Posted by Amanda on January 09, 1997 at 21:05:09:
In Reply to: Re: Science Education crisis posted by Tyler Bradley on January 09, 1997 at 09:28:56:
: : I do understand that there is evidence for the Big Bang - and I thank you for taking the time to write it out in detail - but I do not see at all how "let there be light" can be interpreted to signify the Big Bang. Why was it not until the evidence was found for such a 'beginning' that people began finding the passages in the bible that might fit into this? What about all of the other passages of the SAME book that obviously do not agree with some of the evidence discovered by science?
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: Well, I guess what I'd say to you that light is the most common manifestation of energy, and that the idea of a pure energy inception and "Let there be Light" really say the same thing. The difference is that figurative writing uses metaphor and allegory and science frames information in mathematics and logical thought. I am not sure how to eloquate this any better! I do not feel that, if I am readng you correctly, we are scientifically describing, in retrospect, the events in that Book and that it holds absolute truth throughout its pages. I am one of the last people you'll find that thinks it able to be taken as literal. All that I'm stating is that science has described this model, and in looking back I think, "Hmmm. That is a remarkable coincidence. Perhaps there was gifted insight here." I am not saying anything about Divine Revelation. These human writers had a flash of artistic insight the way that the Cubists of late last century foresaw the developments that Einstein would usher in a decade or so later. Those artisans were presenting objects as they would appear if viewed from all sides simultaneously- precisely what one would observe when traveling at luminal velocity
From what I've read - during the time the bible was written - the sun was not believed to be the source of the 'main' light - so, it was my understanding that those who wrote the bible believed that the light was created first and a few days later the sun. If I were to believe that these people of 2000 years ago could foresee the big bang - then I'd be willing to believe in anything - tarot cards, runes, alien abduction etc... I don't know anything about the Cubists foreseeing Einstein but if you are right, and considering the time span between one and the other - I think there is more to that possibility than the bible writers knowing something about the Big Bang. The Cubists prophecy might be compared to Nostradamus' prophecy on Hitler - he never actually foresaw WWII and fascism and nazism and Hitler per se - but out of all the prophecies he made (and he made plenty) some could be construed as pertaining to recent events since his death. I just can't see the evidence Tyler - Another book though that might be enjoyable is Tim Callahan's "Bible Prophecy" - I haven't picked it up yet - it's just coming out now - but it looks like a well done piece of work on topics such as this one.