• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

  • CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and even debate. That is the nature of its ministry. In view of recent events emotions are running very high. We need to remind people of some basic principles in debating on this site. We need to be civil when we express differences in opinion. No personal attacks. Avoid you, your statements. Don't characterize an entire political party with comparisons to Fascism or Communism or other extreme movements that committed atrocities. CF is not the place for broad brush or blanket statements about groups and political parties. Put the broad brushes and blankets away when you come to CF, better yet, put them in the incinerator. Debate had no place for them. We need to remember that people that commit acts of violence represent themselves or a small extreme faction.

Another look at the moon landing.

Apple Sky

In Sight Like Unto An Emerald
Site Supporter
Jan 7, 2024
8,037
1,044
South Wales
✟264,865.00
Country
United Kingdom
Gender
Female
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
The water is in the clouds which causes the rain.

No it is not.

In your example: presumably the "water above the firmament" accounts for our rain?

I never said this.

In your example: presumably the "water above the firmament" accounts for our rain?
What happens? Does God occasionally tear holes in the firmament to let it through?
Does he sometimes make the holes too big, so that some places get lots of rain and others get none?
How does he replenish the water above the firmament after it has rained?
With Noah's flood, and all the gallons of rain we've had since, either there must have been several Atlantic oceans worth of water up there in the first place, or it must be running nearly dry by now.

Don't be silly.

If there is still such a vast amount of water above the firmament, why hasn't the weight of it pushed the firmament down to the ground?

Because the dome is super strong, remember Operation Dominic where they were trying to nuke through it ?

The Simpsons always seem to get it right.


So to take the Bible literally is to fail to understand it

I've no reason not to take Genesis literally. nobody has. So according to you the Adam & Eve story is fictional too ?
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0

Hentenza

I will fear no evil for You are with me
Site Supporter
Mar 27, 2007
36,431
4,839
On the bus to Heaven
✟128,322.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
No it is not.
I’ll try to keep this simple for you.

“Formation of Rain​

The continuous water cycle on the earth involves rain. At the beginning of the cycle, sunlight warms the water on earth's surface. The heat causes the water to evaporate or change into water vapour. Water vapour is pervasive in the air. When it cools, the water vapour returns to droplets of water.


These droplets combine to form clouds in large numbers. Smaller water droplets in a cloud mix to form larger drops of liquid. The drips eventually weigh too much to remain in the cloud. They descend to earth as rain and the water cycle starts over.
In the clouds, water droplets occasionally turn into ice crystals. Sometimes, as the ice crystals fall toward the earth, they melt. This is yet another way of formation of rain.”


This process was created by God.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Strong in Him
Upvote 0

Apple Sky

In Sight Like Unto An Emerald
Site Supporter
Jan 7, 2024
8,037
1,044
South Wales
✟264,865.00
Country
United Kingdom
Gender
Female
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
I’ll try to keep this simple for you.

“Formation of Rain​

The continuous water cycle on the earth involves rain. At the beginning of the cycle, sunlight warms the water on earth's surface. The heat causes the water to evaporate or change into water vapour. Water vapour is pervasive in the air. When it cools, the water vapour returns to droplets of water.


These droplets combine to form clouds in large numbers. Smaller water droplets in a cloud mix to form larger drops of liquid. The drips eventually weigh too much to remain in the cloud. They descend to earth as rain and the water cycle starts over.
In the clouds, water droplets occasionally turn into ice crystals. Sometimes, as the ice crystals fall toward the earth, they melt. This is yet another way of formation of rain.”


This process was created by God.

Don't insult my intelligence I know how rain is formed, I'm on about the water above the firmament.
 
Upvote 0

Hentenza

I will fear no evil for You are with me
Site Supporter
Mar 27, 2007
36,431
4,839
On the bus to Heaven
✟128,322.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
@Apple Sky

The only two translations that translate raqia as firmament is the outdated KJV and the NKJV. The remaining of the translations including the NASB,ESV, YLT, LXX, NIV, NLT, etc. translate raqia as “expanse” which is the correct translation.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Strong in Him
Upvote 0

Strong in Him

Great is thy faithfulness
Site Supporter
Mar 4, 2005
31,385
10,272
NW England
✟1,343,894.00
Country
United Kingdom
Gender
Female
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
I never said this.
I know you didn't - I asked a question.
If there is loads of water contained above the sky, presumably that is where the rain come from? Otherwise, how do you account for it?
Genesis 1 doesn't mention God creating rain.
Don't be silly.
I was asking questions for you to explain your belief.

If there is loads of water suspended somewhere above the firmament, is this where the rain comes from?
How does it get through the firmament?
Why doesn't Genesis 1 tell us?

Because the dome is super strong,
Scripture?

It is your understanding - and assumption - that the firmament is a dome which is super solid.
If "they" can't nuke through it, how does rain get through?
And if rain doesn't come from above the firmament, where does it come from? Genesis 1 doesn't tell us and you've rejected the explanation of clouds.

I've no reason not to take Genesis literally. nobody has.
We've got every reason not to take it literally - it doesn't explain everything.
Whether does weather come from?
How about clouds, rainbows or dew on the grass?
Were the trees made fully grown or where they acorns which took hundreds of years to grow - even though those hundreds of years were still 1 day to God?
How did God decide which animals should have feathers? Fins? Fur? Wings? Legs?
How did he make their nervous and reproductive systems?
Etc Etc
So according to you the Adam & Eve story is fictional too ?
Where did I say that not literal = fictional?

I believe God created the heavens and the earth - full stop.
It's no good you saying, "you can't do"; I do. Just as I accept that the earth is a globe.

How you reconcile those statements - i.e that I believe the earth is a globe and I believe God created all things, is up to you. I don't have a problem with it.
 
Upvote 0

Strong in Him

Great is thy faithfulness
Site Supporter
Mar 4, 2005
31,385
10,272
NW England
✟1,343,894.00
Country
United Kingdom
Gender
Female
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Don't insult my intelligence I know how rain is formed,
Well if you know how rain is formed, why did you say "no it doesn't" when you were told that it is in the clouds?
 
Upvote 0

Hentenza

I will fear no evil for You are with me
Site Supporter
Mar 27, 2007
36,431
4,839
On the bus to Heaven
✟128,322.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
Don't insult my intelligence I know how rain is formed, I'm on about the water above the firmament.
If that is what you believe then I am going to insult your intelligence. That is why I posted the basics of the water cycle for you to learn.
 
Upvote 0

Apple Sky

In Sight Like Unto An Emerald
Site Supporter
Jan 7, 2024
8,037
1,044
South Wales
✟264,865.00
Country
United Kingdom
Gender
Female
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
If "they" can't nuke through it, how does rain get through?

The clouds are underneath it, how do you think we get the rain ? The sun and the moon & all the stars are within the firmament.

a firma.jpg
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0

Strong in Him

Great is thy faithfulness
Site Supporter
Mar 4, 2005
31,385
10,272
NW England
✟1,343,894.00
Country
United Kingdom
Gender
Female
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
The clouds are underneath it, how do you think we get the rain ?
I asked you that.
Someone else told you it is in the clouds and you replied, "no it isn't."

So what is all this water above the firmament then?
 
Upvote 0

prodromos

Senior Veteran
Site Supporter
Nov 28, 2003
23,940
14,422
60
Sydney, Straya
✟1,471,596.00
Country
Australia
Gender
Male
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Married
The clouds are underneath it, how do you think we get the rain ? The sun and the moon & all the stars are within the firmament.
If that is what you believe, then you should have no problem with rockets getting to the moon as they don't have to go through your impenetrable firmament at all.
Once again you contradict yourself and show the folly of your position.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Strong in Him
Upvote 0

d taylor

Well-Known Member
Oct 16, 2018
13,876
5,881
60
Mississippi
✟327,342.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Protestant
Marital Status
Single
The clouds are underneath it, how do you think we get the rain ? The sun and the moon & all the stars are within the firmament.

View attachment 371462
-

If i had time i would illustrate an accurate version of the sun and moon in the sky. Because they are not spheres but convex disk whose light shines only to the earth.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Apple Sky
Upvote 0

Strong in Him

Great is thy faithfulness
Site Supporter
Mar 4, 2005
31,385
10,272
NW England
✟1,343,894.00
Country
United Kingdom
Gender
Female
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
-

If i had time i would illustrate an accurate version of the sun and moon in the sky. Because they are not spheres but convex disk whose light shines only to the earth.
It wouldn't be accurate, because you seem to think science is against the Bible and on the same level as evil.
 
Upvote 0

Hentenza

I will fear no evil for You are with me
Site Supporter
Mar 27, 2007
36,431
4,839
On the bus to Heaven
✟128,322.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
-

If i had time i would illustrate an accurate version of the sun and moon in the sky. Because they are not spheres but convex disk whose light shines only to the earth.
Nonsense. All planets are spheres including earth.
 
Upvote 0

Hentenza

I will fear no evil for You are with me
Site Supporter
Mar 27, 2007
36,431
4,839
On the bus to Heaven
✟128,322.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
The clouds are underneath it, how do you think we get the rain ? The sun and the moon & all the stars are within the firmament.

View attachment 371462
Wow you sure have reduced God’s creation to the size of the head of a pin. God’s creation is much much larger and impressive than that.
 
  • Winner
Reactions: prodromos
Upvote 0

Apple Sky

In Sight Like Unto An Emerald
Site Supporter
Jan 7, 2024
8,037
1,044
South Wales
✟264,865.00
Country
United Kingdom
Gender
Female
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
So what is all this water above the firmament then?

AI over view.

The "sapphire crystal sea of heaven" refers to the sea of glass described in the Bible, specifically in Revelation 4:6 and Revelation 15:2. This vision combines biblical imagery of a transparent, crystal-like sea before God's throne with the sapphire stone mentioned in Exodus and Ezekiel, symbolizing God's holiness, clarity, and the purity of His presence.

The water has crystallized.
 
Upvote 0

Apple Sky

In Sight Like Unto An Emerald
Site Supporter
Jan 7, 2024
8,037
1,044
South Wales
✟264,865.00
Country
United Kingdom
Gender
Female
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Wow you sure have reduced God’s creation to the size of the head of a pin. God’s creation is much much larger and impressive than that.

The firmament is massive, much larger than you could imagine, the image does not do it justice.
 
Upvote 0

Hentenza

I will fear no evil for You are with me
Site Supporter
Mar 27, 2007
36,431
4,839
On the bus to Heaven
✟128,322.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
The firmament is massive, much larger than you could imagine, the image does not do it justice.
There is no firmament. The correct translation is expanse. There are billions if not trillions of stars in the universe so your idea of the size of your made up firmament would be hard pressed to hold them all. Of course you could say that the whole of the universe is the firmament but then you would have to agree that rockets can go to space and the moon.
 
Upvote 0

Apple Sky

In Sight Like Unto An Emerald
Site Supporter
Jan 7, 2024
8,037
1,044
South Wales
✟264,865.00
Country
United Kingdom
Gender
Female
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Upvote 0

Hentenza

I will fear no evil for You are with me
Site Supporter
Mar 27, 2007
36,431
4,839
On the bus to Heaven
✟128,322.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
Upvote 0