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Kurt you bring up a good point. I certainly question what I read/understand but the end of the day my faith trumps my IQ. As far as Old Testament law, The teachings of Jesus, the Council of Jerusalem, and other New Testament teachings (John 1:16-17, Acts 13:39, Romans 2:25-29, 8:1-4, 1 Corinthians 9:19-21, Galatians 2:15-16, Ephesians 2:15) make it clear that Christians are not required to follow the Old Testament rules about crimes and punishments, warfare, slavery, diet, circumcision, animal sacrifices, feast days, Sabbath observance, ritual cleanness, etc.

Christians still look to the Old Testament scripture for moral and spiritual guidance (2 Timothy 3:16-17). But when there seems to be a conflict between Old Testament laws and New Testament principles, we must follow the New Testament because it represents the most recent and most perfect revelation from God (Hebrews 8:13, 2 Corinthians 3:1-18, Galatians 2:15-20).

Not trying to be a Bible thumper but just respectfully recite what I believe. BTW the arc photo was the first I've ever seen and I'm happy the OP opened this thread. This will be added to my bucket list!

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I suppose that my point was that I think that some Christians adopt an interpretation, translation, version, or whatever of the Bible for reasons other than convenience. Genesis offers an account of Noah and a boat that many people feel is clearly impossible. I started typing out a list of reasons why Noah's Ark was impossible and decided to stop and delete it - the list would be absolutely staggering. All that is to say that there is solid reason to suspect that Noah's Ark is not literally true and I would agree with the Christian that stated that the story makes more sense as a moral teaching than a historical account.

If you start from a position that any conclusion drawn from reason that disagrees with your faith are automatically wrong, what is the point of the questioning you do? Any reasonable conclusion you reach that disagrees with your faith will be assumed to be wrong. . . . why not just skip a step and don't reason and don't question?

I think you and I are closer to agreement then you think. God gives us a brain to study, question and find the answers--if we can. All I am trying to say is that God's ways are not our ways. You are right about the literal interpretation--I think the important part is the message and not so much the exact level of detail of what we believe possible. That being said, it's a slippery slope when we say something's are impossible and we judge which are and which aren't. I for one have no problem with the literal story of the arc--but I don't think that's the bible's point and, as a Christian, shouldn't get hung up on that. I have a preacher friend that reminds me that the bible doesn't come with white out! I appreciate your take.

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I'm facinated how many call the Ark story or fable. Are really that smart that you can pick and choose what part of the Bible you believe and what part you don't? As far me, if Christ died and was raised from the dead to come back to earth before assertion into heaven--then I think Noah could have made an arc, Jonah swallowed by a whale or sun move backward. Guess I'm just not intelligent enough to pick and chose what I believe in the Bible. Actually I believe it all--it's called faith.

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We are smart enough to observe existence through natural occurrences. Those stories you mention come in direct conflict with natural laws. Combine this with several things claimed in the bible that have no evidence to support them.. Considering that, its pretty easy to come to the conclusion that those things you listed are illogical. Break through the indoctrinated fear so you can delve into independent research. At the very least, you'll be able to understand where non-believers come from.

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When everything we observe tells us

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False. Observations don't tell you anything. They're inanimate objects. People are the ones who tell the stories.

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You're right people do tell the stories, but they often lie or make them up from false information or understanding. I'll keep trusting the fossils sediment layers, natural laws that don't have an agenda.

The number of houses that could have been built from that quantity of labor and lumber, or the number of indigent and starving that could have been helped(you know.....things your bible actually talk about doing) from that amount of money is staggering.

Instead, we get colossal "golden calves" and idols.

Yet another reason I will support particular churches, and have even been known to make donations to, and help out with charity's for, certain groups, but will never support Christianity as a total religion again.

Just wondering how would you even do that? Send a letter addressed to Jesus via USPS?

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Just wondering how would you even do that? Send a letter addressed to Jesus via USPS?

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who are you answering?

You. How do you support Christianity as a total religion? Just curious.

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You. How do you support Christianity as a total religion? Just curious.

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I don't support Christianity as a whole. I appreciate the good people who are christians, and am open minded enough to support many of the good things the good ones do. My own personal beliefs don't have anything to do with the christian deity(s), so that's as far as it goes.


your point?

I don't have one. You just got all preachy about how you weren't doing a thing, and i wasn't sure how that thing was even possible. So I asked.

It gone!


http://babylonbee.com/news/ken-hams-ark-replica-taken-heaven/

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I think you and I are closer to agreement then you think. God gives us a brain to study, question and find the answers--if we can. All I am trying to say is that God's ways are not our ways. You are right about the literal interpretation--I think the important part is the message and not so much the exact level of detail of what we believe possible. That being said, it's a slippery slope when we say something's are impossible and we judge which are and which aren't. I for one have no problem with the literal story of the arc--but I don't think that's the bible's point and, as a Christian, shouldn't get hung up on that. I have a preacher friend that reminds me that the bible doesn't come with white out! I appreciate your take.

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I think we may be further from agreement than you think. I am confused by your comments that God gives us a brain to study, question, and find the answers and the comment that faith trumps IQ.

It seems very much like cherry picking to only trust reason when it does not conflict with faith. Either reason and logic and science and cognition are reliable tools for understanding reality, or they are not. If they are reliable and these capacities do provide conflict with something like the Biblical flood and Noah, then it seems to me to be the sensible thing to reject the stories or to, at a minimum, reach in-conclusion.

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Ham stated to reporters his next project will be called "40 Years In The Wilderness" and will let park visitors participate in an exciting adventure hike as staffers drop them in the middle of Saudi Arabia with no food or other supplies.

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I guess that better than a "10 Plagues over Egypt" themed park. Though the candy in the souvenir shop would be to die for!



Edible and Fun!!

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It gone!


http://babylonbee.com/news/ken-hams-ark-replica-taken-heaven/

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Man, that picture gave me a flashback to The Flying House. Used to love that cartoon growing up.