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Which creation do creationists want us to believe took place?

juvenissun

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More impressive? How is not mentioning a process ever more impressive than mentioning one? It's much better, after all, to be partially right than to not even try.

If this is your argument, then you'd have a leg to stand on if you could show that they had an understanding of ground water. But it doesn't really matter what the actual causes were, however, because no process whatsoever is mentioned. All that is mentioned is a simple (and pretty good) observation: the sea doesn't fill. That's an observation that was not out of bounds for the people of the time to have made, and neither is the obvious conclusion that the water must go back. What is not clear, however, is that they had even a ghost of an inkling as to how that occurs.

Anyway, as I mentioned here is yet another place in the Bible where there was an opportunity, if a god had any hand in writing it whatsoever, to dazzle people with his amazing insight into the nature of reality. This did not happen.

It happened now.

I think you are confused on the logic of argument. Biblical authors DO NOT understand the science message they put down in their writing. The significant fact is that they wrote it (for whatever the purpose), and we start to understand that they wrote the right science NOW.
 
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juvenissun

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The mere existence of an accurate observation in the Bible is not interesting in the least. Humans are, after all, capable of observing the world around them. If you want to try to use "scientific information" in the Bible to demonstrate divine authorship, you're going to have to do a hell of a lot better than simply point out that the authors on the Bible were, on occasion, decent observers of the world around them who could use some basic logic. Furthermore, the fact that it's so often incredibly wrong speaks pretty strongly against the idea that there was even an inkling of divine authorship here.

Before I give you the second example, I do want you to admit that the description of Eccl 1:7 is MORE THAN observation. If you do not do that, I will stop right here. I don't want to educate a scientifically dishonest person on science.

As I said, this is the simplest example. There are many other examples in which the description is on features beyond their observation.
 
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AV1611VET

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If I have some time later on, I'll post some.

  • Hydrologic Cycle = Ecclesiastes 1:7 and Isaiah 55:10
  • Evaporation = Psalm 135:7 and Jeremiah 10:13
  • Condensation Nuclei = Proverbs 8:26
  • Condensation = Job 26:8 and 37:11,16
  • Precipitation = Job 36:26-28
  • Run-off = Job 28:10
  • Oceanic Reservoir = Psalm 33:7
  • Snow = Job 38:22 and Psalm 147:16
  • Hydrologic Balance = Job 28:24-26
  • Springs in the Sea = Job 38:16
 
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AV1611VET

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Here are some more:

  • Size of Universe = Job 11:7-9; 22:12; Isaiah 55:9; Jeremiah 31:37
  • Number of Stars = Genesis 22:17; Jeremiah 33:22
  • Uniqueness of Each Star = 1 Corinthians 15:41
  • Precision of Orbits = Jeremiah 31:35 - 36
  • Circulation of Atmosphere = Ecclesiastes 1:6
  • Protective Effect of Atmosphere = Isaiah 40:22
  • Oceanic Origin of Rain = Ecclesiastes 1:7
  • Relation of Electricity to Rain = Job 28:26 and Jeremiah 10:13
  • Fluid Dynamics = Job 28:25
  • Mass-Energy Equivalence = Colossians 1:17 and Hebrews 1:3
  • Source of Energy for Earth = Psalm 19:6
  • Atomic Disintegration = 2 Peter 3:10
  • Electrical Transmission of Information = Job 38:35
  • Television = Revelation 11:9-11
  • Rapid Transportation = Daniel 12:4
 
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Chalnoth

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It happened now.

I think you are confused on the logic of argument. Biblical authors DO NOT understand the science message they put down in their writing. The significant fact is that they wrote it (for whatever the purpose), and we start to understand that they wrote the right science NOW.
Well, right, that's what we would expect to see if there was some divine inspiration. But that's not what we see at all. Instead what we see are the few glimmers of insight that exist appear to be entirely within reason for the people of the time to have understood, combined with a large variety of gruesome inaccuracies (and inconsistencies).

Just to give an example of something that would have really been amazing would be a statement like, say, "The Sun is a star." Without telescopes, it would have been exceedingly difficult for anybody to deduce that the Sun and stars were two of the same type of object, particularly since by eye they are so vastly different, so if that insight had appeared in the Bible, it would be impressive.

Why is there nothing akin to, "The Sun is a star," in the Bible? No simple statement which is very easy for a primitive people to understand, but not obviously true without advanced instruments?
 
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Chalnoth

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Before I give you the second example, I do want you to admit that the description of Eccl 1:7 is MORE THAN observation. If you do not do that, I will stop right here. I don't want to educate a scientifically dishonest person on science.

As I said, this is the simplest example. There are many other examples in which the description is on features beyond their observation.
Well, it's very, very slightly more than observation in that they make the logical deduction that the water from the rivers that flows into the sea must get back to the rivers somehow. I don't know why you think there's anything that cannot be directly inferred from observation there.
 
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juvenissun

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Here are some more:

  • Size of Universe = Job 11:7-9; 22:12; Isaiah 55:9; Jeremiah 31:37
  • Number of Stars = Genesis 22:17; Jeremiah 33:22
  • Uniqueness of Each Star = 1 Corinthians 15:41
  • Precision of Orbits = Jeremiah 31:35 - 36
  • Circulation of Atmosphere = Ecclesiastes 1:6
  • Protective Effect of Atmosphere = Isaiah 40:22
  • Oceanic Origin of Rain = Ecclesiastes 1:7
  • Relation of Electricity to Rain = Job 28:26 and Jeremiah 10:13
  • Fluid Dynamics = Job 28:25
  • Mass-Energy Equivalence = Colossians 1:17 and Hebrews 1:3
  • Source of Energy for Earth = Psalm 19:6
  • Atomic Disintegration = 2 Peter 3:10
  • Electrical Transmission of Information = Job 38:35
  • Television = Revelation 11:9-11
  • Rapid Transportation = Daniel 12:4

Boy, thanks. I will check up on each one of them.
 
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juvenissun

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Well, it's very, very slightly more than observation in that they make the logical deduction that the water from the rivers that flows into the sea must get back to the rivers somehow. I don't know why you think there's anything that cannot be directly inferred from observation there.

Because what Solomon said "does not make sense" according to their scientific recognition. Water simply does not flow "back to mountain". It would make more sense if Solomon said that God makes the water flow out of the mountain. If you lived at that time, you would certainly criticize that Solomon is either an idiot or is crazy rather than a wise man. Not only then, the description of this verse remained as a "ridiculous" description until the hydrological cycle is recognized in recent time.

Chalnoth, you disappointed me as a person with a Ph.D. degree in physics. I don't expect I need to explain so much on this simple example. Mostly, it is due to your strong bias against the Bible.
 
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Split Rock

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  • Hydrologic Cycle = Ecclesiastes 1:7 and Isaiah 55:10
  • Evaporation = Psalm 135:7 and Jeremiah 10:13
  • Condensation Nuclei = Proverbs 8:26
  • Condensation = Job 26:8 and 37:11,16
  • Precipitation = Job 36:26-28
  • Run-off = Job 28:10
  • Oceanic Reservoir = Psalm 33:7
  • Snow = Job 38:22 and Psalm 147:16
  • Hydrologic Balance = Job 28:24-26
  • Springs in the Sea = Job 38:16

Here are some more:

  • Size of Universe = Job 11:7-9; 22:12; Isaiah 55:9; Jeremiah 31:37
  • Number of Stars = Genesis 22:17; Jeremiah 33:22
  • Uniqueness of Each Star = 1 Corinthians 15:41
  • Precision of Orbits = Jeremiah 31:35 - 36
  • Circulation of Atmosphere = Ecclesiastes 1:6
  • Protective Effect of Atmosphere = Isaiah 40:22
  • Oceanic Origin of Rain = Ecclesiastes 1:7
  • Relation of Electricity to Rain = Job 28:26 and Jeremiah 10:13
  • Fluid Dynamics = Job 28:25
  • Mass-Energy Equivalence = Colossians 1:17 and Hebrews 1:3
  • Source of Energy for Earth = Psalm 19:6
  • Atomic Disintegration = 2 Peter 3:10
  • Electrical Transmission of Information = Job 38:35
  • Television = Revelation 11:9-11
  • Rapid Transportation = Daniel 12:4
An amazing collection of "after-the-fact" contributions of scripture toward understanding modern science. Keep pounding those square pegs into round holes!

BTW: Where is The Ice Age mentioned again? Oh yeah, God or Adam forgot to mention that when He "wrote" Genesis.
 
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Chalnoth

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Because what Solomon said "does not make sense" according to their scientific recognition. Water simply does not flow "back to mountain". It would make more sense if Solomon said that God makes the water flow out of the mountain. If you lived at that time, you would certainly criticize that Solomon is either an idiot or is crazy rather than a wise man. Not only then, the description of this verse remained as a "ridiculous" description until the hydrological cycle is recognized in recent time.
Why? His reasoning was valid: the sea doesn't fill up. What we don't know, because he doesn't mention it, is how he thought the water got back to the river. That, as I keep saying, would have been an excellent way for a god inspiring the text to provide some really amazing insight. This, as I keep saying, did not happen.

Chalnoth, you disappointed me as a person with a Ph.D. degree in physics. I don't expect I need to explain so much on this simple example. Mostly, it is due to your strong bias against the Bible.
Amusing. So, your defense at having completely and utterly failed to dazzle me with the "amazing science" in the Bible is that I'm biased against it? Have you checked your own biases?
 
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juvenissun

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Well, right, that's what we would expect to see if there was some divine inspiration. But that's not what we see at all. Instead what we see are the few glimmers of insight that exist appear to be entirely within reason for the people of the time to have understood, combined with a large variety of gruesome inaccuracies (and inconsistencies).

Just to give an example of something that would have really been amazing would be a statement like, say, "The Sun is a star." Without telescopes, it would have been exceedingly difficult for anybody to deduce that the Sun and stars were two of the same type of object, particularly since by eye they are so vastly different, so if that insight had appeared in the Bible, it would be impressive.

Why is there nothing akin to, "The Sun is a star," in the Bible? No simple statement which is very easy for a primitive people to understand, but not obviously true without advanced instruments?

I would say you are almost blind in this regard. You can not see thing right in front of you.

The example I gave is exactly the one of that nature: "water goes up from sea to hill", which is a true statement according to modern science.

And there are examples that are BETTER than the one you want to see.
 
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Chalnoth

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Here are some more:
Yay, Whack-a-mole!
Size of Universe = Job 11:7-9; 22:12; Isaiah 55:9; Jeremiah 31:37
Okay, the "heavens" are big. So? They also used the "depth of the grave" as a comparison, so that seems to indicate that they had no idea that the heavens were any bigger than the Earth. Just "big".

Number of Stars = Genesis 22:17; Jeremiah 33:22
Most of us that live in modern cities don't realize this, but light pollution today hides most of the stars from view. If you've ever been out in the countryside on a clear night, especially in a dry and/or high-altitude area, the number of stars visible to the naked eye is truly marvelous. So I don't see why poets of the time before electricity was invented would fail to point out this obvious fact.

Uniqueness of Each Star = 1 Corinthians 15:41
This one's hilarious! Sure, it says "each star is unique", but it also says that a star is a distinctly different sort of "wonder" than a star! It explicitly goes against what we know about the nature of stars.

Precision of Orbits = Jeremiah 31:35 - 36
Er, these verses talk about the Sun and the Moon, which are pretty darned regular. It doesn't say anything at all about precision.

Circulation of Atmosphere = Ecclesiastes 1:6
What!? Who could seriously fail to recognize that wind patterns in a given area are pretty regular?

Protective Effect of Atmosphere = Isaiah 40:22
How the hell is this related to anything like a protective effect?

Oceanic Origin of Rain = Ecclesiastes 1:7
Been over this. Rain is not mentioned. This one perhaps stands out as actually displaying a logical deduction, but it is still pretty obvious.

Relation of Electricity to Rain = Job 28:26 and Jeremiah 10:13
.
Uhhh...you do realize that rain and thunderstorms usually go together, right?

Fluid Dynamics = Job 28:25
What? What on Earth does this have to do with fluid dynamics? It just mentions, in passing, the wind and the waters. Do you think that poets of that age would have failed to notice that wind blows, or that water flows? That they would have failed to make use of that imagery?

Mass-Energy Equivalence = Colossians 1:17 and Hebrews 1:3
Huh? How? Neither energy nor mass is even alluded to here. These verses say that God holds everything together, which is a completely different concept from mass-energy equivalence.

Source of Energy for Earth = Psalm 19:6
Er, no. It just says that the Sun warms everything. How is that a stunning insight? And it's also wrong, because the poles are completely hidden from the Sun for nearly six months at a time.

Atomic Disintegration = 2 Peter 3:10
Er, the "elements" mentioned in that verse are not what we think of when we think of elements. These were the classical elements: earth, wind, fire, water. It's just saying that the Earth will be destroyed in fire. There is no reason to believe that this will occur as yet, and the verse certainly doesn't allude to it being a man-made disaster, but implies it would be a divine cause (it's called the "day of our Lord", after all).

Electrical Transmission of Information = Job 38:35
Huh? This is God claiming he has mastery over lightning bolts. It has nothing at all to do with transmission of information, just God claiming he's amazing.

Television = Revelation 11:9-11
How are people going to "refuse burial" to somebody when they're just watching on TV?

Rapid Transportation = Daniel 12:4
This says nothing about rapid transportation, just transportation in general, which people had back then. It was slow, but people did indeed travel.

So, yeah, nothing remotely interesting there.
 
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CACTUSJACKmankin

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Originally Posted by AV1611VET

  • Hydrologic Cycle = Ecclesiastes 1:7 and Isaiah 55:10
  • Evaporation = Psalm 135:7 and Jeremiah 10:13
  • Condensation Nuclei = Proverbs 8:26
  • Condensation = Job 26:8 and 37:11,16
  • Precipitation = Job 36:26-28
  • Run-off = Job 28:10
  • Oceanic Reservoir = Psalm 33:7
  • Snow = Job 38:22 and Psalm 147:16
  • Hydrologic Balance = Job 28:24-26
  • Springs in the Sea = Job 38:16
Originally Posted by AV1611VET
Here are some more:

  • Size of Universe = Job 11:7-9; 22:12; Isaiah 55:9; Jeremiah 31:37
  • Number of Stars = Genesis 22:17; Jeremiah 33:22
  • Uniqueness of Each Star = 1 Corinthians 15:41
  • Precision of Orbits = Jeremiah 31:35 - 36
  • Circulation of Atmosphere = Ecclesiastes 1:6
  • Protective Effect of Atmosphere = Isaiah 40:22
  • Oceanic Origin of Rain = Ecclesiastes 1:7
  • Relation of Electricity to Rain = Job 28:26 and Jeremiah 10:13
  • Fluid Dynamics = Job 28:25
  • Mass-Energy Equivalence = Colossians 1:17 and Hebrews 1:3
  • Source of Energy for Earth = Psalm 19:6
  • Atomic Disintegration = 2 Peter 3:10
  • Electrical Transmission of Information = Job 38:35
  • Television = Revelation 11:9-11
  • Rapid Transportation = Daniel 12:4
quite a list. lets break these down one by one.
Isaiah 55:10 said:
For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater
rain and snow come down and water the earth and feed plants, and dont return to the heavens. they knew that precipitation feeds plants (plants cant use froze water, but it does contribute upon springtime when it melts so that snow comment could go either way). returneth not thither is not accurate. whether it runs off into a body of water or gets into the groundwater and flows through the water table or is absorbed by plants and escapes through transpiration. the water cycle cycles. it returns thither, even if it takes tens of thousands of years.
 
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Chalnoth

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I would say you are almost blind in this regard. You can not see thing right in front of you.
This sort of talk gets you nowhere, as I could say the exact same to you. But since I'm not (except in response), but am merely arguing my position, well, you might want to look up psychological projection sometime.

The example I gave is exactly the one of that nature: "water goes up from sea to hill", which is a true statement according to modern science.
He didn't just say that. He also gave his reasoning: the sea doesn't fill up. This is a perfectly reasonable deduction to make. Why do you insist that the author of this text was so stupid that he couldn't make such simple deductions, but had to have God help him out?

And there are examples that are BETTER than the one you want to see.
Then why don't you post one? Come on, post the single example that you think is the best example of something that really shows that God wrote the Bible.
 
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CACTUSJACKmankin

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Evaporation = Psalm 135:7 and Jeremiah 10:13
Psalm 135:7 said:
He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries.
Jeremiah 10:13 said:
When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.
the acknowledgement that water vapor exists tells us nothing. it doesnt say that the vapor returns thither as rain. rather what i expect from psalms (the jeremiah verse is similarly so) it is poetic. these verses arent even meant to tell us anything about the workings of the universe, only to say that God is in control. God brings forth the rain and the lightning and the winds. thats what these verses are saying.
 
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juvenissun

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He didn't just say that. He also gave his reasoning: the sea doesn't fill up. This is a perfectly reasonable deduction to make. Why do you insist that the author of this text was so stupid that he couldn't make such simple deductions, but had to have God help him out?

Why do you say this is a "simple" "deduction"? Show me the logic. I don't see the simplicity and I don't think you can deduct the statement from the observation.

Then why don't you post one? Come on, post the single example that you think is the best example of something that really shows that God wrote the Bible.

Not yet. We have not finished this one, because you are still arguing. There is no point to go to the next one, no matter how good is it.
 
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Tomk80

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Why do you say this is a "simple" "deduction"? Show me the logic. I don't see the simplicity and I don't think you can deduct the statement from the observation.
Fill up a cup or bowl with water. Can this happen indefinitely. No? Well, picture me surprised.

It is not a far stretch to think that people who knew that bowls cannot fill up with water indefinitely (ie, everybody) cannot fathom that lakes or seas cannot fill up with water indefinitely either.

Not yet. We have not finished this one, because you are still arguing. There is no point to go to the next one, no matter how good is it.
Why is the fact that you are being obtuse the indication of an argument?
 
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juvenissun

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the acknowledgement that water vapor exists tells us nothing. it doesnt say that the vapor returns thither as rain. rather what i expect from psalms (the jeremiah verse is similarly so) it is poetic. these verses arent even meant to tell us anything about the workings of the universe, only to say that God is in control. God brings forth the rain and the lightning and the winds. thats what these verses are saying.

Excellent. You tell this to Chalnoth. He does not agree with what you said. He thought that Biblical people could figure everything out by reasons. Water vapor? Of course King David had no problem to "deduct" that water vapor leads to rain. It is such a simple connection after all. Everyone can figure it out. All you need is to see the rain and to see the vapor. even a caveman can do it.
 
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Tomk80

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Excellent. You tell this to Chalnoth. He does not agree with what you said. He thought that Biblical people could figure everything out by reasons. Water vapor? Of course King David had no problem to "deduct" that water vapor leads to rain. It is such a simple connection after all. Everyone can figure it out. All you need is to see the rain and to see the vapor. even a caveman can do it.
CactusJack isn't discussing the same verse as you are with Chalnoth. At least try to keep up, please?
 
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juvenissun

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Fill up a cup or bowl with water. Can this happen indefinitely. No? Well, picture me surprised.

It is not a far stretch to think that people who knew that bowls cannot fill up with water indefinitely (ie, everybody) cannot fathom that lakes or seas cannot fill up with water indefinitely either.

I don't understand your example. We do see a cup or a bowl can be filled and overflow.
Also, could anyone visually see the ocean like a cup, even at 100 years ago?
 
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