I think to some degree it's impossible to disengage all personal preferences. We should be aware of when we are imposing personal perferences and be honest about it. I think we should also try not to do this.
We are not promised that we will all agree on everything (even the Gospels disagree on a few points). But we are commanded to love one another and to love this lost world. I know fellow believers who are very liberal and believe that the Bible is far less conservative in some areas. I might disagree, but I love them.
Say whaaaaaaaaaaaaa?
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
I don't see how doubting the Ark story reaches into believing Jesus rose from the dead, but since you asked, yes, I believe He rose from the dead.
I'm able to believe Jesus rose from the dead AND struggle with that Ark story because, in order for one to come back to life, one needs to start breathing again. But in order for a gazillion animals to survive on a boat for 40 days, be fed and watered, and be able to poop and pee and have it all cleaned up and disposed of by eight people......well, it can't be done, unless there was a miracle of some sort. And no miracle is noted in the story.
But since reason isn't working, I'll just tell you that either you agree with me or you're going to hell.
I don’t see it that way. Imagine what happens to the human body after being dead for three days. Blood pools to the lower half of the body as it lays flat. Rigamortis sets in. The brain is deprived of both blood and oxygen. Leave a pound a hamburger out for 72 hours… the lifeless human body is beginning to go through the same change. You can’t begin mouth to mouth resuscitation on a person who’s been dead three days. If you don’t gag from the smell, you’ll be blowing breath into their lungs….but nothing will happen. If you don’t believe me go to the morgue and try it sometime. If you believe that on the third day something supernatural happened, perhaps filling the tomb with light, and every cell of Christ’s body was “changed” (i.e. glorified) and that he vanished from site...you believe in the impossible. It’s more probable to argue that a massive flood (regardless as to if it were regional or global) could have been part of a storm system that cooled the earth (or region) significantly enough so that the metabolisms of most living animals shifted into a form of hibernation. You could also argue that this is the method God used to preserve them… just as he caused a sleep to come over Adam. Frankly it would be easier for me to believe that animals hibernated during a storm like that than that someone rose from the dead three days after being crucified.
You’re free to believe whatever you choose. However, don’t let science pigeon hole you into standing against Scripture when the evidence they find tomorrow may present a possible explanation for what you’re grappling with today.
Yes Timmy, they disagree on a few minor points. Remember, they were written by four different men many years after the events transpired. The fact that they have minor discrepancies testifies to their authenticity. Certainly if they were tampered with the scribes could have forced them to agree maticulously. The fact that they don't gives me a some peace... I can believe that's what Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John actually wrote.
I'm just wondering.... does it make a difference in the long run if the Ark story is 100% literally accurate, or if there is a bit of myth mixed in? Would it affect anyone's faith? Would it cause you to lose faith if somehow you realized it was partly or mostly myth? Is the story a cornerstone of our faith?
I believe the animals hibernated by the providential hand of God. God is a God of miracles... let science be confounded!
I don't doubt, God could bring a deep sleep upon the animals, birds, creeping things, ect., but the Bible does not say this happened. People can assume this, but this is where the Bible becomes a "He said, She said, My Idea", developing truth's from simply an idea that is preached or taught as a fact. No offense Chris, but I have a problem with people who do this because it leaves too much room for "Myth Building".
Assumptions have created a firestorm of Religions on Planet Earth, where people are left to wonder about things without the Facts, leading to host of probables. I don't believe this a healthy approach to life and honest understanding of what God is about. Before long, everything we do in life is out of touch with our ability to comprehend the veracity of our existence.
You also did not address the Fact that a vessel the size of Noah’s was not large enough to house 2-3 millions species. Remember, clean beasts were 7 of each (male and female). There is speculation that some animals didn't need to be on board to pro-create a certain species (dogs, wolves, coyotes), as an evolution process would revive certain lost breeds. But this is speculation. We also have food, water, the waste, and lack of manpower to care for the animals. Eight people responsible for this Zoo, more immense than any Zoo on Earth leads to many worthy questions.
We also must consider the proper climate or environment to keep animals alive. Many animals are very sensitive to an imbalanced atmosphere/environment, and can die easily if this is altered. Temperature, the need to be in and out of water, and proper food are needed to sustain all of these life forms. Cold and Warm blooded animals have entirely different needs. We used to have iguanas. If they became cold, they would die, and we had to feed them the right foods.
We also have the saline problem. If this was a World Wide Flood, fish and other marine life would perish from the drastic shift of saline (salt) in the water. I have a fresh water aquarium at home and if I place salt water fish in the tank, they will die.
I don't think so. There's no reference at all to this and when there has been a biblical miracle, detail is always provided.
Usually very little, but SOME explanation -at least to what God did.
Daniel survived the lion's den but detail was given that the mouths of the lions were shut.
Moses and his millions, escaped the Egyptian army, but detail is provided about the Red Sea parting.
You mean the "Reed Sea" as it is correctly translated? LOL Not exactly a Sea, but then there is also an explanation through geology how a giant wave would have been capable of wiping out the Egyptian army.
Gideon and his 300 beat the Mideonites with their tens of thousands, but detail is provided.
I have to wonder if this is somehow related to the Spartans and their stand?
David beat a tall guy, but detail is provided.
David picked up stones at the river. God COULD have struck down Goliath, but David still needed to swing the sling (makes me think of the movie Signs for some reason).
No detail is provided for WAY too many animals being on a boat that couldn't possibly float and make it 40 days in those conditions with only 8 people to care for them. It's fine if science is confounded, but in this case, even the Christians are confounded.
And it is far more then just the logistics of so many animals being on a boat. It is about enough animals being on the boat to recreate a stable ecosystem once they all departed. And of course certain animals finding their way to far off lands separated by miles and miles and miles of ocean.
I don’t see it that way. Imagine what happens to the human body after being dead for three days. Blood pools to the lower half of the body as it lays flat. Rigamortis sets in. The brain is deprived of both blood and oxygen. Leave a pound a hamburger out for 72 hours… the lifeless human body is beginning to go through the same change. You can’t begin mouth to mouth resuscitation on a person who’s been dead three days. If you don’t gag from the smell, you’ll be blowing breath into their lungs….but nothing will happen. If you don’t believe me go to the morgue and try it sometime. If you believe that on the third day something supernatural happened, perhaps filling the tomb with light, and every cell of Christ’s body was “changed” (i.e. glorified) and that he vanished from site...you believe in the impossible. It’s more probable to argue that a massive flood (regardless as to if it were regional or global) could have been part of a storm system that cooled the earth (or region) significantly enough so that the metabolisms of most living animals shifted into a form of hibernation. You could also argue that this is the method God used to preserve them… just as he caused a sleep to come over Adam. Frankly it would be easier for me to believe that animals hibernated during a storm like that than that someone rose from the dead three days after being crucified.
You’re free to believe whatever you choose. However, don’t let science pigeon hole you into standing against Scripture when the evidence they find tomorrow may present a possible explanation for what you’re grappling with today.
I'm still pretty sure you're going to hell for your opinions!
But seriously, yes you're correct. For a guy to raise up from the dead after 3 days is quite a miracle, but that's kinda my point. The bible pretty much says, "Hey, big miracle happened here." But it doesn't say that with Noah's 41 quadrillion animals who ate, drank, pooped, and peed.
The way the bible flows, it clearly points out the paranormal. I don't think there's any question if the early authors of the bible had had any chance to point out a miracle, they would have done it. In examining the flow of other texts, I can easily see it saying, "And the animals all marched onto the boat and as they did, they laid down and slept for 40 days and nights." But it doesn't do that.
It seems to me that every chance any author gets, in the bible, to say, "Hey folks.....MIRACLE!!!!!", they do it.
I'm just wondering.... does it make a difference in the long run if the Ark story is 100% literally accurate, or if there is a bit of myth mixed in? Would it affect anyone's faith? Would it cause you to lose faith if somehow you realized it was partly or mostly myth? Is the story a cornerstone of our faith?
For me? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!
Realizing that some of these stories could possibly be the equivalent of Jesus' parables, only builds my faith.
And it is far more then just the logistics of so many animals being on a boat. It is about enough animals being on the boat to recreate a stable ecosystem once they all departed. And of course certain animals finding their way to far off lands separated by miles and miles and miles of ocean..
I'm just wondering.... does it make a difference in the long run if the Ark story is 100% literally accurate, or if there is a bit of myth mixed in? Would it affect anyone's faith? Would it cause you to lose faith if somehow you realized it was partly or mostly myth? Is the story a cornerstone of our faith?
Great question AQuietPlace. You’ll probably get many different answers. I’ll share my thoughts. What if the Gospels were shown to have bits of myth mixed in? What if the Bible recorded Jesus as having built the ark and a flood destroying the entire Roman Empire instead of him rising from the dead?
I think if we’re honest it boils down to a lack of faith. I’ll be honest… when it comes to Genesis, sometimes my faith struggles and I find myself lacking faith. Genesis is massive in its implications and with science beating their drum day and night so easy to honestly develop doubts or at least questions. I don’t believe these doubts make one unsaved or makes one incapable of loving God. But I think they are definitely clouds that hinder God’s message from being received as easily as if they believed the Word in its entirety.
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