Jacob's Branches and Genetics: Bible Error

by JosephAlward 24 Replies latest watchtower bible

• 

  JosephAlward

  JOE ALWARD

  About a year ago I raised this issue of the Bible-writers' apparent belief that the color of one's offspring is determined in part by what you're looking at while you're mating. We didn't obtain then what I considered a satisfactory resolution of this problem, so I'm presenting it once again for the forum's consideration:
  ...........................

  Jacob's Branches

  The Genesis writer tells the story of Labans agreement to give as wages to Jacob, the tender of his goats and lambs, all light-streaked goats and dark-streaked lambs born while the flocks were in his care. To increase the birth rate of streaked animals, Jacob made white stripes on brown tree branches by peeling away dark strips of bark to expose the blond wood underneath, and put these branches in the animals drinking troughs, where they came to drink when they were in heat. After the animals had mated in front of the branches, they bore young that were streaked; the normally brown goats were streaked white, and the normally white lambs were streaked brown.

  Its hard to believe that this story can actually be found in the Bible, but it can. Here it is:

  "Jacob, however, took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches. Then he placed the peeled branches in all the watering troughs, so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat and came to drink, they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted." (Genesis 30:37-39)

  There is no evidence that this didnt happen, of course. But, if its true that streaked goats and lambs were born, it certainly couldnt have happened because their parents were looking at streaked tree branches as they mated. The editors of the New American Bible seem to be admitting that. Heres what they say in a footnote:

  "Jacob's stratagem was based on the widespread notion among simple people that visual stimuli can have prenatal effects on the offspring of breeding animals."

  The Genesis writers explanation of the birth of streaked goats and lambs may have made perfect sense to him, for he could not have known anything about the science of genetics. However, if the writer was inspired by a god to record and explain this event, that god evidently either didnt understand genetics, or else it didnt care whether generations of Bible readers would have a childish notion of pre-natal influences. Either way, the Bible contains blatantly false teaching, and is therefore certainly not inerrant. If we cannot trust the Bible in one place, how do we know we can trust it in other places? Joseph F. Alward
  "Skeptical Views of Christianity and the Bible"
  http://members.aol.com/jalw/joseph_alward.html
• 

  back2dafront

  if this were true most people on the earth would be black cuz most people do it in the dark.

  :-P

  hahahaha

  i can't believe i missed that scripture in my mandatory reading of the bible my first year in bethel.

  Actually, I never made it through Daniel.
• 

  goatlike

  and my mom was spooked by a donkey so i look like an ass

  it must be an evolutionary reference. they noticed how many animals were so well suited to their habitats.
• 

  JosephMalik

  JOE ALWARD ,

  Here we go again. The text states: Genesis 30:37-39

  :37 And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.

  Jacob released the white sap in the rods and contaminated their water supply like this:

  :38 And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink.

  This would cause defective coloring and in this case produced ringstraked, speckled and spotted offspring during this critical time of conceptioin which he later used for breeding stock for the rest of his flock.

  :39 And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.

  John Gills expositor states: Austin asserts {t}; and it may be observed, what is affirmed by some writers {u}, that sheep will change their colours according to the different waters they drink of at the time of their being covered; and that some rivers drank of will make white sheep black, and black white, and others red and yellow. But as Jacob was directed of God to take this method, this is sufficient to justify him, and upon his blessing and providence the success depended,

  And Jacob then used the process of selection after that to acquire such spotted sheep for himself.

  There is no need for Jacob to know genetics. All he needed to do was follow the instructions given to him by someone who did. Today women are warned against taking ceartain drugs during pregnacy. Some are banned in fact. Many drugs come from trees and plants. Fancy that.

  Joseph
• 

  SixofNine

  Joseph Malik, you're pathetic.

  Sad, just sad.
• 

  Goshawk

  J.M.

  But you must remember that women are also told to take certain vitamins and minerals while they are pregnant. And they come from plants, trees, and rocks.

  Maybe the brand of vitamins or minerals will influence the hair-color of the child because of the type of picture on the label?

  Lets not even get into the role of hormones in the development of the child, or how some medicines will change those levels.

  Regards,

  Goshawk
• 

  JosephMalik

  Goshawk,

  Sure but we are discussing specific compounds found in green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree not vitamins or thalidamide. And the result was simply the mottling of the fur. Stronger animals were then bred from this stock. Worked for him. Not a problem with scripture is it? And the procedure put the animals in close proximity to the compounds so that they would rub up against them and ingest them. Perhaps this point is being missed?

  Joseph

  Edited by - JosephMalik on 15 October 2002 11:22:27
• 

  rem

  Joseph,

  So, are you saying that you believe in Lamarkism?

  rem
• 

  Goshawk

  JM,

  ROFL.... That settles it ole JM needs a sarcasm light installed on his 'puter.

  Goshawk
• 

  JosephMalik

  rem,

  All I am saying is that reason should prevail. Jumping to unfounded conclusions does not cut it. Even if the events were simply a test of faith and the results were a miraculous product of that faith so what? This is not a problem is it? No, and there is no contradiction or error. No one has yet proved the verses wrong have they? If so where? All I get are snide comments but no proof. Sounds about right for the mix on this net.

  Joseph