Could Noah's Ark hold all the animals?

[PauloBarnesi]

Back to the original point, I just can’t believe that they could have made such a structure, whether it be a ship or simply a watertight structure that sat on a mountain top. We need to ask a naval architect for his advice

[TrentVilla]

Rob spends a huge amount of time looking at naval's while constructing irrections will he do? Don't let the faint smell of cider cloud your view he is an expert in this area.

[ozvillafan]

Yes. Not every single word like Brumerican did, but a good portion of it.

You do know that we don't merely "regurgitate" arguments, we've actually given serious thought to our beliefs, right?

If I had come into this thread at this point and read what you posted here I would have assumed you were religious - because you just said exactly what they would say.

In the interest of fairness, you wont mind that I give your "serious thought" in the same esteem as those who disagree with you. :winkold:

[mjmooney]

It pisses me off greatly that despite all the advances in science, religion still gets taught in schools. I have no problem with schools teaching ABOUT religion, but they still teach all the bollocks about Jesus being the son of god etc.

Totally agree.

Dawkins is very good on this, and raises a point in TGD that had never occurred to me before, namely, why do state-funded universities have whole departments, professors, etc. - of THEOLOGY? And these are accorded equal status with departments that teach actual, real stuff, like physics, medicine, engineering, music, history, etc. It's crazy!

Like Risso says, I don't mind them teaching about religion - in fact it fascinates me and I've read a lot about it. But as such it belongs as part of the syllabus in other areas, such as history, literature, psychology, philosophy, etc.

The other point of RD's that I particularly liked was about the exaggerated "respect" that we are expected to show towards religious belief.

If you claim you subscribe to some imaginary friend fantasy, with all its weird rules and rituals, you can be exempt from many of the laws of the land (e.g. Sikhs and crash helmets).

We can be as rude as we like to people who hold crackpot political or social views, but the minute those views have a "faith" label we are expected to lower our voices and moderate our language.

Religion should have no special status as far as I'm concerned.

[kidlewis]

people don't judge books by their covers, but many judge people, god and others by a book.

funny that.

[ozvillafan]

Working my way back through the thread to the opening post I can't actually believe how this thread started.

For those who missed it,

Though this is only a brief analysis, it should present enough evidence that the Ark account is certainly within the realm of possibility. :winkold:

Really? How old did you say Noah was again?

Noah was 480 years old when he began the work and he had the help of his wife, three sons, and his son's wives. He probably hired local people to help in the construction.

oh yeah 480 years old when he started and it took 120 years.

Certainly seems possible to me.

Your missing the best bit. Methuselah, Noah's grandfather, was 969 years old - the oldest person in history.

Interesting thing is his name - it means (loosely translated) "when he dies, it comes". He died the same year as the flood.

[blunther]

Enjoyed reading this, but have a question of my own for Sn'C if you wouldn't mind answering mate, about the infallibility of the bible.

Do you believe adulterers and homosexuals should be stoned to death?

Cheers

[mjmooney]

people don't judge books by their covers, but many judge people, god and others by a book.

funny that.

[Wainy316]

Genuine question Julie. If at Villa Park would you join in a chant of 'Paul McGrath my lord'?

I think I read comparing anything on earth to Mr Jehovah is pretty bad.

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

To be honest, if he believes the bible is flawless and takes all things literal, then many of his views would be un-PC, be they to do with homosexuality or how to treat women (seen as servants throughout the bible, but servants that are 'loved' so it's fine...).

[mjmooney]

We really shouldn't be comparing an outstanding footballer to a nonexistent sky fairy.

[PieFacE]

Do you believe adulterers and homosexuals should be stoned to death?

I think this question has been asked many times but ignored many times.

*awaits google copy and paste job*

[AVFCLaura]

Did this question get answered? I'm still interested in the answer.

Regarding S&C saying he genuinely doesn't think there are any flaws in the bible, how do, for example lets say, your strong views on homosexuals fit in to modern day life?

Given that his stated stance is that he thinks the bible is without flaw and he claims to have read it I can only assume he is aware of its stance on homosexuality.

Therefore I would say we already have an answer on that one sadly.

You would think so TV... I'm interested to know his stance though.

I can't tell you how many deeply religious people I have come across who gloss over homosexuality in the bible because they are not homophobic and have no problem with gay people.

The main reason I do not follow a belief is because as yet, I have never found a religion that doesn't have one, or more, fundamentals that I simply cannot follow.

I am interested to know, whichever side of the fence he sits on with this topic, how it affects his faith / life.

[mjmooney]

BTW I think I've worked out how Noah got all the animals in the ark.

I really don't know why SnC wasted all that time trying to justify it in a scientific way. God can do whatever he wants, right? He could easily magic the ark to be like a TARDIS, and hold an infinite number of animals (the infinite number of monkeys could have written the complete works of Shakespeare while they were in there if only they'd had infinite time instead of forty days).

So let's drop all this creation scientist stuff. The Bible is true because God says so, and you can't argue with magic. So there, ner ner ner ner ner.

This stuff writes itself.

[dundeevilla]

...it just makes me more sure that what I've found is definitely the right way to live as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Do you never ever, even for a second, question the veracity of what you believe in Julie?

Without wishing to be offensive to you, you can plainly see from these pages that what you believe is bonkers to most other people.

Does that not make you sit down sometimes and think why?

[Risso]

I wonder how many of the scientists at say, CERN are religious. And I wonder how many of those that are religious are fundamentalists/creationists.

[mjmooney]

I wonder how many of the scientists at say, CERN are religious. And I wonder how many of those that are religious are fundamentalists/creationists.

I'd take a guess at:

50% agnostic

30% atheist

20% deist

0% creationist

[Sie]

I'd like to know why if God is all knowing, why the hell did he come up with a plan to flush all the sinners off the planet in the flood? Surely he knew it wasn't going to work? I mean, afterall, the guy is outside of time and can see the past, present and future - what kind of perfect, loving being murders that many people knowing 100% that it doesn't solve his problem?

What a **** word removed.

Also, try and answer this without being a massive racist Steak...

[JulieB]

Quite frankly when I see the way posters behave on here and the way they treat each other and anyone who has the neck to stand up to them...it just makes me more sure that what I've found is definitely the right way to live as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.

So you're basing your belief system on the way people argue on the internet.? Interesting basis for the way to live your life. I'll think of that next time I hear of a JW dying in hospital as the result of being refused blood transfusions. "Yes, they've died as the result of a nutjob religion misinterpreting a centuries old text from some goat herders, but at least they don't argue about religion on the interweb". Extraordinarily mental.

I base my beleif system on what I see and experience and what I genuinely believe. As regards the rest of your post we had a whole thread on this following a question asked by you following a hideous accident that another poster was involved in.

Next time I hear of how many people and children die as a result of Nationlistic Wars unnecessary starvation and disease because of corrupt governments not to mention how many babies of up to 24 weeks are killed in the name of the God of convenience by Abortion - I'll remind myself of these posts

I notice you and others forget to mention that Jehovah's Witnesses are in prison all over the world right now standing up for their beleifs because as conscientious objectors they refuse to kill their fellow man or involve themselves in military service. Whilst perfectly prepared to carry out mandatory non military national service for their countries, biggotted regimes choose to mistreat them.

Just like when they were practically the ONLY Christian organisation to stand up to Hitler in the concentration camps, to Stalin in USSR..these brave people have the courage to stand up for what they believe in - even if it means losing their freedom and in many cases their lives.

People like Misghina Gebretinsae 62 years old who died in Eritrea in July 2011, after being put in solitary confinement in a sheet metal container for a week sometime prior to his death.

People like Paulos Eyassu, Isaac Mogos, and Negede Teklemariam also imprisoned in camps in Eritrea No charges have ever been filed against them, and they were never given a trial. They are denied visitors, including family members. The Sawa prison camp has been their uninviting “home” since September 24, 1994. They are hardly any security threat; they were imprisoned because of their conscientious objection to fighting, their religiously based refusal to participate in military service.

The United Nations Human Rights Committee has repeatedly ruled that Korea—a member state of the United Nations for nearly 20 years—is violating the basic human rights of conscientious objectors and is in violation of its commitments under the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights. Additionally, the National Human Rights Commission in Korea has issued numerous recommendations calling for recognition of the right to conscientious objection.

Since 1950, In South Korea there have been more than 16,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses sentenced to a combined total of 31,256 years for refusing to perform military service. If alternative service is not provided.

WHY?... Because they had the courage to stand up for their convictions!

[JulieB]

...it just makes me more sure that what I've found is definitely the right way to live as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Do you never ever, even for a second, question the veracity of what you believe in Julie?

Without wishing to be offensive to you, you can plainly see from these pages that what you believe is bonkers to most other people.

Does that not make you sit down sometimes and think why?

Nop - Just like the published Nuclear/Astrophysicist I mentioned last night Dr ALTON WILLIAMS who worked for NASA on the Space Shuttle program, who is also one of Jehovah's Witnesses. I feel just the same as him.

The more I ‘raised my eyes high up’ to peer at the vastness, the complexity, and the beauty of the universe, the more I appreciated the work of the intelligent Designer who brought all of it about and established the laws that keep it all together.... Dr A. Williams 2004.

In fact when I look at the mess the world is in and getting worse by the day I and the many millions of Jehovah's Witnesses across the world - it makes our faith stronger as we see fulfillment of Bible prophecy growing more real.

As for views being scoffed at ... it means nothing... Jesus own words...

(John 15:18-19) . . .If the world hates YOU, YOU know that it has hated me before it hated YOU. 19 If YOU were part of the world, the world would be fond of what is its own. Now because YOU are no part of the world, but I have chosen YOU out of the world, on this account the world hates YOU.