A Man Named Ota

The Pygmy That Evolutionists Placed in a Zoo

Most people agree that ideas have consequences. Many Christians rightly conclude that the idea of evolution quite certainly has negative consequences. However, it is not often that the effect of one’s views can be seen as clearly as in the story of Ota Benga.

Ota Benga, a pygmy man from the Batwa (or Twa) tribe of central Africa, stood at 4’11” tall and weighed just over 100 lbs. Quite normal for his tribe, he had likely never entertained the thought that a growing group of fellow humans might view him as less than human. As a married father in his early twenties and skilled in the forest, perhaps he could have supposed that anyone would have to admire his intelligence and skill. He would have been wrong.

After returning from a hunting trip to find his village destroyed and his family killed and mutilated by people working with the Belgian government, Ota was later enslaved and sold to an American explorer by the name of Samuel Verner. Along with other Batwa, he was brought to the United States in 1904 to be exhibited in the Saint Louis World’s Fair. Although he was subsequently returned to Africa as Verner had promised, his family was gone, his second wife died of a snake bite, and he was seen as a traitor by his people. He agreed to return to the States with Verner.

After returning to the States, Verner handed Ota over to the director of the Bronx Zoo. The details of his relatively short time there are well documented, for those who wish to study further, so a summary will do for here. Part of his time spent caged in the primate house, part of his time allowed to walk about the zoo freely, he lived life under the constant jeering, pointing, and jabbing of unprecedented crowds. Touted as an example of human evolution– a subhuman little more than an ape– the public couldn’t seem to get enough. Thankfully, social pressures from Christians and growing difficulties in keeping Ota led to his release from the zoo.

For the next ten years of his life, Ota attempted to adjust to American culture. He took classes, learned English, and worked various jobs. After being moved around for some time, he eventually settled into an African American community in Lynchburg, Virginia, where he was adored by the children and seemed to thrive. However, Ota was growing more depressed on the inside as the years went on, repeatedly voicing that he wanted to go home. Finally, in March of 1916, Ota Benga– having lost hope– shot himself.

This sad story illustrates something powerful: the impact our beliefs have on our actions. The several key players in Ota’s exhibitions were staunch Darwinists. Although they differed in their levels of compassion for Ota, all were influenced to do what they did by a belief that he was somewhat less of a human and much more of a link to our evolutionary past.

Of course, in bringing the moral of this story to our present day, a qualifier is needed. Simply put, believing in evolution doesn’t make one a racist. There are plenty of evolutionists that would be far from racism. However, let the message of Ota Benga’s life ring clear: Evolution lays a perfect foundation for those who wish to justify racism. It may not require the fruit, but it certainly prepares the soil.

But what does the Bible say? In short, it offers “a more excellent way” (1 Cor. 12:31), a way of unconditional, unstoppable love. The Bible makes it clear that all humans are descendants of Adam and Eve (e.g. Gen. 3:20), that we were divided at the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11), and that we are all “of one blood” (Acts 17:26). Much better than the view that we are largely unrelated races at various stages of evolutionary development, the Bible describes it much differently: It describes us as family. Let’s never forget that.

(Want to learn more about Ota Benga and the impact of evolutionary thought on our world? Much of the info in this article was gleaned from The Darwin Effect, by Jerry Bergman. Check it out in our bookstore… You’ll be glad you did!)