In 2011, a wildlife photographer named David Slater was on assignment in Indonesia. A seven-year-old crested macaque named Naruto happened upon his camera and snapped this photo of himself:
According to CNN, the monkey’s self-portrait is now “the world’s most litigious selfie.”
The picture made Naruto an internet celebrity. But People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sued Mr. Slater, claiming that the monkey owned the rights to his selfie. A settlement has now been reached: Mr. Slater will donate 25 percent of future revenue from Naruto’s selfie to charities that protect his habitat in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, a twelve-year-old boy who decided to transition into a female now wants to be a boy again. Two years after taking hormones that caused his body to grow breasts, he had a change of heart. “I began to realize I was actually comfortable in my body. Every day I just felt better,” he said. Now he has stopped taking his medication and will have an operation to remove excess breast tissue.
Monkey selfies and boys who become girls and then become boys are not stories you would have seen in the news a few years ago. Nor would you expect a cell phone to sell for nearly $1,000 or people to grieve as a spacecraft prepares to disintegrate in Saturn’s atmosphere.
But we live at the intersection of astounding technology and bewildered morality.
When our culture decided that truth is personal and subjective, it lost the ability to claim objectively that humans are more valuable than animals. Some call this claim “speciesism” and consider it immoral.
Now people are free to decide their gender and to revise their decision as they wish. They are free to marry whatever gender they wish (and may one day be able to marry as many people as they wish). Public support for abortion is as high as it’s ever been; more Americans have access to legal euthanasia than ever before.
The darker the room, the more vital the light.
Jesus said of himself, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). His word is “a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). His followers are “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14).
It is vital that Christians share God’s light and word with our dark culture. Denison Forum exists for this purpose—to speak biblical truth to the crucial issues of our day. But we cannot exist without your help.
We are entirely a donor-based ministry. Your financial gifts enable us to give God’s word to our culture. That’s why I’m asking for your support with today’s North Texas Giving Day. We receive nearly 20 percent of our income through this annual day of giving.
A very generous donor has already provided a $100,000 matching grant. To make a donation through midnight tonight, please click here.
With your help, today’s Daily Article will reach more than 110,000 readers in 203 countries. “News discerned differently” is our calling. Thank you for helping us give God’s light to our dark world.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). It never will.
Jim Denison, Ph.D., speaks and writes on cultural and contemporary issues. He produces a daily column which is distributed to more than 113,000 subscribers in 203 countries. He also writes for The Dallas Morning News, The Christian Post, Common Call, and other publications.
