16. Phil, I think you need to adjust your satire detector, especially in light of the poster's "name": I.M. Wright (I am right).

Knight_of_BAAWA at 2:20PM on May 28th 2007

17. Phil,

I fear many literalists assume they know what the Bible says, because they have heard the words over and over again, since childhood. But being a true literalist requires the hard work of careful reading. The New Oxford Bible translates the Bible closer to the original languages than the King James. But the same literal understanding is contained in both. No worries.

From the critical lines cited below (1-3), I am sure all true literalists will agree with me. There is a dome separating the waters above heaven (the dome) from the waters here below.

Sincerely,

Professor I. M. Wright



1. Genesis 1:6 King James Version: " 6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters."

Genesis 1:6 New Oxford Bible: "And God said, 'Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters."

The definition of firmament is: "a support or strengthening," It derives from the Hebrew "raki'a" which suggests a hammered-out slab. In this context the dome reading is correct. Robert Alter, Genesis (W.W. Norton and Co., New York, 1996) p. 3.

Literally this means there is a solid dome out there keeping the water above the dome from coming down.

2. Genesis 1:14 King James Version:
" 14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:"

Genesis 1:14 New Oxford Bible:
"14 And God said, 'Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night,..."

Here "in" means within the dome material. Literally, the lights are held in place by being part of the dome. Otherwise they would fall.

3. Genesis 7:11 King James Version:
"11In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened."

Genesis 7:11 New Oxford Bible:
“In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all of the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened.”

Here God is so fed up with humans that He undoes the creation. But He literally opens the windows rather than pulling the plug. Literally, the parted waters of the creation come together again. Tough stuff.

I. M. Wright at 8:30PM on May 28th 2007

18. I never cease to be amazed at the ignornace of the Creationists.

Oh, I don't mean about evolution, I mean about the Bible !

They don't even understand what it says, how it uses metaphors to teach and what it would mean if IT WAS TAKEN LITERALLY !

Clearly, after years of yarns told around the Hebrew camp fires, someone (?) --a self appointed leader--- came up with this cackamamie story of creation.

Consider this: In Genesis Chapter 4, vs 16-17, the Bible says--"And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the East of Eden. And Cain knew his wife and she conceived and bare Enoch, and he builded a city and called the name of the City Enoch after the name of his son Enoch" Stop here for a minute. If God "created Adam and Eve" and THEY WERE THE ONLY TWO HUMANS and then they had TWO children Cain and Able. That would be a total of four (4) humans. So when Cain went to the Land of Nod and took a wife and knew her, WHERE DID SHE COME FROM ?
And how many others were there that they needed to have a CITY built for them?

Clearly, while it remains chronologically wrong, the Bible still pertains only to the lineage of the Hebrews and the question of who or what created the rest of mankind remains a mystery, unless you believe in Evolution.

Joe Turner at 4:46PM on May 29th 2007

19. It is genuinely very scary that people (William and I.M.) can hold these views in this day and age. There is no excuse for it now. I honestly believe people are totally entitled to hold their own views, however unusual, but for those views to be taken seriously they should be based on some form of factual evidence. Arguments for creationism offered above are risible; so full of holes as to be more hole than substance.

What is more worrying, though, is the increase of religious influence over governmental power. When supposedly democratic countries start going to war with even a hint of religious righteousness, things have gone badly wrong. Separation of church and state is essential. Religion must be a personal decision, and no assumption of a 'standard' faith within a country's borders can be made.

With Blair's blind support of Bush, my country Britain, is almost as guilty of this as the US, so I don't want to come across as Yank-bashing here. Where now? Almost all of the major wars, conflicts and acts of terrorism in the world are now due to religious disputes. I can't see it getting better in the near future. If I were religious in the slightest, I'd be very concerned that my god was content to sit back and watch.

Matt at 4:47AM on May 31st 2007

20. Oops, should have read I.M.Wright's postings properly. Apologies to the good professor.

Matt at 8:17AM on May 31st 2007