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Author | Topic: Aliens and the Bible | |||||||||||||||||||||||
New Cat's Eye Inactive Member |
What situation? The situation of "Theology by making shit up?" Yes, the made-up situation. Simply saying that the situations simply are not described doesn't address the possibility of those situations being legitimate. The Bible could be not literally true and instead be a puzzle that needs to be figured out through interpretation. In that sense, there could be passages that need the theology to be "made-up", so to speak, in order to find their true meaning. I mean, the theology is not at face value, there is a deeper meaning hidden in the text.
If you are the type of person who, in your words, "likes to make stuff up and insert it into the Bible", then yes, you can make up aliens and spaceships and insert it in the Bible. Well, I am not personally but there seem to be quite a few of those types running around.
The examples so far, Psalm 18 and Ezekiel 1 simply don't describe aliens or spacecraft or weaponry or robots. But they could be. Just saying that they don't describe it doesn't address the possibility. It is just hand-waving.
The former is VERY clearly talking about God in Heaven From the author's point of view, yes. But what if the author was mistaken and was desribing only what they thought was god, but in reality was a spaceship. Don't you think the description of a spaceship that was thought to be god could look somthing like the passage from Psalms?
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jar Member (Idle past 424 days) Posts: 34026 From: Texas!! Joined: |
From the author's point of view, yes. But what if the author was mistaken and was desribing only what they thought was god, but in reality was a spaceship. Don't you think the description of a spaceship that was thought to be god could look somthing like the passage from Psalms? Sorry but that is just silly. Actually is sounds far more like a frumious Bandersnatch! Look, folk can make up any fantasy they want. Aslan is not a Tame Lion
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ringo Member (Idle past 442 days) Posts: 20940 From: frozen wasteland Joined: |
... I find the idea of God in a airship rather strange. A Steampunk Version (SPV) of the Bible would be pretty cool. God would wear a monocle. Aliens in the Bible: fantasy meets fantasy. Makes sense to me. “Faith moves mountains, but only knowledge moves them to the right place” -- Joseph Goebbels ------------- Help scientific research in your spare time. No cost. No obligation. Join the World Community Grid with Team EvC
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New Cat's Eye Inactive Member |
Sorry but that is just silly. That's the hand waving I'm talking about. Why is it "just silly"? Its not impossible.
Look, folk can make up any fantasy they want. Well, not really. If someone said that that Psalm's passage could be describing a unicorn, then I would say no. But if they say that the passage could be describing a spaceship, then I'd say maybe. It has to fit the passage at least some. It can't be any fantasy.
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jar Member (Idle past 424 days) Posts: 34026 From: Texas!! Joined: |
Why is it "just silly"? Its not impossible. It's not impossible it was the frumious Bandersnatch either.
Well, not really. If someone said that that Psalm's passage could be describing a unicorn, then I would say no. But if they say that the passage could be describing a spaceship, then I'd say maybe. It has to fit the passage at least some. It can't be any fantasy. But the Psalm says that it is talking about God and all the imagery is typical of the period and style. So why make shit up? Aslan is not a Tame Lion
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New Cat's Eye Inactive Member |
It's not impossible it was the frumious Bandersnatch either. The Bandersnatch is a fictional character invented in the 19th century. Its pretty much impossible for that passage to be diescribing the Bandersnatch. A spaceship has a higher probability of existing than the Bandersnatch so I'd say it is a slightly better interpretation.
But the Psalm says that it is talking about God and all the imagery is typical of the period and style. I'd expect typical imagery and if you saw a spaceship in those times, you might think it was god too. If you wrote a passage about what you saw, it might look something like that Psalm.
So why make shit up? Its fun. But also, if someone knew that aliens existed and that they had been reported as god in the past, and this passage was a record of one such occurance, then they wouldn't be making up shit at all but uncovering the truth. Making shit up could be an honest approch to uncovering hidden meanings in the Bible that are uncovered through interpretation. There's other reasons too. But for you to just go by your assumptions and hand-wave the interpretation as "just silly" really doesn't do anything at all.
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jar Member (Idle past 424 days) Posts: 34026 From: Texas!! Joined: |
The Bandersnatch was invented before spaceships.
I'd expect typical imagery and if you saw a spaceship in those times, you might think it was god too. If you wrote a passage about what you saw, it might look something like that Psalm. Or if I wrote a poem about God, as the author says he is, it mike look like that.
But also, if someone knew that aliens existed and that they had been reported as god in the past, and this passage was a record of one such occurance, then they wouldn't be making up shit at all but uncovering the truth. But we do not know that aliens or spaceships existed then and we have a whole herd of similar descriptive material in the same section. In addition, we have lots of evidence that similar imagery was used regularly at the time to describe very prosaic things, like women or palaces or wealth or powerful people. Aslan is not a Tame Lion
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New Cat's Eye Inactive Member |
The Bandersnatch was invented before spaceships. As far as we know.
Or if I wrote a poem about God, as the author says he is, it mike look like that. True. And there is nothing inside the passage to suggest that it wasn't god.
But we do not know that aliens or spaceships existed then and we have a whole herd of similar descriptive material in the same section. In addition, we have lots of evidence that similar imagery was used regularly at the time to describe very prosaic things, like women or palaces or wealth or powerful people. I agree that the passage is descibing god and not a spaceship. I just don't like the hand-waving of an interpretation simply with the label of "silly". Its not an worthless or impossible interpretation. Plus, it has some entertaining implications.
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ElOne Junior Member (Idle past 6073 days) Posts: 23 Joined: |
The Gospels speak of a human because at one time the Hebrews were asked if they wanted to be ruled by man or god; they responded "by man". Attempts were made to have a just ruler and king and all failed; including Solomon. That is the story behind the virgin birth. I have read the Bible, several versions and I research alot. Part of the unbelievability of the Bible is the limited language distinctions available when it was written. Look at the creation of Eve for instance, today we could say it appears she was cloned. I use Strong's Concordance to "reinterpret" Scripture in today's context. Similar to how Evolutionists have "reinterpreted" ToE into Punctuated Equilibria (PE). PE is indicative of Intelligent Design.
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Ihategod Member (Idle past 6060 days) Posts: 235 Joined: |
I love that historical story, it never gets old. Peace.
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ElOne Junior Member (Idle past 6073 days) Posts: 23 Joined: |
In Psalm 18: 10 the word interpreted as cherub can also mean an imaginary figure. Which means existing in the mind only, not in reality. Implying there was no way to describe it and bring it into reality. When the Scriptures were written, the only things known to fly or float in the sky were birds and clouds. Today's language is full of distinctions of things that fly or float in the air: propeller planes, kites, balloons from helium to hot air, jets, rockets and even UFO's. There was nothing to compare it to; then again, maybe the word cherub should be defined as UFO.
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jar Member (Idle past 424 days) Posts: 34026 From: Texas!! Joined: |
Or it could mean cherub, an imaginary critter.
Aslan is not a Tame Lion
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Ihategod Member (Idle past 6060 days) Posts: 235 Joined: |
The Gospels speak of a human because at one time the Hebrews were asked if they wanted to be ruled by man or god; they responded "by man". Attempts were made to have a just ruler and king and all failed; including Solomon. That is the story behind the virgin birth. I have read the Bible, several versions and I research alot. Part of the unbelievability of the Bible is the limited language distinctions available when it was written. Look at the creation of Eve for instance, today we could say it appears she was cloned. I use Strong's Concordance to "reinterpret" Scripture in today's context. Similar to how Evolutionists have "reinterpreted" ToE into Punctuated Equilibria (PE). PE is indicative of Intelligent Design. What part of the bible are you referencing? I haven't read the bible yet. Also, how would "limited language distinctions" make the bible unbelievable? And what are you talking about with the cloning and what does that have to do with this topic? You should research the word "topic" since you like to "research alot." Here is a start:Topic Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
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ElOne Junior Member (Idle past 6073 days) Posts: 23 Joined: |
When you have a beef with a corporation, you dont get to talk to the president or ceo. Instead you, if you are lucky, get to talk to someone else. The Bible is full of encounters with "men-like beings". With Lot they forcibly led him out of the city. Jacob wrestled through the night with one. Another helped Peter get out of jail. When Jesus was baptized, a "cloud" carried him to the wilderness.
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Rob  Suspended Member (Idle past 5879 days) Posts: 2297 Joined: |
CS
Considering that, then all of Jesus' miracles could have been faked if he was an alien with significantly advanced technology. Well personally, I am assuming the technology to be advanced, yet as natural as gravity. Neither of which we understand... What's the difference between a fake miracle and a real one?
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