so that they will not eat from the Tree of Life and live forever. God then has them work the ground to grow crops (Genesis 3:22-23).
After Adam and Eve are removed from the garden, the Bible shows that human lifespan dramatically declined after Adam sinned. For example, Adam lived 930 years (Genesis 5:5), Mahalalel lived 895 years (Genesis 5:17), Lamech lived 777 years (Genesis 5:17), Shem lived 500 years (Genesis 11:11), Eber lived 430 years (Genesis 11:17), Peleg lived 209 years (Genesis 11:19), Nahor lived 119 years (Genesis 11:25), and Terah lived 70 years (Genesis 11:26).
Archaeologist have found an ancient Sumerian King List which shows that human lifespan did dramatically decline after Adam sinned. In this list, the lifespans that are given for the pre-Flood kings are much longer than the kings that ruled after the Flood.⁵ Genealogical records in the Bible says that Lamech was 182 when Noah was born,⁶ and the Flood began when Noah was 600 year old (Genesis 7:11). This Sumerian King List provides further scientific evidence that the Bible is true.
Conclusion
Scientifically, there is no explanation for why only humans would understanding right and wrong behavior. Also, there is simply no explanation for why human ages would rapidly decline. Only God could cause human life expectancy to rapidly decline over time. Also, the Bible clearly describes how God would cause human lifetime to rapidly decline.
References
1. Low, P. The Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness. Proceedings of the Francis Crick Memorial Conference, Churchill College, Cambridge University, July 7 2012, pp 1-2.
2. Adolphs, Ralph (2017), Dogs consciously experience emotions: The question is, which? Animal Sentience 14(2).
3. Brincat, C. (2026, January 5). Can Animals Read? Not In the Human Way. Popular Science. https://www.popsci.com/science/can-animals-read/
4. Landau, E. (2022, August 31). Are All Brains Good at Math? Nautilus. https://armstronginstitute.org/269-biblical-longevity-of-the-first-humans
5. Eames, C. (2020, August 2). Biblical Longevity of the First Humans. Armstrong Institute of Bible Archaeology. https://armstronginstitute.org/269-biblical-longevity-of-the-first-humans
6. Wright, D. (2012, March 9). Timeline for the Flood. Answers in Genesis. https://answersingenesis.org/bible-timeline/timeline-for-the-flood/