Photo of a “round” earth

@moonbus said
I'm not convinced that whoever compiled the OT had any firm opinions about it either way, and anyway, the stories (plural) in Genesis were lifted from pre-hebraic myths common in the ME at that time from other religions. I am firmly convinced that all of these creation stories (Genesis, Gilgamesh, Hesiod, Theognis, etc.) were never intended to be literal explanations of how t ...[text shortened]... sfully navigated the oceans and populated all of the habitable Pacific islands thousands of yrs ago.

I think a flat Earth (and indeed an immovable Earth) would have been taken for granted by the writers of the Bible., and not just in an allegorical sense.

“He has fixed the earth firm, immovable.” 1 Chronicles 16:30

@ghost-of-a-duke said
I think a flat Earth (and indeed an immovable Earth) would have been taken for granted by the writers of the Bible., and not just in an allegorical sense.

“He has fixed the earth firm, immovable.” 1 Chronicles 16:30

Immovable and flat are two different things, not logically related. Galileo was threatened with torture if he did not recant about the Earth moving, but I’m not sure its shape mattered to the Vatican. That’s in any case long after the Bible was canonized, and Ancient Greek and Arabic knowledge were far more advanced than that of Central Europe in the Dark Ages.

@moonbus said
There is no call to bait him.

“Bait”

What [on flat earth] are you on about?

@moonbus said
Immovable and flat are two different things, not logically related. Galileo was threatened with torture if he did not recant about the Earth moving, but I’m not sure its shape mattered to the Vatican. That’s in any case long after the Bible was canonized, and Ancient Greek and Arabic knowledge were far more advanced than that of Central Europe in the Dark Ages.

Two different things indeed old chap, but both supported by the bible.

@moonbus said
There is no call to bait him.

His inability to engage is part of his Christian ministry in this community.

@ghost-of-a-duke said
Two different things indeed old chap, but both supported by the bible.

Supported by one peculiar interpretation of the Bible, that much I will concede. I am still not convinced that those who wrote it were at all interested in its shape or motion, no more so than they were interested in how it came to be, not literally (geologically) anyway. The Book of Genesis isn’t original to the Hebrews; it’s a rehash of the Babylonian epic Enuma Elish. The Babylonians probably took it in the same way as ancient Greeks took Homer: an entertaining embellishment on an old legend. I don’t think any ancient Greek upon hearing Homer’s account of the battle at Troy really believed that one particular hero’s liver, rather than his spleen or his kidney, was gouged out by a spear, not literally anyway.

@divegeester said
“Bait”

What [on flat earth] are you on about?

Were you hoping he would weigh in here and defend not only the Young Earth Hypothesis, but the Flat Earth Hypothesis as well ?

@moonbus said
Were you hoping he would weigh in here and defend not only the Young Earth Hypothesis, but the Flat Earth Hypothesis as well ?

No, I was questioning your petulant use of “bait”

@divegeester said
No, I was questioning your petulant use of “bait”

Petulant? Moi??

@moonbus said
Were you hoping he would weigh in here and defend not only the Young Earth Hypothesis, but the Flat Earth Hypothesis as well ?

If he believes they are absolute truths and he believes the indwelling Holy Spirit is guiding his testimony, why not?

@divegeester said
No, I was questioning your petulant use of “bait”

I'm questioning your petulant use of petulant.

@moonbus said
Supported by one peculiar interpretation of the Bible, that much I will concede. I am still not convinced that those who wrote it were at all interested in its shape or motion, no more so than they were interested in how it came to be, not literally (geologically) anyway. The Book of Genesis isn’t original to the Hebrews; it’s a rehash of the Babylonian epic Enuma Elish. The ...[text shortened]... hero’s liver, rather than his spleen or his kidney, was gouged out by a spear, not literally anyway.

I agree their interest was not in the shape of the Earth. Nevertheless, the language used indicates their preconceived (and unchallenged) understanding of the world they lived on.

@ghost-of-a-duke said
I agree their interest was not in the shape of the Earth. Nevertheless, the language used indicates their preconceived (and unchallenged) understanding of the world they lived on.

This is the ancient man (although not ancient in terms of evolution) the Bible (OT) was written by and for in the first place.

They didn't know much about much. If God indeed talked to them as they claimed, He should have set them straight on a few things. Like maybe clue Abraham in on the result of him running off and having a child with his wife's handmaiden, instead of trusting in God's will. "His people" are still paying the price for that one.

@suzianne said
This is the ancient man (although not ancient in terms of evolution) the Bible (OT) was written by and for in the first place.

They didn't know much about much. If God indeed talked to them as they claimed, He should have set them straight on a few things. Like maybe clue Abraham in on the result of him running off and having a child with his wife's handmaiden, instead of trusting in God's will. "His people" are still paying the price for that one.

Why didn't He? (Set them straight on a few things).

@ghost-of-a-duke said
Why didn't He? (Set them straight on a few things).

Beats me.

Maybe he overestimated Abraham's faith. Maybe he thought that "his people" would follow through on their desire to "follow him". They screwed up and got punished numerous times.