Originally posted by twhiteheadWords can have different meanings depending on how they are used.
But my point remains. If we cannot take words at face value, then where is the dictionary? And how can we trust any of the other words? Was 'sun' really the sun, and 'earth' really the earth?
Just check any dictionary and you will find multiple meanings for many
of the words listed. So that is not the problem. It is determining the
correct meaning based on the context of the written text that can be
difficult. This fact is not just restricted to religious books, but any
ancient literature translated from a foreign language that tells about
something one has not witnessed or is familiar with.
Originally posted by galveston75The main problem I have with this view is the plants need sunlight; so
"The Bible does not specify the length of each of the creative periods. Yet all six of them have ended, it being said with respect to the sixth day (as in the case of each of the preceding five days): “And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, a sixth day.” (Ge 1:31) However, this statement is not made regarding the seventh day, on which s Rest Day.
The Bible also does not clearly specify what the next "Day" will hold for us.
the sunlight needed to be provided within a reasonable period of time
for the plants to survive.
Originally posted by wolfgang59I think it is to show us that we should work 6 days and rest 1 day
How did god benefit "us" by taking so long for creation when he could have done it quicker? [b]How does that benefit the human race?
And how does his resting benefit us? And surely "rest" is a meaningless concept to an omnipotent being?[/b]
because we will need it. Obviously, as you said, God does not
need the rest.
Originally posted by josephwSince I only have my personal experience to go on, I would say the day
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
And God called the light [b]Day, and the darkness he called Night.
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and ...[text shortened]... day.
And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
What do you think?[/b]
looks like our 24 hour day to me.
Originally posted by RJHindsSomeone who can make the entire universe in 6 days would surely not have trouble keeping plants alive without sunlight!
The main problem I have with this view is the plants need sunlight; so
the sunlight needed to be provided within a reasonable period of time
for the plants to survive.
Strange how you use logical, scientific reasoning to argue against a view on a supernatural event.
Originally posted by RJHindsMy question is, is there anything impossible for God?
Since I only have my personal experience to go on, I would say the day
looks like our 24 hour day to me.
Over complicating the truth empowers lawyers. Persons who consider themselves sophisticated claim that God was invented to control the masses. Then they justify they're actions in unbelief, relegating the simple truth to antiquity, claiming ascendancy.
While "the heaven and the earth" may be older than imagined, six days is enough time for God to do what He said He did when He planted the garden and placed man in it.
The account of creation found in the Bible is the most profound and sublime, poetic tale of the origin of life that can be found in all literature. It is pure music strait from the mouth of God. Within its simplicity can be found the sound of harmony, balance, rhythm and rime, and the truth about our beginnings.
It's no wonder Jesus quoted from Genesis. By doing so Jesus established its certain validity and authenticity.
Originally posted by wolfgang59In a very, very strange twist of fate, I see wolfgang arguing one of my favorite points that I use against skeptics, only he's using it against a Christian!
Someone who can make the entire universe in 6 days would surely not have trouble keeping plants alive without sunlight!
Strange how you use logical, scientific reasoning to argue against a view on a supernatural event.
Bizarre!
All too often I hear the argument from skeptics that the biblical creation story can't be true because plants need sunlight, etc. It's like, "give me a break, we are talking about an all-powerful Creator who ostensibly can make ANYTHING happen."
Thanks wolfgang. Seriously.
FMF you said you are disappointed that I believe in a literal 6 day creation. But if you look closely, I was careful never to say that I believe that creation happened in 6 Earth days.
I kind of wanted to be the one to point it out but someone else already touched on it; and I sorta wanted to point it out against a bible-believer who thinks creation took place in 6 literal Earth days. The fact is, that is completely impossible if the bible is true. Because the sun was not created until the 3rd day. 2 "days" transpired before the Earth ever even thought about rotating around the Sun. Soooooo either the inspired writer is the author of confusion, or, the conclusion is inescapable: The days that were transpiring during the creation event were GOD'S 6 days. Apparently, God has day and night in His realm. These were God's days, and clearly not 24-hour Earth-day periods.
And FMF you'd really be surprised at how many Christians haven't had this occur to them, and have gone on believing a literal 6 Earth-day creation period their whole Christian walk. I find that disturbing yet fascinating. It's one of the very first things I stumbled across post-transformation and that's because I picked up the bible and started reading Genesis, and the obvious problem leaped out at me after just a few fleeting verses.
Another person has also touched on my secondary point which is, God's days and our days are not only possibly very different, but, the bible tells us they are factually very different. In 2 Peter the phrase used is, one of God's days is like a thousand of our years. And notice it says "like a thousand years," so to be obvious that it's only to say that the time periods are utterly and completely different.
I think it is entirely possible... even likely... that however many billions of years old the universe is (I'm sure science hasn't nailed it down completely yet), 7 days can pass in God's realm and be the equivalent of it.
In fact, that doesn't even do it justice. I'm quite convinced that God can fast forward, rewind, and freeze time. The bible already has an account where God made the Sun sit still... freezing time effectively... for what the writer said was several hours.
Now I refuse to be disingenuously pigeon-holed by this comparison because I am saying right off the bat--it's simply a comparison using the technology and contemporary knowledge we have today. But imagine yourself as the Creator and your creation being a program.. like The Sims for example. Leap forward about 5 million years in technology and imagine what a "game" like The Sims will be like then. It will be a virtual holographic reality that you alone control. You control everything and can rewind if you don't like something that happens. Etc.
One more time, I will not be pigeon-holed by someone who wants to laugh and accuse me of claiming we are all little pixels and Sims running around on God's computer monitor. I'm only saying that this idea gives a microscopic glimpse into the Creator/creation relation and reality we could be experiencing today. It also gives an excellent example of the Creator being in a completely different dimension and unknowable. And on and on. It can get very deep.
To augment my position further; we glean from the Book of Enoch (not canonized due to questionable authorship) that when God revealed His realm to Enoch, what he saw was rooms and walls made of crystals and bright lights and lots of colors.
It just gives me a slight flavor of technology, and I don't think Enoch could have come up with a better way of describing a building full of scientific marvels and technology.
Also, just curious. Anyone here ever see the TV show Land of the Lost as a kid? Kind of weird that the leader of the Sleestaks was named Enoch, and he was the only one who knew how to use the multi-colored crystals in the Pylons to allow for teleportation! I guess the producer of that show was into the Apocryphal Books? 🙂
Please folks I am merely thinking out loud. I am not claiming any of this technology/simulation/holographic universe stuff to be truth. But I will go on believing there is some truth to it until I'm convinced otherwise! However I'm sane enough to understand it's a matter of opinion and theory, nothing more.
Originally posted by sumydidYou say the sun was not created until the 3rd day. It was the 4th day
FMF you said you are disappointed that I believe in a literal 6 day creation. But if you look closely, I was careful never to say that I believe that creation happened in 6 Earth days.
I kind of wanted to be the one to point it out but someone else already touched on it; and I sorta wanted to point it out against a bible-believer who thinks creation took ...[text shortened]... fferent dimension and unknowable. And on and on. It can get very deep.
and the text does not use the word "created". It seems clear that the
4th day was used by God to provide light to the earth for the plants
and to tell time. So I believe from the 4th day on it was 24 hour days.
As you say, the days before that could have been determined by God
in a different way and may not be 24 hours.
Originally posted by RJHindsMy bad on the 3rd/4th day. I was typing quickly and didn't do any reviewing or editing.
You say the sun was not created until the 3rd day. It was the 4th day
and the text does not use the word "created". It seems clear that the
4th day was used by God to provide light to the earth for the plants
and to tell time. So I believe from the 4th day on it was 24 hour days.
As you say, the days before that could have been determined by God
in a different way and may not be 24 hours.
Though the bible doesn't use the exact word "created," wouldn't it be fair to interpret God saying, "Let their be..." as the act of creating?
Originally posted by sumydidDisingenuously pigeon-holed? Laugh and accuse you of stuff? All this extrapolated from the single word "disappointed"? What's with this straw man stuff? Let's just leave it. I now wish I had not commented. And I will not comment again. I wish you well with your beliefs.
FMF you said you are disappointed that I believe in a literal 6 day creation. [...] I refuse to be disingenuously pigeon-holed [...] by someone who wants to laugh and accuse me of claiming we are all little pixels and Sims running around on God's computer monitor.
Originally posted by sumydidGod did not create the universe in 6 days.
As we know. The bible says God created the universe in 6 days and rested on the 7th.
Can anyone here confidently define the unit of time the bible calls a "day?" If so, please elaborate.
If you don't know that this is a fabricated story - then you need to look at your spiritual life and see where and how it is letting you down.