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Poll: Bible Stories
Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 3:08 pm
by _Father_of_five
What do you believe about these stories?
Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 3:18 pm
by _TK
i am not sure about the literal 6 day creation and i am not sure that, if viewed from outer space, the earth would have been a big globe of water during noah's flood. i believe there was a major flood that flooded all of the locality where noah lived (i.e. mesopotamia and environs). it could have been worldwide, but i dont think the text necessarily requires this. i dont have a problem with the garden of eden story (other than the 6th creation day). and i dont have any problem with the tower of babel story.
good question!
TK
Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 9:54 pm
by _STEVE7150
I agree with what TK said.
Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:27 pm
by _roblaine
I have no reason to believe that they did not happen as they were written. Therefore I will stick with what the Bible says until there is convincing evidence that it is inaccurate.
By the way, I have discussed this with TK, and Steve7150 on another thread and respect there views, although I disagree with them.
Robin
Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 4:55 am
by _Rick_C
My view of 6-day creation (as expressed by Bernard Ramm):
"In discussing the Biblical cosmology we must return to our general
position defended earlier in this chapter: the references of the writers
of the Bible to natural things are popular, non-postulational, and in
terms of the culture in which the writers wrote. This principle applies
directly to Biblical cosmology. The language of the Bible with
reference to cosmological matters is in terms of the prevailing culture.
Biblical cosmology is in the language of antiquity and not of modern
science, nor is it filled with anticipations which the future microscope
and telescope will reveal. We do not agree with over-zealous
expositors who try to find Einsteinian and modern astro-physical
concepts buried in Hebrew words and expressions. We also disagree
with the religious liberals who object to Biblical cosmology because it
is not scientific. We object to the over zealous because it was not the
intention of inspiration to anticipate modern science, and we object to
the modernist because he sees too much in what is to us a truism. We
concur with Calvin, who taught that Gen. 1 is a record of the creation
of the world in the language of the common man and from the
viewpoint of common sense." (Ramm B.L., "The Christian View of
Science and Scripture," [1955] Paternoster: Exeter, Devon, 1967
reprint, pp65-66)
The Flood:
what TK said.
Garden of Eden (to borrow from Ramm):
The language of the Bible with reference to
anthropological matters is in terms of the prevailing culture. Biblical
anthropology is in the language of antiquity.
Tower of Babel:
Archaelology has found ziggurats in Ur and ancient Babylon. I tend toward "literalism" on this one.
Nice quiz. Made me think.
Rick
Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 8:30 am
by _anothersteve
I just need to clear up the original question. I understood the poll to be asking whether or not you believed these events happened as spelled out in the scripture or if they are mythology. We seem to be discussing how we are interpreting the scripture instead.
If I was mistaken in my original understanding I may need to change my vote. I tend to think creation happened in 6 long periods of time, yet in the fashion spelled out in scripture.
Fortunately, we likely won't have to study the Greek or wait until heaven to find out the author's intended meaning!
Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 12:14 pm
by _TK
anothersteve--
i had some problem with the wording also, but selection#2 leaves wiggle room by stating "i'm not sure" if the stories are historical or something else.
which is why i selected #2; i am not sure whether the 6 day creation account is a literal 6 days and i am not sure if the flood was global (presumaby humans had not yet had time to migrate to the other side of the earth, so a global flood wouldnt be needed to wipe everybody out). i guess i would say that we know the flood, at minimum, wiped out the known world at the time.
robin-- believe me i may be in your camp when all is said and done. i am not "opposed" to accepting the scriptures exactly as written, as long as they were intended to be by the original author. i guess that's the problem.
TK
Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 12:33 pm
by _Father_of_five
TK wrote:...i am not "opposed" to accepting the scriptures exactly as written, as long as they were intended to be by the original author. i guess that's the problem.
TK
Yes, this gets at the heart of the question, and the reason for the poll. Were the stories originally intended to be taken literally by the original author, or were they intended to be taken in a more metaphorical sense? This is the idea I am trying to ask. For example, when the serpent tempted Eve....was there really a snake (or something) that spoke to Eve or does this story portray a truth about the fall of mankind. The story is true, but is it historically accurate down to the detail of the events?
Todd
Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 12:50 pm
by _roblaine
which is why i selected #2; i am not sure whether the 6 day creation account is a literal 6 days and i am not sure if the flood was global (presumaby humans had not yet had time to migrate to the other side of the earth, so a global flood wouldnt be needed to wipe everybody out). i guess i would say that we know the flood, at minimum, wiped out the known world at the time.
From the Time God made Adam too the Flood, over 1,600 years elapsed. I believe the story of the Tower of Balel reveals that the early humans were very smart and innovative. In 1,600 years such innovative people could certainly travel the globe. Keep in mind they had plenty of time since they lived to be over 900 years old. I also believe that there were not oceans like we have today, thus making it easier to travel.
We know that between the time of the flood and the birth of Jesus that about 2,400 years elapsed. People were certainly all over the globe at that time and all live shorter lives with less time to reproduce. Therefore I'm not sure if your argument holds much very much water. (No pun intended)
robin-- believe me i may be in your camp when all is said and done. i am not "opposed" to accepting the scriptures exactly as written, as long as they were intended to be by the original author. i guess that's the problem.
Thanks TK. I think there will always be disagreement on this issue, at least until God clears it up for us.
Robin
Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 3:11 pm
by _TK
good point, robin regarding the flood. i hadnt really thought of that; i guess it is also possible that there was only one land mass (you can kind of see now how the continents may have fit together at one time).
TK