YEC = Flat Earth

[postroad]

I'm thinking that the same textual method that YEC employ would necessarily bind them to the flat earth view.

Any YEC believers who are denying the flat earth? If so why believe on but not the other?

The Bible describes the heavens as the abodes of spiritual beings above the earth not around it.

It also describes that from with enough height things could be seen even to the "ends of the earth"

Daniel 4:10-11 New International Version (NIV)

10 These are the visions I saw while lying in bed: I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous. 11 The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth.

Matthew 4:8-9 New International Version (NIV)

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,� he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.�

Also the sun stood still as opposed to the earth stopped rotating.

Joshua 10:13
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.

[postroad]

I have been informed that the Devil took Jesus to the top of a high mountain in order to view the kingdoms of the world in a non visual manner.

Aparantly it's impossible to believe this story literally because the earth is round and it would be impossible to see all the kingdoms from any height.

Hmmm...The Spirit only saw fit to reveal this interpretation only after science established that the earth was a sphere?

[postroad]

Here is a text describing taking hold of "edges" and shaking out the wicked.

The sun is described as at the edge of the earth

That and the surrounding context point to a flat earth.

Job 38:12-14 New International Version (NIV)

12 “Have you ever given orders to the morning,
or shown the dawn its place,
13 that it might take the earth by the edges
and shake the wicked out of it?
14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;
its features stand out like those of a garment.

[amortalman]

[Replying to post 1 by postroad]

Interesting view postroad. I'm a little surprised that you haven't had some arguments yet. There is little doubt that at the time the O.T. was written everyone believed that the earth was flat and that the sun revolved around the earth and the earth was the center of all the heavenly bodies.

I'm speculating that creationists will argue that God was not interested in being scientifically correct in the writings. Perhaps to avoid confusion to the people of earlier times. What do you think?

[postroad]

[Replying to post 4 by amortalman]


I think creationists are very selective about what they take literally. I agree that the people who wrote the text understand a flat earth.

[rikuoamero]

[Replying to post 4 by amortalman]


I think creationists are very selective about what they take literally. I agree that the people who wrote the text understand a flat earth.

Well have a look at Carm.org's Statement of Faith

"The Bible is the Word of God and its original manuscripts are free from errors and contradictions. It is the one and only infallible, authoritative, and trustworthy rule for faith and life, (2 Peter. 1:21, 2 Tim. 3:16). The Apocrypha is not inspired scripture and is not part of the canon of scripture. The Bible is to be taken as literally as possible except where obviously figurative. Genesis, for example, is literal, and Adam and Eve were actual people."

Well...what counts as obviously figurative? Genetics disproves a literal Adam and Eve, and yet these creationists say they did exist. What's obvious to them is not what's obvious to you and I.

[Guy Threepwood]

[Replying to post 1 by postroad]

I'm not a YEC or 'flat Earther' .. but I do believe the Bible is a work of divine inspiration, so for the sake of discussion...

I'd agree with the post mentioning the approach to science- that the Bible is not supposed to be a scientific cheat sheet, - that's for us to figure out ourselves. Primarily it needs to be able to resonate with people, over millennia, continents, races, cultures, rather than try to satisfy a certain group of skeptics in the 21st C! and this it did a pretty good job of!

It does correctly 'give away' that the universe had a beginning (a concept rejected as ' pseudoscience' by many atheists not so long ago) that life began simply in the ocean and culminated with mankind as the primary intended beneficiary- given dominion over the animals .. I'd say because these points are obviously more relevant to the message the Bible is trying to convey, rather than delving into the weeds on astrophysics.

Having said that;

it also mentions that God 'hangs the world on nothing' a fairly obscure notion not so long ago, compares the number of grains of sand to stars in the heavens (which might have seemed to vastly exaggerate the number of stars until very recently) and refers to the universe/heavens being unfolded like a curtain to provide space to live in.. which is about as elegant a way as I can imagine, to describe lower dimensions bending to create higher ones..

The Bible describes the heavens as the abodes of spiritual beings above the earth not around it.

So do most of us today, and if there are any Australians here, they might be able to confirm that they also still refer to the heavens above them, not below them?

[amortalman]

[Replying to post 7 by Guy Threepwood]

The few things you mentioned carry a small weight compared to the colossal absurdities that make up so much of the Bible.

If one wants to bring science into the Bible he might need to explain how a serpent and a donkey can speak perfect Hebrew (or whatever language was available in the Garden of Eden).

[Guy Threepwood]

[Replying to post 7 by Guy Threepwood]

The few things you mentioned carry a small weight compared to the colossal absurdities that make up so much of the Bible.

If one wants to bring science into the Bible he might need to explain how a serpent and a donkey can speak perfect Hebrew (or whatever language was available in the Garden of Eden).

same rationale would apply though I think; we can debate whether or not this story is to be taken literally or allegorically, but either way it's a moral story, not dealing with aspects of creation fundamental to mankind's place in it..

Having said that, between a donkey acquiring the power of speech by divine intervention.. and apes accidentally acquiring speech through copying errors in DNA..

my money's on the donkey!

[JJ50]

It beats me how anyone in this day and age could possibly believe the earth is flat, when there is more than enough evidence to prove otherwise.