I have just been blessed by a visitation from some really nice people.
I invited them in for tea.
We had an interesting exchange.
What follows summarises (?) my contrary argument …
Bishop Ussher (1581–1656) declared that this Earth was created in 4004 BC. He based this assertion on genealogy of Adam’s offspring documented in the Holy Bible. Now, I do not have the time, patience or resources to verify that succession, although some of it seems to be exhaustively chronicled.
I invited them in for tea.
We had an interesting exchange.
What follows summarises (?) my contrary argument …
Bishop Ussher (1581–1656) declared that this Earth was created in 4004 BC. He based this assertion on genealogy of Adam’s offspring documented in the Holy Bible. Now, I do not have the time, patience or resources to verify that succession, although some of it seems to be exhaustively chronicled.I don’t believe it.
The Genesis story gives an account of creation in six days (plus one for a rest). I have a problem here. For one ‘day’ to exist, we need a benchmark of time. In this instance, it requires a pre-existing, spherical and rotating planet, wherefrom a pre-existing sun can be regularly observed. Some argue that the chronological order in which earthly things came into being is probably correct. There are those who contend that God’s ‘day’ is something beyond the understanding of we earthly mortals.
This biblical account was written from the then incomplete wisdom of the author, possibly Moses, for acceptance by the partial understanding of the listeners of that time.
That was brilliant! It worked. It survived. It continues to be promulgated.
Many who continue to believe it are very worthy souls.
Some have simple minds.
But, it is scientific nonsense!
Have I just committed heresy? Should I be tortured until I recant lest I be burnt at the stake? Is my very soul in jeopardy?
Scientists tell us that the Universe is about 14 billion years old. Earth is a youngster at 4.6 billion years. They can produce evidence, (most of which I fail to understand), that this is so.
I am inclined to believe this, not only because such knowledge gained me a Bachelor’s degree from the Open University!
I ask this question: if you’d said ‘desoxy-ribose-nucleic acid’ to Moses, what would he have understood?
What would Moses have known of quantum physics?
Would he have heard on ‘tele-evangelism’?
Of course, none of that is Moses’ fault; he was simply working from the partial knowledge of his time.
What do tele-evangelists really know?
Do I come across as an atheist?
My visitors thought so.
I am NOT!
I subscribe to the Heisenburg uncertainty principle ...
“Lord, I believe. Help, thou, mine unbelief!” (Mark 9: 24)
This biblical account was written from the then incomplete wisdom of the author, possibly Moses, for acceptance by the partial understanding of the listeners of that time.
That was brilliant! It worked. It survived. It continues to be promulgated.
Many who continue to believe it are very worthy souls.
Some have simple minds.
But, it is scientific nonsense!
Have I just committed heresy? Should I be tortured until I recant lest I be burnt at the stake? Is my very soul in jeopardy?
Scientists tell us that the Universe is about 14 billion years old. Earth is a youngster at 4.6 billion years. They can produce evidence, (most of which I fail to understand), that this is so.I am inclined to believe this, not only because such knowledge gained me a Bachelor’s degree from the Open University!
I ask this question: if you’d said ‘desoxy-ribose-nucleic acid’ to Moses, what would he have understood?
What would Moses have known of quantum physics?
Would he have heard on ‘tele-evangelism’?
Of course, none of that is Moses’ fault; he was simply working from the partial knowledge of his time.
What do tele-evangelists really know?
Do I come across as an atheist?
My visitors thought so.
I am NOT!
I subscribe to the Heisenburg uncertainty principle ...
“Lord, I believe. Help, thou, mine unbelief!” (Mark 9: 24)
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