Why are Christians so incredibly gullible?

Dude, if you seriously think those stories are literal, you're a lost cause.

 

In the link that you presented, and I haven't looked since, didn't it say that "conservatives" have the sumerian account written later than the israelite account?

 

Yes it does, but that site is talking about the Enuma Elish and Genesis. But still, the Enuma Elish was written earlier.

 

Is the enuma elish sumerian?

 

and to put himself into print, threatening me, is not good for his own life

i be the last person on earth, that anyone would want to threaten! Then to put it into writing, puts a bulls eye on their forehead

 

The bible said that the earth is the center of the universe even, until
the fantastic absurdity of this belief overwhelmed even the most
bitter clingers, and now the goddists have about all caught up with the 16th century. There will probably always be a few holdouts among nattering nabobs of negativism, the morally weak, or those who are simply insane

Now we have the same sort of people (bitterly) clinging to the 6000 year poof and the flood, finding as they do, that catching up with the 19th century is wrenching and premature.

 

"Bitter clinger"??? You wouldn't be a B.O. fan would ya?

 

Now now boys, playing internet ninja?
Why dont you go somewhere and settle it with a tongue wrestling match?

 

You sound equally childish.

 

Seriously guys...relax.

What do you intend to do.....Type Hard at each other?

we do have an ignore function here 'ya know.

 

Your chronic inability to address posts that challenge you is starting to define you.

 

I like the guys immediate desire to do good, but his preference to defend what has been instructed, is hindering his ability to leave the ranks (be personally responsible). He has left the responsibility to know what is right, to others.

 

I don't say that these tales are true, but it is a possibility. Man always sees the sky as the home of the gods. In a different culture the Egyptians built pyramids as a 'transit/transition' to the after life. Just a thought.

 

It is not 'thought" at all if it includes that the 'flood" is a possibility.

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It did long since. I just ignore him. its unseemly to bait someone who
lack the capacity to deal with it.

 

talktoo

The Joshua story was mentioned in "Inherit the Wind"...noting if the Sun did "stop in the sky" that that would mean the Earth stopped rotating and the planet would have half-roasted and half-frozen solid, the continental shelves fly off into space, etc. The "Brady" character explained it away as "God can do what He likes with Natural Law" and thus ignore those laws of physics and geology.

But the more salient point was...the chroiniclers of Joshua believed, not that the Earth rotated and went round the Sun....but that the Sun like the Moon, orbited the Earth....which obviously is false. Yet we're supposed to believe these guys were "inspired by God" and wrote literal, inerrant truth.

 

Another reminder of "Inherit the Wind"....the "Drummond" character asks the "Brady" character at one point "Did you ever think about it?" (On a point of contradictory Bible literalism)....and the exchange is -

Brady- "I....I do not think about things...I do not think about!"

Drummond- "Do you ever think about the things you DO think about?"


Jus' saying.

 

While I don’t believe in verbal plenary inspiration, what I’ve been saying is not that OT scriptures are wrong, what I’ve been saying is that people interpret them wrong if they think everything in them is meant literally, whatever the level of inspiration may be.

If I did not misread you in this thread you already conceded that the Bible is not necessarily to be read literally, so why do you take a step backwards now? Christians as early as Paul interpreted OT scriptures allegorically (Galatians 4:21-28 ), so why are you scared of that approach? Please, don’t let the people that are on your heels confuse you nor add to their confusion.

As Augustine, many of whose theological thoughts you have taken on board, warned:

http://college.holycross.edu/faculty/alaffey/other_files/Augustine-Genesis1.pdf

Remember God is omniscient, but we are not, not even when we try to understand the Bible. Surely God dropped some hints. The Bible tells us Jesus spoke in Parables, so it seems God loves allegories to get His points across, so why should Genesis not be meant allegorically in the eyes of somebody believing in verbal plenary inspiration?

 

Oh my goodness!!! Its good to see you posting again bruce, I hadn't seen you for a little while.

 

Why are you talking such nonsense. Genesis 12 says no such thing.

 

When I said literal, what I was referring to was "figures of speech", hyperbole, and such.
I'm not afraid of allegory, and when necessary, it can be interpreted that way, but sometimes as with everything people will go overboard with allegory.

Genesis may very well be allegorical, but its been my experience, that when you go down that road you're still left with......"God did it". In other words you end up with just as many questions as you had when interpreting it literal. As I've stated, time and again, I can be wrong in my interpretation. I just have to be shown a better interpretation that still lends credibility to the scriptures.

 

Genesis 12:7
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

7 And Jehovah appeareth unto Abram, and saith, `To thy seed I give this land;' and he buildeth there an altar to Jehovah, who hath appeared unto him.

 

So in one line, you just completely "ate" Creationism and opened up the possibility that Genesis is not literally or historically true....and evolution "could" be.

 

You are ignoring the fact that Shem and Abraham spoke exactly the same language. Same language as the Sumerians spoke.

All Terahs ancestors Noah, Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah, Eber, Reu, Serug and Nahor ARE STILL LIVING when Terah (Abrahams father) is born and for a long time after.

All these people spoke the same language as did their close relatives who lived around them. Terah lived in Ur, part of the Sumerian/Akkadian Empire founded by Sargon around 2300 BC.

The people of this area all spoke the same language. Since the Ark made land no later than 2300 BC, it begs the question "where did all these city states that Sargon Conquered come from, but regardless they all spoke the same language and there was no break.

The Sumerians split into the Babylonians and Assyrians around 2000 BC. Both spoke the same language that we can read today. This was one of the languages on the Rosetta stone and this language (in written form) is known as Akkadian (After Sargon of Akkad)

Given that Terah would have known all his ancestors (because they were all still alive), as would all the other people living around Terah in Ur as these are also their ancestors. All these people would have been worshiping the same God(s) as Noah and the rest of the "immortals"

Obviously these folks would have seemed immortal to the relatives living around them.

It is patent mind-bending nonsense that these relatives would write down the stories of their origins, and not mention the "immortals" who are still alive.

 

No, biblically, I can't see evolution of the "macro" kind ever being true. I personally believe creationism, but I'm open to interpretation on the age of the universe.

 

You are clearly trying to make me giggle. The word YHWH as a name for God did not exist at the time of Abraham. This name was not known until Moses goes up and asks God his name.

Many wish to claim that the answer God gave Moses was his name but if the answer is looked upon in a historical and Biblical context the answer God gives Moses is not his name, but avoidance of the question similar to every other time God is asked his name in the Bible.

Regardless. There is no "name of God" given to Abram.