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So, in line with where does the bible and the written word stand in life, what if the bible stated (as fact) something completely contrary to known established fact?
Is this guy right? Is this a church you attend (or would want to attend)?
I can't stand to listen to people trying to "teach us", or act like they're more enlightened, coming to us to talk. Doesn't matter if it's in a church or in a video posted online, like above. It's getting increasing grating - to me at least - to listen to others drivel and babble on. Needless to say, I didn't bother to listen to what this guy had to say. I'll read, ponder, observe life and nature, and come to my own conclusions.
That's not a knock against Christianity, but a knock against people, and the many armchair thinkers these days with a shallow understanding of life and the universe. Explore and learn about life with open eyes and an open mind, then get back with us. Chances are, you won't be in a one-directional mode of teaching and preaching; but on equal and balanced ground, ready for two-way conversation and sharing.
Last edited by Thoreau424; 01-24-2019 at 02:53 PM..
The question, ''What if the bible stated (as fact) something completely contrary to known established fact?'' presumes that the Bible attempts to provide scientifically based information. Examples being the creation accounts (there's more than one), the flood story, the sun standing still, things of that nature. The presumption involves imposing a 21st century world view (cultural imperialism) on an ancient document written by and to people of an ancient Near Eastern pre-scientific culture. The examples I gave were never intended to be scientifically accurate statements. The creation accounts for example are polemics against the creation stories of the Egyptians, Mesopotamian, and Canaanite creation accounts and designed to give credit to Yahweh for creation without regard to how He actually created the heavens and the earth (the Universe).
Now the Bible does present the cosmological world view of the Ancient Near East such as a flat round earth (like a pancake), a hard dome firmament supported by pillars, and so on. But that's because God met the ancient Hebrew Biblical writers where they were at in terms of their understanding of the cosmos. It wasn't necessary for God to correct their understanding of the cosmos in order to communicate what He intended for the Hebrews to know and understand.
In order to understand the Bible, one must understand the time, culture and people who wrote the Bible and of the people to whom the Bible was written. That is the proper context of the Bible. While the Bible is written for us, it was not written primarily to us. It was written originally to the ancient Hebrew recipients of the Scriptures.
While the Bible does present the earth as flat, we know that it is actually a sphere (an oblate spheroid if you insist on being needlessly precise), and so to believe that the earth is flat based on the Bible is simply a refusal to believe the evidence. The Hebrews didn't need to know that the earth is actually a sphere. They needed to know that Yahweh was the true God and what He expected of them.
Christianity does not demand that believers turn off their brain. Those who choose to do so are not facing reality.
So that no one misunderstands, I fully believe that Jesus is God, that He became a man born of a virgin, that He performed the miracles that are recorded in the New Testament, that He was physically resurrected and that He ascended to heaven after appearing to His disciples over a forty day period.
Last edited by Michael Way; 01-24-2019 at 03:01 PM..
God is blessed and only Sovereign , the King of Kings and the Lord of Lord `` 1 Timothy 6:15 ....... See If God said that 2 and 2 equals 5 , than that is the answer , and the enemies of faith in God will reject that answer .......... See Jesus see`s the spirit of antichrist uses logic to reject faith In Gods Word and promises
God would never say that xx and xx equals xxxxx. God is not illogical. If you hold up two fingers of your hand and then hold up two more fingers of your hand you are not holding up all five fingers. You are holding up four out of the five fingers of your hand.
Last edited by Michael Way; 01-24-2019 at 04:03 PM..
In order to understand the Bible, one must understand the time, culture and people who wrote the Bible and of the people to whom the Bible was written. That is the proper context of the Bible. While the Bible is written for us, it was not written primarily to us. It was written originally to the ancient Hebrew recipients of the Scriptures.
Christianity does not demand that believers turn off their brain. Those who choose to do so are not facing reality.
I pretty much don't function in a world of 'what ifs'...I dunno, seems like a waste of time and
mind candy...got better things to give my thought time to.
Why did I need to say this...cuz I'm Miss Hepburn.
The question, ''What if the bible stated (as fact) something completely contrary to known established fact?'' presumes that the Bible attempts to provide scientifically based information. Examples being the creation accounts (there's more than one), the flood story, the sun standing still, things of that nature. The presumption involves imposing a 21st century world view (cultural imperialism) on an ancient document written by and to people of an ancient Near Eastern pre-scientific culture. The examples I gave were never intended to be scientifically accurate statements. The creation accounts for example are polemics against the creation stories of the Egyptians, Mesopotamian, and Canaanite creation accounts and designed to give credit to Yahweh for creation without regard to how He actually created the heavens and the earth (the Universe).
Now the Bible does present the cosmological world view of the Ancient Near East such as a flat round earth (like a pancake), a hard dome firmament supported by pillars, and so on. But that's because God met the ancient Hebrew Biblical writers where they were at in terms of their understanding of the cosmos. It wasn't necessary for God to correct their understanding of the cosmos in order to communicate what He intended for the Hebrews to know and understand.
In order to understand the Bible, one must understand the time, culture and people who wrote the Bible and of the people to whom the Bible was written. That is the proper context of the Bible. While the Bible is written for us, it was not written primarily to us. It was written originally to the ancient Hebrew recipients of the Scriptures.
While the Bible does present the earth as flat, we know that it is actually a sphere (an oblate spheroid if you insist on being needlessly precise), and so to believe that the earth is flat based on the Bible is simply a refusal to believe the evidence. The Hebrews didn't need to know that the earth is actually a sphere. They needed to know that Yahweh was the true God and what He expected of them.
Christianity does not demand that believers turn off their brain. Those who choose to do so are not facing reality.
So that no one misunderstands, I fully believe that Jesus is God, that He became a man born of a virgin, that He performed the miracles that are recorded in the New Testament, that He was physically resurrected and that He ascended to heaven after appearing to His disciples over a forty day period.
God would never say that xx and xx equals xxxxx. God is not illogical. If you hold up two fingers of your hand and then hold up two more fingers of your hand you are not holding up all five fingers. You are holding up four out of the five fingers of your hand.
assuming god wrote the bible and not mere mortal men?
You're asking about something which simply is not the case.
I'll try to explain it this way. The Bible does not tell you that xx plus xx equals xxxxx. God does not deal with absurdities. Reality is that if you hold up xx number of fingers, and then hold up another xx fingers you are holding up xxxx fingers. xxxx fingers is not xxxxx number of fingers, and the Bible does not tell you that xxxx is xxxxx.
The Bible does not teach things which are contrary to reality. I tried as an example to make it clear what the creation account is actually about and that it is not to be understood literally as a scientific explanation for how the Universe was created. The Bible is not asking you to believe that the heavens and the earth were actually created in six days and that the earth was created before the sun was created. The creation account in Genesis bears resemblances to the Egyptian creation accounts and to a lessor degree, the Mesopotamian creation accounts, but with differences. The story was meant to impress upon the Hebrews, using a context that they could understand, that it was Yahweh who is the Creator of heaven and earth, and not the gods of Egypt or Mesopotamia.
So the hypothetical question simply does not reflect what the Bible actually does say and why it says what it says. Again, the Bible has to be understood and interpreted within the context of the ancient Near East culture and world view of the people who wrote the Bible under the inspiration of God.
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