the age of the earth for the enlightenment of YEC's

[firstfloor]

Oh? What is my view of what constitutes good?

Magellan

I don’t know! What? Bad, horrible, "what do you want? I was dead at the time” – Izzard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RegxuU8NOhs

[headheart]

Most of us are too far removed from those times when it was written to make much sense of The Bible directly. Is that not why it tends to be interpreted for us by preachers? Are they reliable, are they trying to push a particular message? I have witnessed at first hand the religious brain washing provided by Jehovah's Witnesses. I have tended to rely on scholars rather than preachers. Dale Martin of Yale University is an example. I remember being impressed by William Barclay’s NT commentaries many years ago. I remain interested.

Ah, perhaps it wouldn't harm you to do a little catching up and study before you make such sweeping comments about the Christian sacred texts.

Peace,
Eric

[firstfloor]

Ah, perhaps it wouldn't harm you to do a little catching up and study before you make such sweeping comments about the Christian sacred texts.

Peace,
Eric

I would instead advocate reading around the subject much more to put the “sacred texts” in context. The history and politics of the time and the development of the Bible and Christianity are all fascinating subjects.

[magellan004]

I would instead advocate reading around the subject much more to put the “sacred texts” in context. The history and politics of the time and the development of the Bible and Christianity are all fascinating subjects.

Was your aim in starting the thread to show how brilliant you are via comic relief?

[firstfloor]

Was your aim in starting the thread to show how brilliant you are via comic relief?

Magellan old sport, you’ve lost me now. The post is as advertised. I’m just here to spread the good news. What’s bugging you chum?
I am being serious here. I would point out that I prefer to approach the Bible from an academic direction rather than a religious one because I find that religious teachers are biased and they take some things as given that to me are questionable.

[phank]

I think? And exactly how many years of careful and prayerful study of the Christian sacred text do you base this opinion upon?

You don't need to eat the whole egg to know it's rotten.

I suppose? (same as above)

And the same reply. You asked for my opinion. I made it clear that it was an opinion. Now you attack me for making it clear. Nice gig.

In any case, I see you didn't care whether I replied, you didn't address a thing I said, you asked me to turn around and then tried to stab me in the back. If you have no intent to discuss the very points you raise, and are only using those points to trap anyone foolish enough to think you meant what you said, then I'm outta here. Go pray at something.

[headheart]

You don't need to eat the whole egg to know it's rotten.

We're not talking about a single egg but 66 rather ancient eggs and in the RCC tradition the extra-canonical books as well as numerous secular historical writings. If you want to play a metaphorical game you're welcome but earnest study in an subject requires more than taking a nibble here and there.

And the same reply. You asked for my opinion. I made it clear that it was an opinion. Now you attack me for making it clear. Nice gig.

In any case, I see you didn't care whether I replied, you didn't address a thing I said, you asked me to turn around and then tried to stab me in the back. If you have no intent to discuss the very points you raise, and are only using those points to trap anyone foolish enough to think you meant what you said, then I'm outta here. Go pray at something.

Ah____ well I can see that my words are wasted on you.

Goodbye,
Eric.

[phank]

Ah____ well I can see that my words are wasted on you.

I raised the issue of multiple godly personalities. You ignored it.
I raised the issue of cultural change altering religious views over centuries. You ignored it.
I mentioned multiple purposes for gods - you ignored them all.

And now you say YOUR words are wasted? Physician heal thyself!

[headheart]

I raised the issue of multiple godly personalities. You ignored it.
I raised the issue of cultural change altering religious views over centuries. You ignored it.
I mentioned multiple purposes for gods - you ignored them all.

And now you say YOUR words are wasted? Physician heal thyself!

Unsubstantiated statements do not qualify as anything worth responding to. Either do that or take a long walk of a short pier.

Goodbye,
Eric.

[phank]

Well, I repeated what you ignored, and you ignored it again. I guess you win the discussion.

[Jorge]

Jorge, my dear boy, even with you I think it’s only a matter of time. I remember being stunned to hear for the first time about two radical ideas. One was plate tectonics and the other was quantum mechanics. And my immediate reaction was - that can’t possibly be true. With hard ideas especially those in conflict with fundamentals it is very difficult to adjust your thinking. I’ll give you ten years, fifteen at most.
I’d better pray to God to help me be less patronising.

***************************************************************************************

Huh???

Maybe you've been sick and took too much Nyquil (?).

Jorge

[rogue06]

That's great!
So is - What assumption that acknowledges miracles puts these two things in contradiction? This is an application of logic, not an ad-hoc rule. The answer: Scientists usually ignore the reality of miracles. The contradiction disappears.

Magellan

Science can only measure and examine natural phenomena. Miracles by their very nature are outside their area.

[Cerebrum123]

Science can only measure and examine natural phenomena. Miracles by their very nature are outside their area.

Which would make the creation week outside of this study, and Noah's Flood, and the Tower of Babel dispersion etc.

[phank]

Which would make the creation week outside of this study, and Noah's Flood, and the Tower of Babel dispersion etc.

Basically, yes. It would mean that all the evidence of any of these things has been miracled away, and all of the evidence against these things got miracled in after the fact. Science lacks any competence to address last-Tuesdayism.

[rogue06]

Which would make the creation week outside of this study, and Noah's Flood, and the Tower of Babel dispersion etc.

They can see if they left any evidence