(May 21, 2025 at 10:23 am)Thumpalumpacus Wrote: And why do you separate out the act of creating Earth from the rest?

Because the text separates them, is that not a simple answer? The first day starts in verse three and is kicked off by the creation of light, that's it. Every child in Sunday school knows this, Day 1 = God makes light.

The first two verses give the lead up to Day 1. We have a universe already created and an earth in a shapeless empty form. No mention of how much time elapsed or by what means any of it came about.

(May 21, 2025 at 10:23 am)Thumpalumpacus Wrote: As for why every point is "such a drag", I think it's because you press "send" before you think through your posts, meaning the shovel-crew at this elephant parade has an inordinate amount of work. Think first, Johnny. Think.

Nobody in the real world acts like this. If you're at a table with strangers and say you believe X, the normal response is usually Oh really why do you believe X?

But here the response is always No, you don't actually believe X, you believe Y, and your church that I barely know also doesn't believe X. Say you believe Y or else you're lying.

It's so silly and unserious lol.

(May 19, 2025 at 10:20 pm)John 6IX Breezy Wrote:

(May 19, 2025 at 10:11 pm)Alan V Wrote: About the only constant was reading books.

None on psychology, apparently.

To be fair, you're often better off going to see a psychic, or getting your palm read. Not always of course.

(May 20, 2025 at 5:43 pm)John 6IX Breezy Wrote:

(May 19, 2025 at 5:40 am)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: True enough, but the SDAs insist that the Earth is just 6000 years old (more or less). I've yet to hear a scientific explanation of how consciousness arose in that teensy-weensy time frame.

No; Genesis introduces Earth as already existing, 

...with vegetation before the sun, not very compelling without invoking supernatural magic. As Boru says, why bother with the rest, once you deny scientific facts, and invoke magic, anything goes, it's turtles all the way down...

(May 20, 2025 at 6:59 pm)John 6IX Breezy Wrote:

(May 20, 2025 at 6:19 pm)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: ‘Without form and void.’ SDAs generally believe in a young Earth (though you yourself may not) and a literal interpretation of scripture.

Does formless and empty mean non-existent? No; the narrative is literally one of preparing the planet for life, and not of creating a planet from scratch. I don't know a single SDA that would argue otherwise.

Perhaps you just fell for the nominal fallacy: You've heard the term Young Earth Creationism online in atheist circles and assumed the name gave you some kind of insight into people's actual beliefs.

A young earth is no more compelling than a flat one, and for the very same reason.

(May 21, 2025 at 10:33 am)John 6IX Breezy Wrote:

(May 21, 2025 at 10:23 am)Thumpalumpacus Wrote: And why do you separate out the act of creating Earth from the rest?

Because the text separates them, is that not a simple answer? The first day starts in verse three and is kicked off by the creation of light, that's it. Every child in Sunday school knows this, Day 1 = God makes light.

The first two verses give the lead up to Day 1. We have a universe already created and an earth in a shapeless empty form. No mention of how much time elapsed or by what means any of it came about.

Your answer has several sentences. Should I sever them and ignore the context that each provides to the other?

The first day is not the start of creation. It's that simple. Your inability to admit error only marks you as yet one more Christian who lacks integrity. You go back to your discussion with the others until you can find the moral keel to simply say "I screwed up".

(May 21, 2025 at 12:52 pm)Sheldon Wrote: ...with vegetation before the sun...

Now comes Sheldon, to flood the thread lol.

I'll give you one more chance to clarify your objection here: Do plants need the sun or do plants need light? It may all just be magic, but surely that's not a reason to get things this wrong?

(May 21, 2025 at 10:47 am)John 6IX Breezy Wrote: But here the response is always No, you don't actually believe X, you believe Y, and your church that I barely know also doesn't believe X. Say you believe Y or else you're lying.

You, who have spent so much of this thread telling others what they believe and think, have no business whining and puling like this. Jesus didn't like hypocrites, you know.

This thread has become tiresome. I think we all know why.

Boru

(May 21, 2025 at 1:06 pm)Thumpalumpacus Wrote: The first day is not the start of creation. It's that simple.

Nobody said it was. Except for Boru who alleged that the Earth was 6,000 years old because it was made on Day One. Clearly, the earth was around before that.