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Did Our Hands Evolve for Fighting?

Genesis 4:8
“And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.”

Today on Creation Moments we bring you a rather bizarre story. Its seems that scientists used the arms and hands of corpses in an attempt to show that human hands evolved for fighting. True story. In fact, it was reported in the Journal of Experimental Biology.

handThe scientists did this to see if a clenched fist is more effective at protecting the metacarpal bones of human hands when we punch something … or someone. Not surprisingly, they found that humans can safely strike with 55 percent more force with a clenched fist rather than slapping someone with the thumb extended and loosely folded fingers.

This is pretty obvious when you think about it. What’s not so obvious is how the researchers concluded that evolution had anything to do with it. All they could really conclude is that even the earliest of men had a violent streak.

This should not surprise us at all because the Bible tells us that Adam and Eve’s son Cain struck his brother and killed him … and there is no record of him breaking his metacarpals. Obviously, we have always had the innate tendency to clench our fists for fighting. And as history has taught us, we’ve done that way too often.

While the  fall of Adam is responsible for man’s violent streak, Jesus Christ teaches us to love all men, even our enemies. Rather than forming our hands into fists, let us use them to do good unto believers and unbelievers alike.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, whenever I feel anger rising up inside me, remind me that You want me to love my enemies. In Jesus’ strength, I know I can do that! Amen.

 

Author: Steven J. Schwartz
Ref: “Dead Man Punching Sheds Light on Fist Evolution,” Discovery News, 10/21/15.

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