How do you know that the Genesis account of the Flood is merely literature? You have absolutely no basis for thinking that other than your own personal bias. You're certainly welcome to your own opinion, but the Genesis account is certainly a reasonable explanation as to how the majority of cultures around the world ended up with a Flood story. If you think that the Genesis Flood account is scientifically shaky, then fine. But at least do us the courtesty of giving a solid the reason for you position. But otherwise, you're just tossing out your vote on the "How do we explain all the Flood stories?" question but w/o any scientific backing whatsoever. Genesis' account is certainly much more straighforward imo than "seafaring travelers traversed the globe spreading the story of a great Flood in prehistoric times" theory.
Well, let's go to a basic question regarding the Flood story then: do you think it is possible that mankind (or a society) could actually reach such a depraved state that it had to be destroyed?
Also, it is amusing to me that if a story is fantasy-like in nature, such as many of the ancient myths, then materialists label it as mythological. But, in the case of the Bible, which has a (imo) logical blend of the supernatural and natural and reads much more like a scientific log book, the materialist labels it as literature. Do you see the pattern? All potentially supernatural events are instantly placed in the "fabrication" bucket. I saw this same reasoning with the Near Death Experience thread. Several non-Christian people openly related about their Out of Body Experiences which were immediately dismissed by the materialists as mind-induced fabrications as were all the evidences from the NDE research. I have mentioned several supernatural Christian events in my life and they are immediately placed in the same category. I personally think that the only reasonable position is to be open to the spiritual even if you have doubts about it. But that's just my opinion...
I thought that the original question in this thread was "what if it is Noah's Ark". That question opens up a whole new dimension to the discussion if it proves to be Noah's Ark. I am not speculating on whether it is or isn't or even what would constitute proof, only " what if it is (actually) Noah's" and what changes that would bring.
Lol. Nope, only in Amsterdam. Funny thing was it was an older Dutch couple that was kind of showing it off almost as a carnival. Women in the windows, marijuana shacks, transvestites, male prostitutes, spiked hair - I knew I wasn't in Kansas anymore!
1. The word in Genesis 1 translated "heaven" is the Hebrew word "shamayim" and likewise the word translated "earth" is "erets". What is weird is we have done all this before in the 666 devils thread, but you seem incapable or reluctant to recognize or discuss anything you have said which is contradictory or just plain wrong. Genesis(1:1) Bereishit bara Elokim et hashamayim ve'et ha'aretz. In the begining God created the heavens and the earth. NOT "heaven" as you say. After all this time you still have not explained where your "erets" is in the Hebrew ?? Put together with conjunctions and articles, this phrase, according to Hebrew scholars, can only mean one thing: everything. My understanding is that it has no alternate translations. According to what Hebrew scholars ?? You made that up right? , just threw it in didn't you ?? You decide what the Hebrew scholars can only mean, even though the Hebrew scholars actually say words which do not mean what you say they do !! You concede that your mis-translation and misinterpretation of this text has no alternative translation...including the correct one !!! From that YOU conclude that your translation and interpretation of the Word of God must be right, even though it says something else. and for you...end of matter. Common sense, actuality, rational discussion, for you... shuts off !! Genesis (7:19) Vehamayim gaveru me'od me'od al-ha'aretz vayichusu kol-heharim hagevohim asher-tachat kol-hashamayim. The waters were very powerful over the earth, and they covered all the high mountains which were under all the heavens. I have shown you in Hebrew words, idiomatically translated correctly to English words - in meaning and context - what the Word of God states, but YOU say God doesn't mean what he says !! So anyone who calls themselves christian, who say they follow the Word of God, gives themselves the right to translate the Word of God into anything they want, and then tell anyone else they want, that THEIR translation or interpretation is the correct one. Not God's. 2. When there are two interpretations possible, let Scripture interpret Scripture. There are many places including Isaiah, Job, John and Colossians where God is clearly stated to have created the universe, i.e. the whole cosmos. Scripture contradicts itself. To "let Scripture interpret Scripture" is to let the blind lead the blind. But what you want is worse yet....let your translation and interpretation of scripture interpret scripture. This is so far away from scripture as to make what is already absurdity turn into utter incoherence.