Should Apes be Granted "Human" Type Rights?

Those who would grant human-type rights to apes have had their thoughts and minds blinded by "the god of this age" (Satan) (2 Cor. 4:4). When presented with the truth that only humans are created in the image of God and therefore worthy of rights, their minds are like stone and unable to see. Only God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, can illumine their minds, change their hearts, and open their eyes to see and comprehend His truth, and only then will they be able to understand the folly of their present thinking and ways and be changed.

No matter what the motive of those who are for this type of thing, and there are allot of ulterior motives from these groups. In the end it this will only serve to bring the worth of human life and human rights down. The worth or shall I say the capabilities of a man or woman is immeasurable in the sense of the good they are capable of. Animals like the apes are not capable of anything out side the gratification of they’re own needs and desires. Their tender care for the their young is rooted not in virtue but in the gratification of their own emotions, they have no capability for any motive outside of this because they have no capability to convey truth. Now while it might be said by the secularist of the world that humans are in reality no different as far as the way mankind conducts their business in the world and cares for their young, I will answer. Yes, as the scripture has said: “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of the Lord” However man does this by choice, in fact this is the default mode that all are born into the earth with first through ignorance and latter of evil.. Mankind however is under commandment to change this selfish motive to one of benevolence and to do it because it is right and not because they will get something out of it. Furthermore the grace of God through Jesus Christ is there to forgive mankind for choosing the same motive as animals and to teach and lift them up to live like men, or shall I say to be come like Christ. It all starts with getting right with God and putting ones trust in him through Christ.

I can't see how being an individual being a member of a group, be it a race, a gender or a species, can possibly be morally relevant to that individual's status. It can only lead to generalizations, which can certainly be wrong in some cases.

The only way for rights to be applied in a way that everyone gets the right set of rights is to give them based on individual characteristics.

After all, if some alien life landed here tomorrow that had the cognitive abilities of humans, sure we should treat them with the same respect we give to fellow humans, and should give them the same rights. Even if they are not human, they have the key characteristics that make humans special.

Whether apes have these characteristics, I am not sure, but I am not willing to rule it out.

Thoughtful answer, Josh. But who decides whether a 'group' has 'characteristics that make humans special'?
You, me, the UN, America, a Commssion devoted to this task, religious leaders?
etc etc
Are we really 'special' enough to decide 'specialness'?
Aliens may be making that decision about us as we speak . . .

oh, I forgot, I'll wager that Apes don't give a tinker's cuss . .

If rights require cognition, rationality, and duty, then there are millions of mentally handicapped adults who do not qualify for human rights. That's insane! So, given the choices above -- and knowing that no matter what we do we will not ever have the power to "Destroy Judeo/Christian Civilization" -- I say "As our closest genetic cousins it is time bring them into the moral community."

What harm will treating our closest genetic cousins with human kindness and respect bring to anyone?