Questions about the Earth

Creationism, Evolution, and other science issues

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servant
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Questions about the Earth

Post #1

Post by servant »

Did science or the bible first note that the earth hangs on nothing?

Did science or the bible first note that the earth was a circle and not flat?

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DrNoGods
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Post #171

Post by DrNoGods »

[Replying to post 170 by Revelations won]
I suspect our current science is very lacking in clear answers on how this earth is governed in it's axis and rotational speed and orbit.

Does anyone have a precise calculation of how this is controlled?


A little Googling would give you this answer. Orbital mechanics have been understood for quite some time. This Wikipedia article summarizes things:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbital_mechanics

and there are many more detailed descriptions related specifically to Earth, for example:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth
(see table on the right side, and also the Orbit and rotation section)

We know these numbers in great detail.
If this were controlled by gravitational force, then what are the clear calculations which govern the earth's orbit?


See above links ... orbital mechanics is very well understood, including situations which require Relativistic corrections such as the orbit of Mercury.
Which is the governing body which controls this and all other planets?


I think you mean force rather than body, and that force is gravity. The largest "body" in our solar system (the sun, containing about 99.8% of the solar system's total mass) dominates, so I suppose you could say that it is the "governing body."
What controls all of these countless planets so we do not have a planetary demolition derby which would result in total chaos?


It is thought that our own solar system was indeed very much a demolition derby early on during its formation some 4.6 billion years ago. We only have the present, stable situation after things settled down over many tens of millions of years.
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Post #172

Post by Bust Nak »

[Replying to post 169 by Still small]

You think sitting on pillars is mutually exclusive with hanging upon nothing? A disk, sitting on pillars in an ocean of water, surrounded by a solid domed firmament also hangs upon nothing - it's sitting on pillars.

So my answer would be equally close.

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Post #173

Post by Still small »

Bust Nak wrote: You think sitting on pillars is mutually exclusive with hanging upon nothing? A disk, sitting on pillars in an ocean of water, surrounded by a solid domed firmament also hangs upon nothing - it's sitting on pillars.

So my answer would be equally close.
One implies being supported from beneath while the other implies being suspended from above. Doesn’t sound the same to me.

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Post #174

Post by Bust Nak »

[Replying to post 173 by Still small]

Wait, you think the Bible implies the Earth was being suspended from above? In which case I suppose it could be argued that it's marginally closer to modern cosmology. That's not the impression I am getting from "hangeth upon nothing" though, I read that as not suspended from above.

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Post #175

Post by Still small »

Bust Nak wrote: Wait, you think the Bible implies the Earth was being suspended from above? In which case I suppose it could be argued that it's marginally closer to modern cosmology. That's not the impression I am getting from "hangeth upon nothing" though, I read that as not suspended from above.
Ok, a question for you. You see a ball mysteriously positioned in the air above the ground. In simple terms, how would you describe it’s appearance? As ‘suspended or hanging on nothing’? Or would you describe it as ‘sitting atop of a pillar’?

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Post #176

Post by Diagoras »

Still small wrote:Ok, a question for you. You see a ball mysteriously positioned in the air above the ground. In simple terms, how would you describe it’s appearance? As ‘suspended or hanging on nothing’? Or would you describe it as ‘sitting atop of a pillar’?
I’d describe it as ‘mysteriously posititioned in the air above the ground’, unless I saw either a string or a pillar.

Truly remarkable that this is the kind of thing occupying Christian minds - over the last couple of days especially. Is this debate going anywhere especially, or are we just quibbling over minutiae?

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Post #177

Post by Still small »

Diagoras wrote: I’d describe it as ‘mysteriously posititioned in the air above the ground’, unless I saw either a string or a pillar (Emphasis added).
Just as if ‘hanging on nothing’.
Truly remarkable that this is the kind of thing occupying Christian minds - over the last couple of days especially. Is this debate going anywhere especially, or are we just quibbling over minutiae?
I was under the impression that that was the point of the OP. Maybe “servant� was trying to dispel or destroy the ‘straw man’ that the Bible teaches a flat Earth sitting on a pillar, etc, similar to other religions’ creation stories. This would be the case only for those that wish to deliberately misinterpret the plain teachings of the Bible just for an argument.
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Post #178

Post by Diagoras »

Maybe “servant� was trying to dispel or destroy the ‘straw man’ that the Bible teaches a flat Earth sitting on a pillar, etc, similar to other religions’ creation stories.
Maybe. Although the only thing we know for sure is that his or her last post was way back at #19 on Page 2, asking about ‘100% knowledge’, rather than challenging an excellent post at #18 which would have been more in keeping with your theory about straw man arguments. It seems presumptive to ascribe intentions as you’re doing, unless you have privately messaged servant and know something we don’t?

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Post #179

Post by Bust Nak »

Still small wrote: Ok, a question for you. You see a ball mysteriously positioned in the air above the ground. In simple terms, how would you describe it’s appearance?
Floating in mid air.
As ‘suspended or hanging on nothing’? Or would you describe it as ‘sitting atop of a pillar’?
If I have to choose between the two I would say "suspended or hanging on nothing." If the requirement is relaxed slightly so I can mix and match, then I would choose "sitting atop on nothing" to distance myself from the wrong explanation.

Now a question from me. You see a ball sitting on a pillar, would you say it's inaccurate to say the ball is "suspended or hanging on nothing?"

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Post #180

Post by Still small »

Bust Nak wrote: Now a question from me. You see a ball sitting on a pillar, would you say it's inaccurate to say the ball is "suspended or hanging on nothing?"
Inaccurate? Yes. If I were to see a ball sitting on a pillar, that is how I would describe it, sitting on a pillar. Now which of these two simple phrasings, “suspended or hanging on nothing� or “sitting on a pillar�, better describes the Earth as we now know it?

Have a good day!
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