Ive been away from the blog for a few days, but it looks like the conversations have gone on just fine without me.
I had a cold, which is a fine excuse for not doing much for a few days. One bad thing about allergies is that you really sometimes have a hard time knowing whether it is a cold or just more allergies. I was also busy with a freelance project. The freelancing is actually going very well these days, and taking more of my time.
I am trying to maintain things here as much as I can.
City Commission worksession is Thursday, 5:30 p.m., I will try to do a live blog. I think I have it figured out, but as you know, sometimes it doesnt work. Please check it out and see if it is on.
I would like to have more public input into the site. Write and article and send it to me.
On the Arizona immigration law. I have mixed feelings. I understand the sentiment, and the fact that the federal government has done nothing to help the states at all. But at the same time, it looks like there could be a lot of abuse with this law as it is. But if it wakes up the feds and helps us develop a workable national policy, then it will have been a good thing. We need to make legal immigration easier, and tighten up on illegal immigration.
There is also a story floating around where a group of evangelical explorers claim they have found Noahs Ark on Mt. Ararat in Turkey. They have found a very old wooden structure way up in the mountains, at something crazy like 12,000 feet. They claim carbon dating puts it at 4,800 years old.
I dont mind saying I have my doubts. I do beleive in the story of the Ark as an actual event, but I really dont think it will ever be found. Noah and his family would surely have taken it apart and used the wood as they started a new civilization.
It is possible I suppose, but ...
I am not among the young-earth thinkers. I believe the earth is much older, and even the Ark is much older than what is claimed. I dont know how old, but it wouldnt surprise me if the Ark and Noah happened well over 20,000 years ago.
Regardless, we are talking a very long time ago, and I really doubt anything could have survived that long. Whether it turns out to be the real thing or not, does not affect my faith.
So, help me understand this.. When carbon dating is used on dinosaur bones, to show that they are millions of years old, it is called junk science by young Earth christians, but then they turn right around and try to convince people this ark is the real deal by carbon dating it to around 4,800 years ago? Not buying it! They will get their 15 minutes, and then it will be proven a fraud by real scientists. If a giant boat did exist, I'm sure Noah and his family would have used it as well. Probably would have made a house out of it or burned it for firewood. And aren't there flood stories very similiar to Noah in many different religions?
ReplyDeleteAs far as the Arizona law, it is being misinterpreted by the left wing media. If you read the law, it does not allow people to be stopped simply for looking hispanic. Officers must have a lawful reason to be there. AND, it is a much gentler law than what Mexico itself has in dealing with illegals from other countries. In fact, the AZ law is basically the same as our Federal law on illegals. All it does is give local officers the right to arrest for it.
I had to laugh when MSNBC had the headline "Arizona law makes it a crime to be an illegal alien." lol. What part of ILLEGAL do they not understand? If the federal government would do their job of protecting America from the invasion from the South, Arizona would not have to take matters into their own hands. Now the left is using it for political gain by playing to the hispanic vote. It makes me sick. I hope more states enact similiar laws.
Yes, i forgot to mention that. Just about every ancient culture on the earth has a flood story. Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America.
ReplyDeleteThat nearly all have this story in their history, means something must have happened. To me that is evidence for the biblical account.
I just think it is much more ancient than most modern evangelicals.
The boat is 12,000 ft up in the mountains. They aren't going to take it apart and carry all that wood down the mountain to make a house. They wouldn't even do that in modern times. Makes sense to me!
ReplyDeleteYes, the common myth seems to point out that there was some historic event. The story was told and retold, and has become "mythical."
ReplyDeleteThere is usually some truth in myth, and myth can be used to teach important truths.
I also agree it is much older than the young earthers believe. The Gilgamesh story, and that of Popol Vuh, on opposite sides of the earth seem to indicate common threads in the creation stories, and the flood.
They are both equally beautiful, and contain much of our own "Christian Myth."
There are of course others, but these are two of the oldest.
Here are wikipedia links to the accounts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popol_Vuh
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilgamesh
Sorry. This is a must read.
ReplyDeleteIt is from ancient Guatemala. Fragments of this text have been found in ancient Myan ruins,
How similar to our own understanding of creation....
http://www.meta-religion.com/World_Religions/Ancient_religions/Central_america/popol_vuh.htm
This is much longer than the Popol Vuh I remember reading. I wonder if this version has been edited?
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting though.
The maya had a lot of interesting concepts.
They certainly understood the idea of blood sacrifice for the remission of sin.
half a world away and similar ideas thousands of years ago ...
"I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation, whose purposes are modeled after our own -- a God, in short, who is but a reflection of human frailty. Neither can I believe that the individual survives the death of his body, although feeble souls harbor such thoughts through fear or ridiculous egotism."
ReplyDelete-Einstein
http://michaelsheiser.com/PaleoBabble/2010/04/noahs-ark-paleobabble-update
ReplyDeleteFAKE?
A scientist who doubts a supernatural being?? Wow, what a discovery you've made. Scientists demand proof, Christians have faith. I believe the Bible and 7 days. Anything else would be inconsistently editing the Bible to match my own beliefs. I don't think it will affect your salvation, however. I'm not going to pound you over the head with my beliefs and demand they become yours. Nor am I going to blast your intelligence if you don't agree with me. Evolution is a theory, as is creationism. You can't change my mind and I can't change yours.
ReplyDelete12:02, I guess you missed the question mark.
ReplyDeleteMy bad - 12:02 was in response to 11:55. I didn't see the 12:01 post as I was posting at 12:02. I can't type quite that fast!
ReplyDeleteNotice in chapter 1 of popol vuh, the word forefathers, or E Alom is used for the "one who gives birth" Seems awful similar to Elohim, the Hebrew word for God or Gods...
ReplyDeleteYea, of course both are english translations of different languages. It would be interesting to see what they are in the original languages.
ReplyDeleteThe Maya also had a legend of someone who had given them all wisdom and left (died for them) but promised to return ...
The Mayans are real interesting :)
I also would like to see the original, but figured it was probably a transliteration...
ReplyDeleteSo phontically, it would seem, they sound similar....
Interesting stuff.
*phonetically
ReplyDelete