Dinosaurs and the Bible

[WindyCityActor]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 11:16am

You have got to be kidding....

"As you add up all of the dates, and accepting that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to Earth almost 2000 years ago, we come to the conclusion that the creation of the Earth and animals (including the dinosaurs) occurred only thousands of years ago (perhaps only 6000!), not millions of years. Thus, if the Bible is right (and it is!), dinosaurs must have lived within the past thousands of years."

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 11:22am

Unfortunately, Windy City, this is all too true.
I grew up in a Fundamentalist church that refused to even believe Dinosaurs were real...or, barring that, would grudgingly admit they were probably the Leviathan mentioned in the Old Testament (as opposed to a whale).
Fundamentalist acceptance of the Bible tends to dismiss any methodology of Science to which it finds itself at odds...instead of being more credible and showing how it DOES work into the Bible.
My favorite is, of course, the story of creation. God created the world in 7 days, so, for many, that's a literal 7 days. Then, with the discovery of such things as dinosaurs and prehistoric man, 7 days became a metaphor, or at least a more nebulous time frame (since it's even mentioned somewhere that a day with God is as a thousand years, there's a little wriggle room).
Of course, now, hardline reading of scripture is helping us hurtle backwards into a new dark age.
I think it's funny that the scriptures used to justify certain kinds of hatred or condemnation (approval of slavery is, I believe, mentioned at least 3 times more in the bible than any condemnation of homosexuality) exist side-by-side with now-out-of-date arguments (again, reference slavery/homosexuality arguments).

[aliceripleysnumber1]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 11:40am

Yeah, Bway..I know. I always loved how people can quote from the book of Leviticus in the old testament, about how homosexuality is "an abomination" but leave out the part where it says that after a woman has her "unclean time" she cannont be touched for 7 days. Hmmm....I guess we are choosing what should be followed and what shouldn't then, huh?

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 11:56am

Those red wing Christians are going to HELL!

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 12:09pm

This site has an audio excerpt from Julia Sweeney's one woman show about how she stopped believing in religion. It's interesting.

http://onegoodmove.org/1gm/

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 12:25pm

If they all followed Leviticus, no one would be doing anything.

I remember getting into it with a group of fundies at a pride parade. I was the MC and I thanked them for taking time away from their chruch on a sunday to come down and support us.

This woman wasn't having it, so she started screaming in my face about Leviticus. I had the mike, so I just shot back, "Looks like someones not following the word of God. You are CLEARLY wearing a poly/cotton blend. SINNER!"

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 12:34pm

LOL! Who knew that so many southerners were going to hell simply for their clothing? LOL!

Did God also condemn denim skirts? Please tell me he did.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 12:38pm

I think it's something like, you aren't allowed to wear clothing made from two different kinds of fabrics. So I guess kulats are out.

I didn't even mention to that beeatch that, according to her bible, she wasn't even allowed to speak about religion...

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 12:49pm

I'll put forth my beliefs. (Bear in mind that I take the Bible very literally). It is entirely possible for dinosaurs to have lived. Here is how it goes:

Genesis 1:1 says "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth"

Genesis 1:2 says "The earth was without form and void and darkness..."

What God creates is perfect, so therefore the earth couldn't be "without form and void". Heaven here refers to everything above the earth, not where God lives. You will notice it doesn't say heaven was void. I believe something happened to the earth between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2.

When God threw Satan out of Heaven, he fell to earth (Ezekial 28:17; Luke 10:18. And the Bible says that God turned off the light. When God turned off the light, it is entirely possible that whatever was on earth immediately perished. Their remains became fossilized.

When God was ready to turn the light back on, the story picks up in Genesis 1:2. It is entirely possible that dinosaurs lived between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2.

Updated On: 6/8/05 at 12:49 PM

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 12:53pm

Interesting points, Gotham. I take a more historical/scientific approach to interpreting the Bible but we come to the exact same decisions, just in differing ways.
The big catastrophe, here pointed out by you to be Lucifer's expulsion from heaven, is what destroyed life on this planet.

I often find that, if people would keep an open mind about the Bible, they'd find out that science more often backs it up than disputes it. It's that hard-line belief that the earth is only as old as can be traced back to Adam/Eve stuff that just sounds wacko.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 1:24pm

So God made a mistake and left out a chapter of his novel between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2? That's weird.

Maybe there will be a prequel that will explain "what happened."

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 1:25pm

I hear Lucas (aka God) is writing the script now.
Look for Hayden Christensen to play the Holy Ghost.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 1:28pm

That's fine, but if He (george lucas) goes back and edits Christensen into future reissues of Bible 1 and 2, I'll be more pissed than Corine and The Cagelles' going away party.

Updated On: 6/8/05 at 01:28 PM

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 1:30pm

Sorry to disappoint, Namo. I hear he's already finished rough cuts.
He even went back and edited Heston out of the Ten Commandments, replacing him with a CGI Yoda.

[camerangel]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 1:34pm

I had heard Christensen was being type cast.. that he isn't playing the holy ghost but Lucifer.. He likes doing the whole falling from grace routine..

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 1:38pm

Corine will blow a gasket if she hears about the CGI Yoda. For her it's puppets or no-go.

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 1:43pm

Well, she'll at least be glad to know Frank Oz is re-voicing Heston's vocals.

[beacon1]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 1:50pm

May I add to this discussion.

The word "creation" is better rendered: "Organized."

So rather than materials bursting into existance, it was organizing existing matter. Who knows what that matter contained?(Like a painter "creates" a painting by organizing the paint and canvas)

Matter itself can neither be created or distroyed. It may be reduced to a level which we cannot detect but that does not mean that God cannot detect it. After all, he's gonna pull us all back together for the resurrection. :o)

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 2:02pm

Intriguing distinction, Beacon.
I just want to reiterate my constant disbelief when so many Fundamental religions try to paint science as standing in opposition with creationism...when I feel so many scientific discoveries only serve to point towards a hand that guided things...I mean, I often find something like gradual evolution (like the slow disappearance of our 5th toe) to be far more than some accidental thing. I believe it's REALLY easy to see God in the orderly design and progression of things, even evolution.

[beacon1]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 2:12pm

I agree, Mr. Singer, I agree.

The Lord's house is a house of order. Just because we haven't stumbled upon all the connections/facts doesn't mean that they don't exist. :o) I do not see science in opposition. some scientists theories may be up for argument but science itself, no.

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 2:19pm

Agreed, beacon. Plus, I think a lot of people forget a particular verse: God made Adam in his own image.
We are given a range of thoughts and emotions because God has them, too! He allows us to access our curiosity about the natural order of the world and we make discoveries and medical advances...all perfectly in keeping with scripture if you're willing to interpret texts critically.

[beacon1]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 2:39pm

I agree..."the glory of God is intelligence"...His intent is for to grow, to progress--to obtain all that we can in this life. This means knowledge, compassion, and self-awareness/mastery. He has given us the means to do so many things. While life presents us with choices we have the power, the moral agency to choose how we will focus our energy and attention.

One of my favorite scripture verses is "Adam fell that men might be and man are that they might have joy." That is, Adam became mortal so that we could follow him into mortal life and all its experience and Heavenly Father's desire is that we have joy. Not just random, temporary happiness but everlasting joy here and in the life to come.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 4:37pm

There was a time where Biblical beliefs overruled science; Not for nothing was this time known as the "Dark Ages." Every civilization has it's "Creation Myth," a pleasant little story to ease the minds of those folks frightened by the unknown. Some thought the world was carried on the back of a giant turtle through the sky. Some thought the sun was a flaming chariot that flew around the world each day. Some thought that humanity grew from a grain of rice that lodged in God's wounded finger. All lovely stories, suitable for soothing frightened children.

Sadly a new dark age is descending where many people think that when science contradicts religion, science must be defeated. Many school districts are turning their back on science and logic and insisting that the bible be taught to our children as literal truth. Once upon a time, religion insisted the world was flat and the sun traveled around the earth. Now it's creationism, "Intelligent Design" and a 4,000 year history of the world. It took religion over 400 years to admit it was wrong about the flat motionless earth. I don't hold much hope that I'll live to see them realize Darwin was right.