EruditioSalvatus

I don't remember saying that. I said it's queer that there was light without a sun, or have photosynthesizing plants before a sun for that matter. No one has ever really said humans evolved from monkeys, that's a misnomer. Persons will point out that apes, but not monkeys, are genetically similar to humans.There are actually dozens, probably more, persons in the scientific community who believe in god. However, they believe in the divine spirit as a supernatural force and not a scientific toy. Empirically, god may be lacking but that does not seem to dissuade them from their faith. What I believe is personal and not in question here. I never said that, either. I was simply hoping for a little meshing between the bible and the most basic, even common sense, truths. There was faith in a divine spirit before there was a bible and there will be faith in a divine spirit while people argue and muddle over what the bible does or does no say, and there will be faith in a divine spirit after the bible goes away.

So... basic scientific inaccuracies and really weird occurrences are because they're "taken out of context" or some eeeeeevil scribe decided to have a field day and screw with people's heads? I guess this makes sense. How else would you get light without a sun, plants growing without a sun, cud chewing rabbits, exponential population growth in just a few shot generations, incorrect connotations about ostriches, and so forth...

Wow, I never thought I'd see this is my lifetime. To think, 34 years for pointing an empty gun at someone... Wonder if Charlie will ever get out

So... if the "lord has preserved the ancient records almost perfectly intact as originally written" how does that explain the really wacky stuff that's in the bible? Not 'misinterpreted' or 'mistranslated' things but stuff like contradictory science, mysterious populace gestation, and so forth?

You can hire or rehire whomever you want, you'll never beat the black and gold!

An important fact to remember: All explanations are interpretations.

wow, Monson looks really old. I saw him the day Hinckley passed away and it looks like he's aged a great deal since then...

Sorry, I keep forgetting christans lump other things than the Torah into the old testament. Parts of the old testament are over a thousand years old. Lots of answers for screwy bible verses crop up, 'taken out of context,' 'allegorical or metaphorical,' and 'it was a miracle/it's all a mystery.' Just like any amalgamated book the bible tends to have conflicting views on events. Maybe this is simple witness error, as I said before no people see the same thing the same way, or a translation, editing, or some other transcription error. It may also be someone who was doing the writing screwed up, wrote down what someone else said, or simply took some kind of poetic license. I mean, how else can you get striped and spotted cow by using wooden rods?

You Can't Do That -Tahnee Cain and the Tryanglz

Know Your Enemy -Greenday *runs off to take a shower after having to use a greenday song*

Most confusion concerning the bible can be encapsulated into three broad areas when it was written, how was it translated, and how it was made. The old testament was written in ancient hebrew over a thousand years before christians existed, it was translated several times before christians ever saw it, and finally, after several more translations, found its way into the english language. The new testament was created by a council who decided what was worthy and what was not. It was also translated a couple of times before reaching the english language. On top of language barriers, both the new and old testaments were heavily edited with each translation. Even if these translations, edits, and councils totally 100% accurate each book of the bible was written by a separate person (and in the case of psalms, several people). Each person has his own take on god and his action and, despite being similar, no two people will see god in the exact same way. So one person's 'merciful god' could be another's 'vengeful god.' To further compound confusion, there are several oddities concerning the relationship between science, nature, and the bible.

One is the loneliest number -Thee Dog Night (man I love them)

Actually we don't know where, that's part of the point of this thread, nor do we know why. Scholars, theologians, sages, crack pots, philosophers, wise men, ranters, monks, nuns, magi, and scientists (mad or otherwise) have been discussing the topic for... ever.

Below Every Depth -Combichrist

That really depends on whether you consider bible books like genesis to an allegory or true fact.

Dead Kings Rise -Misfits

Yeah, it really is an amusing problem. Either god has a total lack of forethought or is inherently cruel. Reminds me of a great demotivator:

Amusingly enough, the more people discuss pre-existence and concepts of free will the closer it comes to some of the classic Gnostic traditions Gnostics recognize that there is a piece of everlasting, divine spirit inside all humans but chalk up rancidness, evil, and cutting people off in the passing lane not to a free will tied to this divine spirit but to simple human decision making. Freedom of choice (will if you may) isn't something bestowed upon us like a driver's license but is an innate trait that all living things possess (except maybe lemmings). Some people have a "fly in a wind tunnel" view of existence: We, as humans, are flies and can move about as we wish but the current of the wind is so strong that we are being pulled to an inevitable point. Reaching the end of the tunnel, be that what it may, is the ultimate planned destination but that doesn't keep the flies from buzzing around, landing, or hitting their heads on the side wall as they choose.

Tied Up, Dried Up, and Dead to the World -MM

The bible is a lot like a Peter Jackson film: cram enough stuff into an overly long piece of work and something is bound to come true and everyone will find something they like.

Mind Bomb -A Global Threat

Well, one could go so far as to say that all pain is caused by god. It all goes back to the Problem of Evil.

Treetop Flyer -Stephen Sills

I thought Calvinists distanced themselves from predestination which is why the Puritans were persecuted and run out of England... Either way, you gotta love "god's frozen chosen" Predestination and preordination are more or less forms of Fatalism which really makes someone wonder what the point of a lot of things are.

Burn Up the Road -Operator