Today an article was published in the newspaper La Nación (to see it, click Click here) which discusses a new fossil found in Ethiopia. It is a supposed ancestor of humankind, according to the theory of evolution.
Now, the Torah fully supports technological advancement, to the point that the words of the Zohar are well known, which predicted the "opening of the springs of wisdom" from 1700 CE onwards. Moreover, in practice, much information on the most diverse Torah matters can be found on the Internet (in its different forms, such as the classic static site, email, blog, or social network), which clearly indicates that the Torah is not only in favor of technological and scientific advancement, but also promotes its use in the different fields of science.
However, the theory of evolution is not widely accepted. This is due to several reasons, primarily because the creation narrative clearly states that God created every creature on Earth exactly as we know them today. Furthermore, there is another very simple and powerful reason: if we were truly more evolved animals, then why do we complain when someone behaves "like an animal"? After all, they are simply being true to themselves!
Even worse, we find in the Talmud (Eiruvin 100b) that our sages say: "If the Torah had not been given, we would have learned to be modest from the cat, not to steal from the ant, not to commit adultery from the dove, and to have good manners from the rooster." This leaves us at a crossroads: God instilled in the animals of nature qualities that humankind itself should possess, so that human beings might learn from animals. But we see that, at times, humankind itself does not behave even like an animal! What are we?
Obviously, from the Torah's perspective, we are not animals. We are human beings, and God placed us on Earth "to work it and care for it," with a specific mission, different from that of animals. Let's stop making excuses for our impulsive and irrational behaviors, let's start acting like human beings, or at least learn to be "true animals"—dress modestly, don't steal, etc., etc...
Happy Sukkot!