The amazing, one-of-a-kind platypus!
“Even God has a sense of humor. Just look at the platypus.” – from the film Dogma (1999)
It’s commonly believed that God must have a sense of humor because He created the platypus…a strange-looking Austrailian mammal that lays eggs, but nurses its young.
The platypus is unique — an anomaly in nature. With the bill of a duck, the fur of an otter, and laying eggs like a crocodile, it represents the gray areas of classifying and understanding the animal kingdom. Its sensitive bill can detect the electromagnetic fields of the creatures around it. Its eye structure is also different from most mammals. It has several X and Y chromosomes. In 2008, the genome of the platypus was mapped. Scientists found that it retained many of the genes of creatures before reptilian and mammals split off into different branches. Yet, it’s not some sort of prehistoric creature; many of its traits evolved well after the evolutionary split (Source, 2008).
Why would God create such a creature that seems to defy all logic?
Because faith and God’s Word will often defy our logic. There is often more than what is written and understood, and as we continue to question and explore, we will grow and learn more. Until the late 18th century, it was assumed that all mammals gave were warm-blooded and gave live births. And for most mammals, that is the case. But the platypus is the exception. It serves to remind us that God and the world around us is complex, and there is not always a definite answer. Of course, it also reflects God’s sense of humor :-).
Aww, and the babies are super cute too!!
So what are you, some Christian blogger who is trying to be funny? Sooo cliche…
This blog contains the namesake of this animal not just because many of the posts I write are funny and satirical. There are a ton of “happy funny down-to-earth Jesus” blogs out there. Some posts might be controversial. There might be some words that Focus on the Family will find highly offensive. These posts are not just funny, but as a way to really explore what the Bible is saying. It is a place for me to question and explore freely aspects of my faith, and hopefully also a way to open others to ask tough questions. Not to defy God, but to keep seeking so that we can learn more.
– Laura C.