Detailing Biblical Creation Mythology

[SallyF]

My Sunday school teachers and Bible class instructors used to quite happily go through the details of how "God" created the universe and everything in it.

I have noticed, in more recent years, that folks who still call themselves Christian avoid discussing the details of the two biblical creation mythologies.

They will go ON and On at length about the science of evolution, but not a squeak on the details in the "Word of God".

When Christians do not discuss the details of biblical creation, why would that be ?

[Tcg]

I think for a Christian, and everyone at that matter, we just are not really sure about the details of these stories. Non of us were there, we dont speak ancient Hebrew, we dont know the exact reasoning the author wrote such things, and even if it were just 'myths', i know Christians who simply regard them as inspired by God... But you are insisting on literal interpretation of scripture, or at least your own interpretation, when id admit myself that i dont know of the exact correct interpretation of them...

I'm glad to see this admission. You, and other posters, have railed against those who consider the possibility that the authors meant the Biblical Creation stories to be taken literally. I'm glad to see that you now understand that you have no basis for these accusations.


Tcg

[Danmark]

Like for the sake of argument, would you call a Christian wrong, who may regard these stories as myths inspired by God?

I would, and have. This ridiculous anthropomorphic 'god' of the Bible is also a myth. But the question itself is silly. Why would a true God inspire myths? Untruths? Could a real God be a purveyor of lies? I think not, but if you, "for the sake of argument," say so... I suppose you are entitled to your opinion.

Do you think 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 might shed light onto a God who might have this kind of nature?

You could at least quote the passage you cite. Never mind, I'll do it for you.

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.
Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

My answer, "No."

If your argument and Paul's is so weak you must "destroy the wisdom of the wise" you are telling me you are afraid of wisdom, afraid of truth. This is typical of Paul's sophistry. He discounts wisdom itself by his absurd claim that this unknown God destroys wisdom itself.

Let me turn Paul's sophistry upon him. He is afraid of wisdom, so he says God destroys it. He might as well admit he is against truth, and that his God is too.

[Tart]

I think for a Christian, and everyone at that matter, we just are not really sure about the details of these stories. Non of us were there, we dont speak ancient Hebrew, we dont know the exact reasoning the author wrote such things, and even if it were just 'myths', i know Christians who simply regard them as inspired by God... But you are insisting on literal interpretation of scripture, or at least your own interpretation, when id admit myself that i dont know of the exact correct interpretation of them...

I'm glad to see this admission. You, and other posters, have railed against those who consider the possibility that the authors meant the Biblical Creation stories to be taken literally. I'm glad to see that you now understand that you have no basis for these accusations.


Tcg

Actually i dont think the author would have had knowledge of such an event to have it intended to be literal, unless they perhaps were inspired by some kind of vision or revaluation, but even revaluations the book was inspired by visions and isnt taken literal... And I dont think these stories were written by Adam (for example), but probably decades later. Some people believe they were written by Moses, or at least in the time of Moses, which is reasonable. So we would have to conclude that they somehow intended these stories to be literal, yet didnt actually have knowledge it happened literally like this...

I think it is much more reasonable to believe the author was inspired to perhaps theorize about these events, but im not 100% sure.

[Tart]

Like for the sake of argument, would you call a Christian wrong, who may regard these stories as myths inspired by God?

I would, and have. This ridiculous anthropomorphic 'god' of the Bible is also a myth. But the question itself is silly. Why would a true God inspire myths? Untruths? Could a real God be a purveyor of lies? I think not, but if you, "for the sake of argument," say so... I suppose you are entitled to your opinion.

Do you think 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 might shed light onto a God who might have this kind of nature?

You could at least quote the passage you cite. Never mind, I'll do it for you.

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.
Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

My answer, "No."

If your argument and Paul's is so weak you must "destroy the wisdom of the wise" you are telling me you are afraid of wisdom, afraid of truth. This is typical of Paul's sophistry. He discounts wisdom itself by his absurd claim that this unknown God destroys wisdom itself.

Let me turn Paul's sophistry upon him. He is afraid of wisdom, so he says God destroys it. He might as well admit he is against truth, and that his God is too.

Well i dont think that is true at all... In fact, Paul is actually quoting from some other source when he says:

For it is written,
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.

Which would lead us to conclude that Paul didnt create this argument at all but elaborated on it. And it is the truth as well, Jesus was surely a stumbling block to the Jews, and foolishness to Greeks and Gentiles, to accept Christ as the Son of God was crazy, the man came and died on a cross, yet it was so surely professed by its followers as truth...

I dont think you are understanding Paul at all. Paul certainly believed Jesus, for example, was resurrected... That he believed this was the truth, we have evidence for this. In fact most skeptics will actually admit to Paul having genuine beliefs, but they will say (for example) he hallucinated it...

[Danmark]

Like for the sake of argument, would you call a Christian wrong, who may regard these stories as myths inspired by God?

I would, and have. This ridiculous anthropomorphic 'god' of the Bible is also a myth. But the question itself is silly. Why would a true God inspire myths? Untruths? Could a real God be a purveyor of lies? I think not, but if you, "for the sake of argument," say so... I suppose you are entitled to your opinion.

Do you think 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 might shed light onto a God who might have this kind of nature?

You could at least quote the passage you cite. Never mind, I'll do it for you.

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.
Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

My answer, "No."

If your argument and Paul's is so weak you must "destroy the wisdom of the wise" you are telling me you are afraid of wisdom, afraid of truth. This is typical of Paul's sophistry. He discounts wisdom itself by his absurd claim that this unknown God destroys wisdom itself.

Let me turn Paul's sophistry upon him. He is afraid of wisdom, so he says God destroys it. He might as well admit he is against truth, and that his God is too.

Well i dont think that is true at all... In fact, Paul is actually quoting from some other source when he says:

For it is written,
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.

Which would lead us to conclude that Paul didnt create this argument at all but elaborated on it. And it is the truth as well, Jesus was surely a stumbling block to the Jews, and foolishness to Greeks and Gentiles, to accept Christ as the Son of God was crazy, the man came and died on a cross, yet it was so surely professed by its followers as truth...

I dont think you are understanding Paul at all. Paul certainly believed Jesus, for example, was resurrected... That this was the truth. we have evidence for this. In fact most skeptics will actually admit to Paul having genuine beliefs, but they will say (for example) he hallucinated it...

What "you think" is not an argument. I'll go with what Paul actually wrote. Thanks for giving me an idea for a new subtopic.

[Tart]

Like for the sake of argument, would you call a Christian wrong, who may regard these stories as myths inspired by God?

I would, and have. This ridiculous anthropomorphic 'god' of the Bible is also a myth. But the question itself is silly. Why would a true God inspire myths? Untruths? Could a real God be a purveyor of lies? I think not, but if you, "for the sake of argument," say so... I suppose you are entitled to your opinion.

Do you think 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 might shed light onto a God who might have this kind of nature?

You could at least quote the passage you cite. Never mind, I'll do it for you.

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.
Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

My answer, "No."

If your argument and Paul's is so weak you must "destroy the wisdom of the wise" you are telling me you are afraid of wisdom, afraid of truth. This is typical of Paul's sophistry. He discounts wisdom itself by his absurd claim that this unknown God destroys wisdom itself.

Let me turn Paul's sophistry upon him. He is afraid of wisdom, so he says God destroys it. He might as well admit he is against truth, and that his God is too.

Well i dont think that is true at all... In fact, Paul is actually quoting from some other source when he says:

For it is written,
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.

Which would lead us to conclude that Paul didnt create this argument at all but elaborated on it. And it is the truth as well, Jesus was surely a stumbling block to the Jews, and foolishness to Greeks and Gentiles, to accept Christ as the Son of God was crazy, the man came and died on a cross, yet it was so surely professed by its followers as truth...

I dont think you are understanding Paul at all. Paul certainly believed Jesus, for example, was resurrected... That this was the truth. we have evidence for this. In fact most skeptics will actually admit to Paul having genuine beliefs, but they will say (for example) he hallucinated it...

What "you think" is not an argument. I'll go with what Paul actually wrote. Thanks for giving me an idea for a new subtopic.

Suit yourself... But that didnt really acknowledge anything i said

[Tart]

Besides the creation story could have been possible back in those days, it is actually likely Paul was commenting on the wisdom of Jewish philosophy of the Messiah, and Greek philosophy on wisdom, and this wasnt a response to the creation story at all... Yet this would still shed light on the nature of the Christian God, who you kind of mocked a for being the inspiration of the creation story, as if to say what a foolish God. Yet perhaps this the nature of the Christian God. Christ said, after all, the meek will prevail and the first will be last. I think this God has the intention of humbling the wise and the proud...

[Zzyzx]

.

Like for the sake of argument, would you call a Christian wrong, who may regard these stories as myths inspired by God?

What someone 'regards' is none of my business. However, if they claim 'inspired by god' (particularly in debate) I may challenge their claim of knowledge.

Even in that case I would not call them wrong (or naive or gullible, though I may think so personally). Simply asking for verifiable evidence to support their contention is adequate to demonstrate that they are talking beyond their knowledge.

[Zzyzx]

.

Besides the creation story could have been possible back in those days,

Is this to say that the tale could have been possible then but not now? If so, how does that work?

Or, might it be to say that most people back then were gullible and naive enough to believe the tale was true?

Christ said, after all, the meek will prevail and the first will be last. I think this God has the intention of humbling the wise and the proud...

Those who wrote Bible tales evidently disliked anyone else being wise or proud " and preferred to address people who were meek.

I wonder why . . . Could it be that those who were wise, proud, or assertive / confident were not easily convinced to believe silly stories and follow foolish instructions?

[SallyF]

10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.

11 The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;

12 And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.

13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia.

14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.

What does Bible class make of biblical geography ?

Perhaps THIS image will encourage revelations of "figurativeness" ?

Or perhaps Christians will acknowledge that biblical creation mythology is just creation mythology written by humans who PRETENDED they got their details from "God" ?

And perhaps Christians will acknowledge that Ethiopia/Cush has been shuffled around the map to try and make biblical mythology fit reality ?