Joshua 10:12-13 God made the sun and moon stand still

[Compassionist]

"On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel: "Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon." So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day." - Joshua 10:12-13, The Bible (New International Version). If the Bible is true and this really happened, then why is there no records by any other civilizations of the extraordinary event of the sun and the moon standing still for a day? For this to occur, the Earth would need to suddenly stop rotating on its axis which would cause people and other animals, structures, bodies of water, etc. to be flung out into space due to inertia. Besides, how can a loving and just God command genocide?

[ttruscott]

[Replying to post 1 by Compassionist]

Maybe the sun didn't literally stand still; after all we speak of the sun rising (going up) and setting (going down), do you think that it literally moves up and down every day?

It seems reasonable to me that Joshua was miraculously given what he was asking for, more hours of light so he could successfully complete his battle. ie the sun appeared to stand still.


JW

The sun appears to rise in the east and set in the west. This illusion is created by the real movement Earth's axial rotation. For the sun and the moon to appear to stand still, the Earth's axial rotation would have to stop which would cause people and other animals, structures, bodies of water, etc. to be flung out into space due to inertia.

And why do you consider that dampening inertia is a problem for the GOD who can stop the rotation of the earth? If you admit one as possible you must admit the other as possible and not the dire consequence you assume.

[Compassionist]

[Replying to post 1 by Compassionist]

Maybe the sun didn't literally stand still; after all we speak of the sun rising (going up) and setting (going down), do you think that it literally moves up and down every day?

It seems reasonable to me that Joshua was miraculously given what he was asking for, more hours of light so he could successfully complete his battle. ie the sun appeared to stand still.


JW

The sun appears to rise in the east and set in the west. This illusion is created by the real movement Earth's axial rotation. For the sun and the moon to appear to stand still, the Earth's axial rotation would have to stop which would cause people and other animals, structures, bodies of water, etc. to be flung out into space due to inertia.

And why do you consider that dampening inertia is a problem for the GOD who can stop the rotation of the earth? If you admit one as possible you must admit the other as possible and not the dire consequence you assume.

I am not convinced that God is real and has any powers, let alone stopping the spinning of the Earth and dampening the inertia of everything on Earth. I am just pointing out the problems with the Biblical account. Why would an all-powerful and all-knowing God require a bunch of people to kill another bunch of people? It would be much more efficient to do it by himself than to stop the spinning of the Earth so the day would last longer. How can such a genocidal God be considered loving and just? I am horrified by the Biblical God and his atrocities. Please see http://skepticsannotatedbible.com Thank you.

[Compassionist]

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them." - 1 John 4:16 (NIV) is my favorite verse from the Bible. How is this compatible with God's many commands to kill? The Israelites in the Bible are not a loving people. God is not loving either.

[ttruscott]

And why do you consider that dampening inertia is a problem for the GOD who can stop the rotation of the earth? If you admit one as possible you must admit the other as possible and not the dire consequence you assume.

I am not convinced that God is real and has any powers, let alone stopping the spinning of the Earth and dampening the inertia of everything on Earth. I am just pointing out the problems with the Biblical account.

But you did not point out a problem with the account if GOD actually stopped the earth, you merely provided an illogical (in context) straw man point for some reason.

Why would an all-powerful and all-knowing God require a bunch of people to kill another bunch of people?

Is this your real problem? GOD's sinful people are called to come out from among those not HIS people and to fight them if need be. The war going on down here is to focus HIS people to be holy, that is in complete accord with HIS plans and attitude to those not HIS people. The war is for us, not HIMself.

It would be much more efficient to do it by himself than to stop the spinning of the Earth so the day would last longer.

How do you know what is easier for GOD if you do not know HIS purpose for humanity? As a non-believer you are making it up which you think is easier for some reason.

How can such a genocidal God be considered loving and just? I am horrified by the Biblical God and his atrocities.

Ah, the crux that explains a knee jerk reaction to the original story. Yes, many people interpret the ways of GOD as atrocious, making themselves out to be as superior in morality, then denigrate HIM for supposedly being the way they conceived HIM to be!

If the concept of justice, especially capital justice, is lost then the ability to contemplate the answer to your question is also lost.

[ttruscott]

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them." - 1 John 4:16 (NIV) is my favorite verse from the Bible. How is this compatible with God's many commands to kill? The Israelites in the Bible are not a loving people. God is not loving either.

GOD does not love those who are not HIS people:
Deuteronomy 32:5 "They have acted corruptly toward Him, They are not His children, because of their defect; But are a perverse and crooked generation. or: their defect is that they are not HIS children...


There is not just one kind of people in humanity, there are two kinds: 1. those GOD loves aka His sheep who can hear His voice, the good seed, HIS legitimate children, HIS elect and 2. those HE does not love aka the goats, the tares who are the people of the evil one, those not HIS children, the non-elect.

How else could the GOD who is love abhor the wicked? Psalm 11:5 etc...

[Tired of the Nonsense]

"On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel: "Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon." So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day." - Joshua 10:12-13, The Bible (New International Version). If the Bible is true and this really happened, then why is there no records by any other civilizations of the extraordinary event of the sun and the moon standing still for a day? For this to occur, the Earth would need to suddenly stop rotating on its axis which would cause people and other animals, structures, bodies of water, etc. to be flung out into space due to inertia. Besides, how can a loving and just God command genocide?

The Earth rotates at a speed of roughly 1,000 miles an hour. If the Earth's rotation were suddenly arrested, the Earth's rotational kinetic energy of 2.138×1029 J would be more than sufficient enough to turn the entire planet into a molten mass. That would cause a very bad day even for microbes.

[ttruscott]

I am not convinced that God is real and has any powers, let alone stopping the spinning of the Earth and dampening the inertia of everything on Earth. I am just pointing out the problems with the Biblical account.

I am just pointing out the problems with the Biblical account - ahh a deke.

Why would an all-powerful and all-knowing God require a bunch of people to kill another bunch of people? It would be much more efficient to do it by himself than to stop the spinning of the Earth so the day would last longer. How can such a genocidal God be considered loving and just?

Justice is served when the crimes of psychopaths, even a nation of them, are brought to justice. Love is served by the eradication of the psychopaths from HIS loved ones lives. Why the emotionalism over how many there are? Is not one the same as a million? IF they are all under HIS RIGHTEOUS judgement to be condemned, does it matter if it is one or a million?

Having His people execute HIS righteous justice teaches them its importance and helps them on their way to sanctification.

I am horrified by the Biblical God and his atrocities. Please see http://skepticsannotatedbible.com Thank you.

Your horror, sympathy for the devil, is misplaced. No thank you, keep your probably blasphemous bible.

[enki]

[Replying to post 2 by Willum]

There are over 300 flood epics, well written before the Noahnic epic. The Biblical flood is written about 1700 BCE or so, while the older Sumer flood is a Nippur cuneiform tablet that was found by Thorkild Jacobsen. Thorkild Jacobsen is also a historian on the Eridu Genesis.

I did write a posting on this subject.

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 2 by Willum]

There are over 300 flood epics, well written before the Noahnic epic. The Biblical flood is written about 1700 BCE or so, while the older Sumer flood is a Nippur cuneiform tablet that was found by Thorkild Jacobsen. Thorkild Jacobsen is also a historian on the Eridu Genesis.

I did write a posting on this subject.

For me evidence that it was a historical event. After all why are flood legends to be found in practically all cultures?


Further reading
http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2008411

JW

[Justin108]

[Replying to post 2 by Willum]

There are over 300 flood epics, well written before the Noahnic epic. The Biblical flood is written about 1700 BCE or so, while the older Sumer flood is a Nippur cuneiform tablet that was found by Thorkild Jacobsen. Thorkild Jacobsen is also a historian on the Eridu Genesis.

I did write a posting on this subject.

For me evidence that it was a historical event. After all why are flood legends to be found in practically all cultures?


Further reading
http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2008411

JW

There are several that predates the Biblical story of a global flood. So which account is right? Who was on the big boat? Noah? Or Utnapishtim?