Atheist Bible Study 1: Genesis

[robvalue]

Where do I get the god translator book that shows me how many real years a "god day" is?

It’s the best theory so far, because he has been resting on his last day for billions of years. I think he may have overslept.

[Bahana]

I agree. I can still appreciate the literary value of some parts of the Bible as an atheist. I would go as far as to say that you trample on the original author's intent by trying to find a way to harmonize different books of the Bible together that have been written centuries apart. Fundamentalists, and inerrantists, invite scrutiny to the Bible by saying all these legendary tales literally happened. I was taught that Adam and Eve, The Tower of Babel and Noah's flood were all true events at my Christian elementary school.

It probably doesn't work to apply a modern author/work of fiction idea to these ancient stories which probably evolved from an oral tradition.  But regardless, we are still in danger of missing the point of the story by virtue that attempt to impose an order to stories which have different lineages.

For example, the Serpent isn't identified anywhere in Genesis as Satan. That connection came MUCH later. That's an example of what I was referring to about harmonizing the books together that fundamentalists often do.

[Silver]

Where do I get the god translator book that shows me how many real years a "god day" is?

It’s the best theory so far, because he has been resting on his last day for billions of years. I think he may have overslept.

Overslept according to a theistic interpretation.

A more reasonable explanation is that he never existed, the signs are all here.

[robvalue]

The problem is that they all start with the conclusion that the book must make sense, and must contain inspired truths. They then do whatever mental gymnastics it takes to join up imaginary dots from the cretinous rubbish (scientifically speaking) in front of them.

I feel sorry for the authors, really. I’d bet that most of these stories were meant as allegories in the first place. (And allegories stolen from other religions which probably stole them from somewhere else.)

[Silver]

The problem is that they all start with the conclusion that the book must make sense, and must contain inspired truths. They then do whatever mental gymnastics it takes to join up imaginary dots from the cretinous rubbish (scientifically speaking) in front of them.

I feel sorry for the authors, really. I’d bet that most of these stories were meant as allegories in the first place. (And allegories stolen from other religions which probably stole them from somewhere else.)

Sometimes, being a writer, I fear seeing today's popular fiction being religionized in the future.  That is what happened with christianity.  The horror of it should be the subject of Ryan Murphy's next AHS series.

[GrandizerII]

Where do I get the god translator book that shows me how many real years a "god day" is?

It’s the best theory so far, because he has been resting on his last day for billions of years. I think he may have overslept.

There's a verse somewhere in the NT where it says a "god day" is like a thousand years. Forgot which one, and can't be arsed to look it up now.

That said, I don't think it had anything to do with the seven days of creation.

[robvalue]

The problem is that they all start with the conclusion that the book must make sense, and must contain inspired truths. They then do whatever mental gymnastics it takes to join up imaginary dots from the cretinous rubbish (scientifically speaking) in front of them.

I feel sorry for the authors, really. I’d bet that most of these stories were meant as allegories in the first place. (And allegories stolen from other religions which probably stole them from somewhere else.)

Sometimes, being a writer, I fear seeing today's popular fiction being religionized in the future.  That is what happened with christianity.  The horror of it should be the subject of Ryan Murphy's next AHS series.

Maybe so, but hopefully it would be archived in such a way that it has a clear lineage rather than some amazing text that shows up out of nowhere from unknown authors. And one would hope the internet would have finished religion off by then, at least in secular countries.

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Where do I get the god translator book that shows me how many real years a "god day" is?

It’s the best theory so far, because he has been resting on his last day for billions of years. I think he may have overslept.

There's a verse somewhere in the NT where it says a "god day" is like a thousand years. Forgot which one, and can't be arsed to look it up now.

That said, I don't think it had anything to do with the seven days of creation.

Oh really? That’s interesting, I didn’t know that. Doesn’t really help them with the maths either!

[Silver]

Maybe so, but hopefully it would be archived in such a way that it has a clear lineage rather than some amazing text that shows up out of nowhere from unknown authors. And one would hope the internet would have finished religion off by then, at least in secular countries.

You must be forgetting L. Ron Hubbard's categorically archived fiction that became a religion.

Use your brain here. I'm shining.

[vulcanlogician]

Where do I get the god translator book that shows me how many real years a "god day" is?

It’s the best theory so far, because he has been resting on his last day for billions of years. I think he may have overslept.

There's a verse somewhere in the NT where it says a "god day" is like a thousand years. Forgot which one, and can't be arsed to look it up now.

That said, I don't think it had anything to do with the seven days of creation.

Psalm 90 whose authorship is attributed to Moses.

A thousand years in your sight
    are like a day that has just gone by,
    or like a watch in the night.

[Silver]

[quote='vulcanlogician' pid='1834578' dateline='1539931739']


Psalm 90 whose authorship is attributed to Moses.

A thousand years in your sight
    are like a day that has just gone by,
    or like a watch in the night.

What I want to know is from what parchment was the Psalm discovered and by whom. What irks me is that there is no evidential information regarding facts related to some of these writings. Maybe it was written by a romantic virgin who was an early version of Shakespeare. Nothing can be discounted when nothing is on the line.