Just curious.

Do we have anyone here who actually believes in the Ark story literally?

yes. there are many who do. including myself.

[This message has been edited by Physical Graffiti (edited 10/26/2012 11:33a).]

How literally? I know that sounds like a dumb question, but there are people who believe that God literally flooded the entire world- think about the implications of that- all life wiped out worldwide, every single animal, including insects, on board the Ark, etc. The whole world view tends to be more consistent with YEC.

and some believe the flood was local. "Local" can be defined as loosely as one believes. and "the whole world" in the story of Noah's Ark was meant to be figurative than literal. The local flood view is more consistent with an old-earth belief.

if you believe in a literal interpretation of a global flood with every species on board a boat, you are worse than stupid.

amercer!

If you try to convince a person of something without first respecting who they are and hearing why they believe what they do, then you too are stupid.

The I'm smarter than you attitude on this board is awful and ruins the opportunity for meaningful discussion.

Btw, that picture is still hilarious.

[This message has been edited by confirmed nonsense (edited 10/26/2012 1:47p).]

i wonder how this is going to turn out?

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/its-confirmed-noahs-ark-is-coming-to-the-big-screen-and-guess-whos-playing-the-lead-role/


“Noah’s Ark,” a familiar Biblical story known around the globe, is about to get the Hollywood treatment. Famed director Darren Aronofsky is bringing the tale to the big screen. Actor Russell Crowe, who has starred in films such as “Gladiator” and “Cinderella Man,” will play the lead role, as details about the project are beginning to come into the open.

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If you try to convince a person of something without first respecting who they are and hearing why they believe what they do, then you too are stupid.

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i can still respect stupid people. we all do.

i would love to know the specifics of how you think the flood and noah's ark all happened.

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Btw, that picture is still hilarious.

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Every time there is a Noah thread I go find that and post it. And it makes me laugh every time.

As for the OP, there are lots of people who believe in it, and I would say they run the gamut from scientifically illiterate, to fairly philosophical about it. If God wanted to wipe the earth clean, and leave no evidence, that wouldn't really be hard for an omnipotent being would it?

For my tastes, I think that much of what is in the books of Moses were not ever intended to be taken literally. If the Jews don't do it, why should you?



[This message has been edited by amercer (edited 10/26/2012 1:46p).]

i can still respect stupid people. we all do.
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welcome back to the r&p board, ultra-intelligent super human

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if you believe in a literal interpretation of a global flood with every species on board a boat, you are worse than stupid.

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Wow, who can stand before such tight, cogent, and airtight argument.

Ridicule is a powerful social tool, but not much of an argument.

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i can still respect stupid people. we all do.

i would love to know the specifics of how you think the flood and noah's ark all happened.

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Some people are stupid, but it shows a lack of respect to start a conversation by declaring so thus completely shutting down the possibility for conversation.

I don't interpret the story literally and do not believe it's a historical event. I find it odd that you assume that I do simply because I defended someone else.

If you truly would love to hear from someone about the specifics about how it all happened, I would suggest not calling them stupid before they start to do so. Maybe you should apologize and try again.

Would somebody who believes in a YEC, literal interpretation of the Noah's Ark story be willing to share? I won't call you stupid.

Its not stupidity, it's ignorance

i misspoke and i apologize. the person isn't necessarily stupid, but the belief is. a very smart person can have very stupid beliefs about certain things.

Maybe God sent sperm and ova.

Ajaam, I agree. Often I find that the smartest people I know hold some of the most stupid positions imaginable. I'm sure that I hold many. I think that this board could be a great way to hear people and how they arrived at certain positions instead of the attack and defense attitude that is most prevalent. But then again I'm a hippie and a hippie can dream...

There is nary any evidence to support the notion of a flood as described taking place during the time hominids (or any known species) have been in existence. There was a time when the presence of fossils on the top of mountains seemed to support the notion of a biblical flood, but we now know how those fossils ended up there. Them that wrote the story could reasonably assume that fossils made the climb to the top of mountains because the entire earth was under water and that lack of knowledge has fortunately been erased.

Imagine finding a fossilized shell on the top of a mountain or hill far away from the sea three thousand years ago. How would you have described how that came to be? Seeing that same fossilized shell today provides a very different, and much more fascinating, story.

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As for the OP, there are lots of people who believe in it, and I would say they run the gamut from scientifically illiterate, to fairly philosophical about it. If God wanted to wipe the earth clean, and leave no evidence, that wouldn't really be hard for an omnipotent being would it?

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I'm reminded of the cartoon in which Noah asks God "Can't You just make new animals after the flood?"

Personally, I think all of the stories in the Bible are probably true. However, they were written and recorded by people who had neither the mental capacity, education or technology to accurately reason and record what they witnessed or saw.

I say this because I have children. One is 2, one is 4 and then my wife and I are adults. If you have kids, ask them their account of an event immediately after you all saw it.

Im not saying people who literally believe in the bible have the mental capacity of a child, im saying they simply refuse to use their adult brain in lieu of their child mentality because that one provides reasoning and comfort. Its a perfect example of where occams razor fails.

[This message has been edited by BrazosDog02 (edited 10/27/2012 8:41a).]

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Personally, I think all of the stories in the Bible are probably true. However, they were written and recorded by people who had neither the mental capacity, education or technology to accurately reason and record what they witnessed or saw.

I say this because I have children. One is 2, one is 4 and then my wife and I are adults. If you have kids, ask them their account of an event immediately after you all saw it.

Im not saying people who literally believe in the bible have the mental capacity of a child, im saying they simply refuse to use their adult brain in lieu of their child mentality because that one provides reasoning and comfort. Its a perfect example of where occams razor fails.

[This message has been edited by BrazosDog02 (edited 10/27/2012 8:41a).]

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The intelligence of humans was no less 3,000 years ago than it is today

boboguitar

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The intelligence of humans was no less 3,000 years ago than it is today

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Spot on, but the knowledge base of many people 3k years ago was such that even working with considerable intelligence the story would't seem near as implausible as it does today.

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There is nary any evidence to support the notion of a flood as described taking place during the time hominids (or any known species) have been in existence

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I seem to remember that whole villages have been found under the Black Sea.
Has it been explained what caused the Black Sea to form?

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The intelligence of humans was no less 3,000 years ago than it is today

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I took a biblical archeology class while at school (A&M) taught by dr. Waschman.

He is renowned for his work with boat archeology, anyways he was enlisted to help with the work on a MASSIVE wooden ship/boat, that was found on the side of a mountaintop. He shared all of this with us and let us believe whatever, but it was pretty damn good evidence for me to think that something serious went down that musta been the base for it. Whether its an elaboration or a parable...

I subscribe to the theory that it was relatively large, although localized to a specific area, possibly the Black Sea. Stories of the flood and its significance to Gods power spread across a vast geographic area and across a few different religions. The story shows up a lot with each religion putting its own spin on it. I personally believe the Judeo-Christian view to be the correct understanding of the event.

I did research as an undergrad with A&M's nautical archaeology department and talked to him a few times. His biggest excavation was what the media called "the jesus boat." It was a boat he and other INA researchers excavated out of the sea of Galilee. One of the funnier things he ever said was he got very tired of the reporters asking how many people could fit in the boat so one day, he finally popped off with "12 could fit in the boat with 1 walking beside it."

[This message has been edited by boboguitar (edited 10/27/2012 3:56p).]

No. It did not happen.

Intelligent people believe it happened because that's what they've been told, indoctricnated, often coerced, to believe since they were young children.

The result is what you have - intelligent people believing a rather absurd notion, out of faith, fear, whatever.

When I say it didn't happen, I mean in the literal sense.

It is certainly possibly there was a local flood back in the day, and maybe as the water was rising some local doomsdayer gathered up the neighborhood dogs and cats, later claimed he saved the world, and the story grew from there.

Or, the whole story could be just that - a story. Added for artistic license and dramatic effect....

It's written in the bible so it must be true.

the book of old jewish fairytales

Without "spiritual eyes" most miracles, from Noah to the resurrection appear as stupid.

To me, looking at reality itself, and assuming that it is the product only of billions and billions of years of constant mistakes is beyond.......

Well, that requires a faith that I don't have.

[This message has been edited by The Lone Stranger (edited 10/28/2012 3:23p).]