by Severus 108 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Is there a book you can recomend as I find this area very interesting
lovelylil, there are many books that could be recommended but I thought you'd most enjoy one without critical commentary or terribly detailed analysis for starts. Try the inexpensive book: Old Testament Parallels, Laws and Stories from the Ancient Near East (revised 1997 2nd edition) by Victor Matthews and Don Benjamin. You can usually get a used copy for a few buck at Amazon.
What was the puspose of the flood? Why kill all the land going animals and leave the sharks alive? If he just wanted to kill the people, why not just create a virus, or wave his figurative hand and make them all disappear? What was the purpose of the flood?
Thanks Peacefulpete,
I have an account with Amazon and I am going to add that book to my wishlist. I usually build up my list then order about once a month as I am an avid reader. While I am there, someone suggested a book with information pro-flood.(The Genesis Flood: the biblical record and its scientific implications by John C. Whitcomb) I think I will read both of them. The thing I appreciate the most since leaving the WT is that I have the freedom to research whatever topic I want and have no fear of displeasing God for doing it. Even the bible says we should prove all things to ourselves. Thats why I like topics like this thread where information can be shared by both sides of the issue. Ultimately though, we have to decide what we personally will accept as true. Thanks again.
I checked Amazon, they had a brand new one for a good price. Also there is a look inside feature for this book and the one above that is pro-flood. Peacefulpete, the book you suggested looks interesting and is easy for a beginner into this topic to understand. I put it on my list and will order it within the next few weeks. Right now I am reading two books by Greg Albrecht - a Pastor formally from the World Wide Church of God. One is about the book of Revelation and the other is called "Bad News Religion". Greg is against organized religion, as I am too. Both great books, they stress God's grace over works. Thank you again, this was a good choice in a book for me. Have a good evening!
Lovelylil, I'll ask you. Have you ever wondered why an all powerful God would flood a planet with water with the intent to kill everything that walks and crawls, but leave the sharks in the ocean alive? Maybe I have been away from "The Truth" too long. I now tend to question everything, which I think is a good thing...
Just to forwarn you Whitcomb is not an honest man. He found a market in the Young Earth Creationist movement and has been suckering them for 40+ years. His book on the flood is written in WTS style. John C. Whitcomb - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Follow this link: .[1]
catbert,
It is impossible for me to tell you why God chose a flood instead of a virus or some other means of wiping out man. I agree it seems a little unfair as all the land animals also perished. God knew this and that is why he had Noah bring representatives of each kind of animal onto the ark - to mate and fill the earth with land animals again.
Peacefulpete:
Thanks for the information about whitcomb. I need to find out more about his beliefs before I spend money on his book. I am not a new earth believer and I cannot see how he can believe in a global flood and the new earth theory at the same time. This is why;
There is no way that every species of land animal on the earth today could have had ancestors of each one on the ark. To hold all this animal life, the ark would have had to have been at least 100 times the size it way, maybe larger. The bible says two of each kind were brought onto the ark. That would mean, two birds, two wild cats, etc. From these animals we today have sometimes hundreds of species within each kind. This would be impossible if the flood were only a few thousand years ago. The animals would not have had time to evolve (thats right I said it) into all the species we have today. There are so many different species of just bugs that Scientists have not been able to catalog all them yet. And yet, some will say that Noah had all these on the ark with him? This is impossible.
I personally believe the flood story although recorded by the Jews a few thousand years ago, is actually an event that happend much longer ago in history than that. It would of had to have been in order for the animals to not only procreate, but develop (evolve) into all the variety of species we have today.
So, therefore, I cannot see how you can reconcile these two beliefs. If you believe in a global flood, you have to believe that it happend in the distant past. And thus cannot be a new earth enthusiast. To believe otherwise would go against too much scientific evidence to the contrary. There are even now new species developing. By the way this proves there are forms of evolution also. I believe God planned it that way. For animals and humans to survive, we have to evolve and adapt to our environment over time and I believe the ability to do this was put into our genes by our Creator. The universe is also still expanding so apparently God is not done with much of his creation.
I do know of some Witnesses when I was in the borg. that literally believed the earth was flooded a few thousand years ago and not only that they would say every animal in the world today was on that ark. Even my kids did not believe that one!
Anyway, thanks again, Lilly
Lil,
If God does not call you at this time to follow him, it does not mean you were not worthy in some way, it just means he has something different planned for you, that is all. If more of my fellow Christians would understand this, they would not be judgemental of unbelievers either.
Doesn't this statement seem terribly condescending to you? I'm not going to comment anymore and hijack any further.
Good thread BTW Just more info to convince me that the bible is not what I was brought up to believe it was.
Startingover,
I did not mean it the way you are taking it. Please read the pm I just sent you.
Lovelylil, I'll ask you. Have you ever wondered why an all powerful God would flood a planet with water with the intent to kill everything that walks and crawls, but leave the sharks in the ocean alive? Maybe I have been away from "The Truth" too long. I now tend to question everything, which I think is a good thing...
Here's a few thoughts for you to consider:
There are those who argue against the Flood being global. I'm not sure but what I'm inclined to agree. It seems logical for it to have been limited to a local event, affecting just the area where mankind lived at the time. Since mankind hadn't yet spread to the extremities of the earth, then it would be unnecessary that God cause an earthwide deluge in order to bring an end to those whose lives he decided to terminate.
And so why a flood instead of a virus, you ask? I would imagine it was because the animals needed to be drastically reduced in number in order that they not pose such a danger to the 8 PEOPLE that were to survive the "end" of that "world". Can you imagine Noah and his small family, all by themselves having to cope with the hordes of viscious wild animals that no doubt existed. So God's having chosen the Flood as a means for bringing a lawless society to an end also served to keep the animal population in check. Insofar as the "sharks" you ask about, there wasn't any need to bother them since they wouldn't pose the same danger to the Flood's survivors.
I figure that the way God must have caused the water to become so deep that it covered the tallest mountains in the area where mankind lived, was that he created an enormously high barrier around the outside perimeter of the area that would keep the water confined. In other words, he duplicated the miracle he performed when he parted the Red Sea in delivering the Israelites from Egypt. Was it not a barrier of sorts that he erected which kept the water confined to either side of the path they used to get across to the other side of the Red Sea? Thus, the same type barrier (higher than the mountains) could have been used to keep the Flood waters confined to the area where men lived in that day and time.
.
