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Old 03-23-2013, 06:46 PM
 
17,966 posts, read 15,896,911 times
Reputation: 1009

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No, you prove it wasn't possible. We can play this game till we die.

 
Old 03-23-2013, 07:32 PM
 
Location: Hawaii Kai
5,518 posts, read 7,069,018 times
Reputation: 5435
^ I don't think your imaginary friend would really make people do that.
 
Old 03-23-2013, 10:52 PM
 
7,381 posts, read 7,669,494 times
Reputation: 1266
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eusebius View Post
No, you prove it wasn't possible. We can play this game till we die.
According to data from the U.S. Geological Survey, the amount of water in the earth’s atmosphere could not possibly cover the earth.11 In fact:

One estimate of the volume of water in the atmosphere at any one time is about 3,100 cubic miles (mi3) or 12,900 cubic kilometers (km3). That may sound like a lot, but it is only about 0.001 percent of the total Earth’s water volume of about 332,500,000 mi3 (1,385,000,000 km3)

If all of the water in the atmosphere rained down at once, it would only cover the ground to a depth of 2.5 centimeters, about 1 inch.

Additionally, because only 1.7% of the earth’s water is stored underground,12 there is not nearly enough water in groundwater storage beneath the earth’s surface to account for the amount of water necessary to flood the entire earth to the extent described in the Bible.

Simply put: there is not enough water in Earth’s atmosphere to raise the ocean’s levels over an inch, much less to cover Mt. Ararat with water from 40 days of rain. There is simply not that much water in the system.

Thus, in order to even entertain the possibility of a worldwide flood, one has to bypass all laws of physics, exit the realm of science, and enter into the realm of the miraculous, which many biblical literalists are willing to do. It is hypothetically possible that, say, the polar ice caps melted. This could raise the ocean levels beyond the 2.5 centimeters that all the earth’s atmospheric water could were it to all rain down, but even then the thaw would only slightly affect the world’s coastlines. Additionally, all scientific evidence points to larger polar ice caps in recent history, not smaller.13

Other fantastic scenarios could be offered to explain the flood. For instance, some might suggest that a colossal ice-asteroid could have burst into our orbit and melted, bringing with it an unconscionable amount of water into our atmosphere. But, even this desperate scenario poses a major problem for many biblical literalists who attempt to explain or prove the flood scientifically. The Bible says it “rained” and the “springs of the deep” opened, but mentions nothing about an asteroid. Likewise, were water to enter Earth’s system, where did it all go? To where did the water recede? Earth’s water cycle results in all water residing somewhere on Earth’s surface in the form of oceans, ice, and freshwater lakes, beneath Earth’s surface in subterranean reservoirs that produce springs and geysers, or in Earth’s atmosphere as moisture. So even if water could enter Earth’s closed system, where did it go?

Simply put: there is no evidence whatsoever for a worldwide flood. In other words, it’s impossible. There is not enough water in the earth’s atmospheric system to even come close to covering all of the earth’s landmasses.
 
Old 03-24-2013, 08:49 AM
 
Location: On the Edge of the Fringe
7,571 posts, read 6,031,827 times
Reputation: 6985
Well, Amaznjohn, you win this one. That reason you gave has been around a while. Also I would add that the flood myth is clearly a shared socio-cultural myth as well, and when we look at the greater picture of mythology, as described by Joseph Campbell and others, then we see a recurring theme of floods and a recurring symbolism of water throughout worldwide mythology.

I still point out that most scientist do not waste their time with this argument. The only people who care seem to be Bible literalists, who, in their desperation, feel threatened by the fact that they cannot get anyone else to go along with their ideas.

It must be hard to try to base one's life on a work of ancient fiction.
 
Old 03-24-2013, 11:25 AM
 
7,381 posts, read 7,669,494 times
Reputation: 1266
Quote:
Originally Posted by LargeKingCat View Post
Well, Amaznjohn, you win this one. That reason you gave has been around a while. Also I would add that the flood myth is clearly a shared socio-cultural myth as well, and when we look at the greater picture of mythology, as described by Joseph Campbell and others, then we see a recurring theme of floods and a recurring symbolism of water throughout worldwide mythology.

I still point out that most scientist do not waste their time with this argument. The only people who care seem to be Bible literalists, who, in their desperation, feel threatened by the fact that they cannot get anyone else to go along with their ideas.

It must be hard to try to base one's life on a work of ancient fiction.
I know. I just copied and pasted. Most theists require that the same argument be made over and over again, hoping that somehow we have forgotten our own arguments. Of course, no matter how many times they are repeated, the Bible literalists will continue to ignore them because it undermines their faith.
 
Old 03-24-2013, 01:48 PM
 
Location: Shanghai
593 posts, read 793,549 times
Reputation: 450
Quote:
Originally Posted by citizenkane2 View Post
I think that frightens the atheist the most. The possibility of a God that is waiting to meet you on the other side and judge you for your sin.

Is that why you expend so much energy trying to dispell harmless stories that you consider myths like Noah's Ark? Fear?
Did you ever think what Galileo must have felt like when the church leaders force him to recant his findings even though he knew they were true? Sometimes your harmless stories are not so harmless.
 
Old 03-24-2013, 02:18 PM
 
Location: Victoria, BC.
33,502 posts, read 37,002,419 times
Reputation: 13972
Quote:
Originally Posted by citizenkane2
I think that frightens the atheist the most. The possibility of a God that is waiting to meet you on the other side and judge you for your sin.

Is that why you expend so much energy trying to dispell harmless stories that you consider myths like Noah's Ark? Fear?
Actually religion is what frightens me the most, as religionists seem to want to go back to the "good old days."

"During many ages there were witches. The Bible said so. The Bible commanded that they should not be allowed to live. Therefore the Church, after doing its duty in but a lazy and indolent way for 800 years, gathered up its halters, thumbscrews, and firebrands, and set about its holy work in earnest. She worked hard at it night and day during nine centuries and imprisoned, tortured, hanged, and burned whole hordes and armies of witches, and washed the Christian world clean with their foul blood. Then it was discovered that there was no such thing as witches, and never had been. One does not know whether to laugh or to cry."
Mark Twain
 
Old 03-24-2013, 02:43 PM
 
Location: Ostend,Belgium....
8,827 posts, read 7,304,011 times
Reputation: 4949
I think I could cry...it's sad that someone's child was murdered because they didn't fit whatever mould. Usually they lived alone, had no known family, not many friends. They were excentrics, minded their own business, knew about herbs maybe and could cure many discomforts and illnesses. Evil beings...
 
Old 03-24-2013, 02:53 PM
 
Location: Hawaii Kai
5,518 posts, read 7,069,018 times
Reputation: 5435
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eusebius View Post
plenty of ridding the ship of poop. No problem.
Well, who's to say for sure....maybe God was eating it?
 
Old 03-24-2013, 05:09 PM
 
Location: The Land of Reason
13,221 posts, read 12,273,144 times
Reputation: 3554
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amaznjohn View Post
According to data from the U.S. Geological Survey, the amount of water in the earth’s atmosphere could not possibly cover the earth.11 In fact:

One estimate of the volume of water in the atmosphere at any one time is about 3,100 cubic miles (mi3) or 12,900 cubic kilometers (km3). That may sound like a lot, but it is only about 0.001 percent of the total Earth’s water volume of about 332,500,000 mi3 (1,385,000,000 km3)

If all of the water in the atmosphere rained down at once, it would only cover the ground to a depth of 2.5 centimeters, about 1 inch.

Additionally, because only 1.7% of the earth’s water is stored underground,12 there is not nearly enough water in groundwater storage beneath the earth’s surface to account for the amount of water necessary to flood the entire earth to the extent described in the Bible.

Simply put: there is not enough water in Earth’s atmosphere to raise the ocean’s levels over an inch, much less to cover Mt. Ararat with water from 40 days of rain. There is simply not that much water in the system.

Thus, in order to even entertain the possibility of a worldwide flood, one has to bypass all laws of physics, exit the realm of science, and enter into the realm of the miraculous, which many biblical literalists are willing to do. It is hypothetically possible that, say, the polar ice caps melted. This could raise the ocean levels beyond the 2.5 centimeters that all the earth’s atmospheric water could were it to all rain down, but even then the thaw would only slightly affect the world’s coastlines. Additionally, all scientific evidence points to larger polar ice caps in recent history, not smaller.13

Other fantastic scenarios could be offered to explain the flood. For instance, some might suggest that a colossal ice-asteroid could have burst into our orbit and melted, bringing with it an unconscionable amount of water into our atmosphere. But, even this desperate scenario poses a major problem for many biblical literalists who attempt to explain or prove the flood scientifically. The Bible says it “rained” and the “springs of the deep” opened, but mentions nothing about an asteroid. Likewise, were water to enter Earth’s system, where did it all go? To where did the water recede? Earth’s water cycle results in all water residing somewhere on Earth’s surface in the form of oceans, ice, and freshwater lakes, beneath Earth’s surface in subterranean reservoirs that produce springs and geysers, or in Earth’s atmosphere as moisture. So even if water could enter Earth’s closed system, where did it go?

Simply put: there is no evidence whatsoever for a worldwide flood. In other words, it’s impossible. There is not enough water in the earth’s atmospheric system to even come close to covering all of the earth’s landmasses.

Well! How dare you use science and common sense to debunk something that people have believed for hunreds of years! SHAME ON YOU!
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