Is the Flood Story True?

by JosephAlward 39 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • JosephAlward
    JosephAlward

    Those who have not yet relinquished their right to think for themselves should be virtually certain that the story of Noah and the Ark is a fable. Those who believe the Bible's stories are literally true find it almost impossible to address with a straight face the problems presented below.

    Then the flood came which destroyed every living thing which was not in the Ark: "And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark." (Genesis 7:23)

    Now, it is hard enough to understand why the disappointed Lord could not have just waved his hand to make the necessary improvements in existing man instead of killing every human being on earth, but nearly incomprehensible is the Lord's decision to drown the whole planet, destroying "every living substance." After all, the Lord spent the entire third day of creation making the grasses, herbs, and fruit bearing trees (Genesis 1:11-13), and the fifth day making animals (Genesis 1:20-23); why would his anger at man lead him throw all this other good work down the drain? Couldn't the omniscient God think of a way to kill man without killing the grass and animals, too? The grass hadn't offended God, and the animals hadn't done anything wrong, had they? God gave Noah seven days to get ready. How did Noah and his sons build such a huge ark in just seven days? How did Noah cause the animals to come to the Ark? How did they know where it was, and when they had to be there? How did the great white bears and penguins of the polar regions, the kangeroos of the southern hemisphere, and the snakes and gorillas of the tropical rain forests cross the vast oceans and land masses to the Mideast? Once the whales, porpoises, and dolphins got to the Ark, how did they travel up the gangplank? Did the slow-moving snails and turtles from other continents head for the Ark at the same time as the other animals? Did weather conditions permit travel in all cases? How did the polar bears and penguins survive the heat of the Mideast? How were the lions prevented from eating the lambs? The vegetation which many animals eat grows only in their natural habitat; did they bring it with them, and how was it kept fresh for 150 days? How did just eight people manage to feed millions of species? How did Noah and his small family keep track of the special diet of each of the millions of species of animals, and remember which had already been fed, and when? Assuming only two million species of animals, each person on board the Ark would have had to supervise the care and feeding of 250,000 different species each day, some of which would have required three or more feedings per day.

    Joseph F. Alward
    "Skeptical Views of Christianity and the Bible"
    http://members.aol.com/jalw/joseph_alward.html

  • Simon
    Simon

    Perhaps the most puzzling question (because it initially sound so stupid) is how the fish would have survived?

    Not the salt-water fish but the freshwater things that live in shallow water in very specific conditions. There would not BE any fresh water - even for a long time after the flood.

    Also, some creatures that live on the bottom of rivers and shallow coast would not survive being under the depth that the flood would have caused.

    A good site for things like this is http://www.talkorigins.net/

  • Francois
    Francois

    Is the Flood Story True? NO!

    Francois

  • pomegranate
    pomegranate

    >>Now, it is hard enough to understand why the disappointed Lord could not have just waved his hand to make the necessary improvements in existing man instead of killing every human being on earth,<<

    God destroys corruption, he does NOT repair it.

    >>but nearly incomprehensible is the Lord's decision to drown the whole planet, destroying "every living substance." After all, the Lord spent the entire third day of creation making the grasses, herbs, and fruit bearing trees (Genesis 1:11-13), and the fifth day making animals (Genesis 1:20-23); why would his anger at man lead him throw all this other good work down the drain?<<

    When the physical man became corrupted, the whole physical ball of wax became corrupted.

    >>Couldn't the omniscient God think of a way to kill man without killing the grass and animals, too? The grass hadn't offended God, and the animals hadn't done anything wrong, had they?<<

    No they hadn't. But, you have to remember, animals and plants were initially CREATED in a death cycle from the very beginning (Nitrogen cycle). They were NOT created with the potential of eternal life like mankind. They were created to eventually die. That's where fertilizer comes from ya know??? As far as the animals go, they were created for man to rule over and have dominion over. So, the man and his kingdom (animals) would certainly be a logically destruction. Also, there is no intellectual and conscious tie between plants and animals and God. That tie is between man and God alone.

    >>God gave Noah seven days to get ready. How did Noah and his sons build such a huge ark in just seven days?<<

    You've misunderstood the Bible. He had plenty of time. Show me where you feel God gave Noah only seven days to make the ark.

    >>How did Noah cause the animals to come to the Ark?<<

    That was obviously God's doing.

    >>How did they know where it was, and when they had to be there?<<

    How do birds know to fly south for the winter? Are you really serious here??? How does man program his computers? God programs his little computers the same way. He changed the program to fit the need.

    >>How did the great white bears and penguins of the polar regions, the kangeroos of the southern hemisphere, and the snakes and gorillas of the tropical rain forests cross the vast oceans and land masses to the Mideast?<<

    Guess that depends on how much time was involved eh? I believe we're talking years where you seem to think seven days.

    >>Once the whales, porpoises, and dolphins got to the Ark, how did they travel up the gangplank?<<

    Sorry Joseph, you don't read your Bible to carefully do you? Your aim is mockery. The Bible plainly states what kind of animals would die in the flood:

    Gen 6:17
    17 I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it.

    Gen 7:22
    22 Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died.

    Fish DO NOT have the breath of life in them. they do NOT HAVE NOSTRILS. They have GILLS. They have the water of life that sustains them. They lived through it (the flood) in the own liquid domain.

    Every one of your flood questions can be answered. I'm stopping here as any more of addressing this is a waste of time.

    PS. Salt water (ocean) and fresh water (rivers) equals brackish water. Go to the Mississippi delta and see that ALL KINDS of fresh water fish and salt water creatures that can live just peachy on a "brackish" water environment. As a matter of fact, fish life is in an amzaing abundance there. It's huge.

    Ahhhh. Bah bye.

  • FreePeace
    FreePeace

    I have come to know that the Flood story is a crock. One thing that occured to me awhile back is, "What about drinking water?" How in the world would Noah have stored enough drinking water for his family and all the animals? Not to mention keeping it fresh.

    There is simply no way. Just one more of the many, many logistical problems with the story.

  • pomegranate
    pomegranate

    >>"What about drinking water?"<<

    rain

  • expatbrit
    expatbrit

    Eight humans. Hundreds of animals.

    No way rain could provide enough. And how could the waters subside unless it stopped raining?

    Expatbrit

  • JosephAlward
    JosephAlward

    An apparently irreconcilable contradictions exists in the Genesis accounts of the number of birds Noah was supposed to take with him. In one place, it says two, in another place it says seven.

    19 You are to bring into the ark TWO of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20 TWO of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them. 22 Noah did everything just as GOD commanded him. (Genesis 6:17-22)

    7:1 The LORD then said to Noah, Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. 2 Take with you seven of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and two of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, 3 and also SEVEN of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth.

    Apologists will attempt to argue that the author didn't bother to tell us that the "seven" birds were supposed to be "clean," and that Noah was ALSO supposed to take two "unclean" birds. If you see that happen in this forum, it will be just one more example of the extremes die-rather-than-admit-to-an-error fundamentalists will go to to defend the inerrancy of their Bible.

    Joseph F. Alward
    "Skeptical Views of Christianity and the Bible"
    http://members.aol.com/jalw/joseph_alward.html

  • pomegranate
    pomegranate

    >>No way rain could provide enough.<<

    You're entitled to your opinion.

    >>And how could the waters subside unless it stopped raining?<<

    Gen 7:24
    24 The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.

    Subtract 40 days of water a plenty falling from the sky. That makes 110 days needed of water storage. Less than four months. That's also presuming the water outside the ark was not drinkable. Sounds feasible to me.

    That's also assuming God forgot the recipe on how to make more just in case they ran out.

  • pomegranate
    pomegranate

    >>An apparently irreconcilable contradictions exists in the Genesis accounts of the number of birds Noah was supposed to take with him. In one place, it says two, in another place it says seven.<<

    Apologists will attempt to argue that the author didn't bother to tell us that the "seven" birds were supposed to be "clean," and that Noah was ALSO supposed to take two "unclean" birds. If you see that happen in this forum, it will be just one more example of the extremes die-rather-than-admit-to-an-error fundamentalists will go to to defend the inerrancy of their Bible.<<<

    The apologists are ABSOLUTELY wrong. All one has to do is add the first pair of all birdies that were gathered up firstly, then add the latter seven pairs of all birdies that were commanded he take into the ark after the ark was completed, then any one with half a brain (and simple addition 1+7=8) would know that Noah took 8 pairs of all birdkind with him on the Ark.

    Doesn't that make more sense with what is written than apologists attempt at trying to add there own verses to scripture?

    Sure it does.

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