The Debilitating Effect of Taking Genesis Literally

[Diogenes]

The proposition for debate is that when one takes the tales of Genesis literally, one becomes intellectually disabled, at least temporarily. Taking Genesis literally requires one to reject biology (which includes evolution) and other sciences in favor of 'magic.' Geology and radiometric dating have to be rejected since the Earth formed only about 6000 years ago, during the same week the Earth was made (in a single day).

Much of the debate in the topic of Science and Religion consists of theists who insist on a literal interpretation of Genesis rejecting basic science. Most of the resulting debates are not worth engaging in.

[otseng]

BTW, I'm debating all these things in How can we trust the Bible if it's not inerrant? And it's getting kinda quiet there. If you truly believe taking Genesis has a debilitating effect, I welcome you to join in the debate there.

[dad1]

You've already struck out, but this makes you 0 for 4.

The salient characteristic of dad is, no matter how many times he's defeated, he always comes back, thinking that the latest try is the one in which he will win.

One trait of the oft vanquished evos is that they retreat into a fantasy world where they accept a delusion that their perturbed efforts to defend their belief system were formidable and convincing. That is one of the debilitating effects of rejecting the record of Genesis by God. There seems to be a pronounced and stronger fall into total delusion by evos that pride themselves in labeling their crusty regurgitated and weak anti bible position as a 'christian' stance, rather than an evo trance.

[otseng]

One trait of the oft vanquished evos is that they retreat into a fantasy world where they accept a delusion that their perturbed efforts to defend their belief system were formidable and convincing. That is one of the debilitating effects of rejecting the record of Genesis by God. There seems to be a pronounced and stronger fall into total delusion by evos that pride themselves in labeling their crusty regurgitated and weak anti bible position as a 'christian' stance, rather than an evo trance.

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[Diogenes]

One trait of the oft vanquished evos [sic] ?] is that they retreat into a fantasy world where they accept a delusion that their perturbed efforts to defend their belief system were formidable and convincing. [sic] That is one of the debilitating effects of rejecting the record of Genesis by God.

In addition to the confused syntax and inventive use of non words, this verbal melange appears to purposely use the word "fantasy" to mean its opposite:
"Fantasy: the faculty or activity of imagining things, especially things that are impossible or improbable."

The myths of Genesis fit the conventional definition of fantasy and Biblical scholarship agrees those myths should not be taken as literal truth:
1. Two of each of all the animals in the world crowded onto a wooden boat for a year;
2. A worldwide flood that kills 99.9999999% of humanity;
3. A donkey using human speech;
4. A planet and all life created in just six days;
5. A man made tower that reaches so high into space it threatens an imaginary 'god' who lives in the clouds;
6. A snake that talks and successfully tempts a man and woman to disobey their god for a piece of fruit;
7. Angels with burning swords;
8. Titans and giants and mysterious Nephilim who have sex with humans creating god-human hybrids;
9. A single man and woman are the soul source of the entire human race - talk about incest!
10. Man created from dust and woman from a rib.

Meanwhile, scientists who simply observe what actually happens are the ones accused of fantasy and delusion. Such silliness and redefining words to mean their opposites suggest there is no point in attempting rational argument on the subject.

[dad1]

In addition to the confused syntax and inventive use of non words, this verbal melange appears to purposely use the word "fantasy" to mean its opposite:
"Fantasy: the faculty or activity of imagining things, especially things that are impossible or improbable."

The myths of Genesis fit the conventional definition of fantasy and Biblical scholarship agrees those myths should not be taken as literal truth:
1. Two of each of all the animals in the world crowded onto a wooden boat for a year;

The basis for calling the record of the past improbable has no rationale or basis.

2. A worldwide flood that kills 99.9999999% of humanity;

That was a flood orchestrated by God and whose water came from windows of heaven and fountains of the deep. Neither of which exist today, so you are in no position to judge it.

3. A donkey using human speech;

Hey, if Biden can read cue cards anything is possible.

4. A planet and all life created in just six days;

It was not created using science. Science is something man cooked up to deal with the nature in a post flood world. Even then it took thousands of years.

5. A man made tower that reaches so high into space it threatens an imaginary 'god' who lives in the clouds;

The tower did not threaten God, It threatened man. Because God planned to save us, not swat us to death if we had tried to fight Him at the time of Babel.

6. A snake that talks and successfully tempts a man and woman to disobey their god for a piece of fruit;

That snake was identified as Satan who was in the beast. No wonder he tried to cast doubt (like science does) on God.

7. Angels with burning swords;

Why would a heavenly powerful being on a mission from God not have whatever was needed??

8. Titans and giants and mysterious Nephilim who have sex with humans creating god-human hybrids;

Can you show a verse that says the giants on Genesis in the land were human, rather than say, dinosaurs?

9. A single man and woman are the soul source of the entire human race - talk about incest!

Genetics after the flood and Babel were different. Eventually God had to make rules about that. Not so in the beginning obviously.

10. Man created from dust and woman from a rib.

Eat your heart out, so called science!

Meanwhile, scientists who simply observe what actually happens are the ones accused of fantasy and delusion.

Simple observations are fine. Drowning observations in a sea of conjecture, godless beliefs, and overactive imagination is another matter.

But thanks for the display of where the most vehement so called science, origin fable thumpers are really coming from.

[The Barbarian]

The tower did not threaten God, It threatened man.

Well, that's a testable revision of God's word...

Genesis 11:5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.

6 And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

God expresses concern that if they build the tower, they will be able to do whatever they imagine to do. I think it works better God's way than your way.

[The Barbarian]

Can you show a verse that says the giants on Genesis in the land were human, rather than say, dinosaurs?

Genesis 6:4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

I'm thinking that it would be highly unlikely for female humans to mate with dinosaurs and produce mighty men of old. Just saying. A number of giants, such as Goliath, and his brother Ishbi-Benob are identified by name in scripture. They are quite tall and powerful, but not magically so; maybe nine feet tall. And they are clearly human.

[Diogenes]

5. A man made tower that reaches so high into space it threatens an imaginary 'god' who lives in the clouds;

The tower did not threaten God, It threatened man. Because God planned to save us, not swat us to death if we had tried to fight Him at the time of Babel.

Your attack on 'science' (what is actually observed carefully) is noted.
Your failure to correctly represent science coincides with your failure to accurately characterize scripture. Let's look at the entire passage:

Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”  And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built.  And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.  Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech.”  So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.

The scripture records that man intended to reach "the heavens" the dwelling of the supposed 'god' of Genesis. "God's" reaction was to prevent them from accomplishing their ridiculous task (as if those ancients could actually build a tower that reached "the heavens." The silly imagery of this myth is absurd on its face, yet some apologists insist on taking this, and the rest of the myths listed, literally. Taking this literally the god of the clouds was threatened, according to the text, and stopped them. Why would a true 'god' be threatened? Why would 'man' be threatened by a great work of men? Your spurious misinterpretation makes no sense. Neither does taking the myths of Genesis literally.

[dad1]

The tower did not threaten God, It threatened man.

Well, that's a testable revision of God's word...

Genesis 11:5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.

6 And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

God expresses concern that if they build the tower, they will be able to do whatever they imagine to do. I think it works better God's way than your way.

That in no way means if they wanted to kill God that they could. They were no threat to Him at all of course. They were a threat to the plan of salvation for man.

[dad1]

Genesis 6:4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

So there were giants. Later, angels came and had babies with women. That does not say that before those angels did their thing, that the giants were men. Anything else? Could there have been dinosaurs that were referred to as giants?

A number of giants, such as Goliath, and his brother Ishbi-Benob are identified by name in scripture.

That was much later, and so what? Yes there were giant humans as well as short ones.
In Genesis in the verses you cited it does not say they were human. LATER, AFTER THAT, the sons of god had children.