Is the Bible science fiction?

Joanna writes: There's some debate among Faith Central's commenters about the veracity of Noah's Ark. An aminated film of the Biblical story, Noah's Ark The New Beginning, is out in cinemas this year. Internet Movie Data Base, the movie junkie's bible has the info. It also lists the film under the key words Science Fiction Literature.

Comments

[jim]

Can someone tell me what really is meant by the Noah's Ark story.

No-one can argue sensibly that it could have happened
[ie: 2 of each of untold millions of species from all over the globe from every living kingdom, phylum, class, including microbes (how did he count just 2?) rounded up, housed, fed (tough for carnivores, let alone finicky eaters) and kept alive for 40 days (pity about those whose life expectancy is less than that) in adverse and adversarial conditions].

Is it just to stress primitively that you better obey God or else......
or is it an allegory about "going spiritually through the fire" of life's trials, or a specific trial, and coming out the other side stronger and "closer to God"?

How could anyone with a working brain believe it as true story???

[Rick Beekman]

I believe the story of Noah's Ark. I also believe all the stories in The Bible.
The ones who don't believe it are the usual group of scoffers..Atheists..Secular Humanists.Those Who generally think everything has an Explanation based on their worldly but non-spiritual understanding of Events in the Bible they deem "Impossible".

The reason for these stories is to teach we lowly humans what God has done..And what he can and will do.

It's based on Faith in Him and His Word.
When we study the Word of God we find out all about human nature and how nothing has really changed within our mortal minds since Adam and Eve.

In Genesis 8 v 4 we read where the Ark rested upon Mt. Ararat as the waters receded.
Sattelite Photos confirm taken in 1972 that something very large is encased in Ice on top of that Mountain.
How could any large Ship get up there unless Water rested it there as The Bible says?

[john]

I'd file it under comedy stories to be honest.

I mean, a supreme creator (capable of creating humanity from dust and ribs)able to do anything chooses the best way to wipe out life on earth is with a flood? what about those evil "mugger" fish or the "hoodie" mammals?

[john]

It just get's better and better - do you honestly think if Noah's Ark was really up there that all the evangelist money floating around the US wouldn't have lead to a creationist expedition to retrieve it and finally provide a shred of evidence?

That, incidentally would be one more piece of evidence for your sky daddy than you currently have.

Pray tell - without using an anecdote, describe spiritual understanding of the bible.

Because my spirit understands if I don't believe in the big mans son, It's burn baby burn, disco inferno for eternity. Seems like a fair punishment from a loving God if you ask me.

Sometimes you don't have to respond creationist statements, you just have to underline them.

[Alistair]

Even Steve Chalke of Faithworks has publicly called the creation story a corruption of an ancient Babylonian myth. Filing the bible under "mythology" would be more relevant, along with the mythical gods of Egypt, Rome, Greece etc.

Rick, your "argument" such as it is, is no more than you claiming that I would believe what you believe if I just believed it too. Sadly, what you advocate is nothing to do with "spiritual understanding". Once you believe, without being able to offer any evidence, in what is in the bible, or the koran, or the upanishads, or the Egpytian Book of the Dead, then it becomes your own little reality.

Once you believe explanations come from the spirit world, then you can make up whatever you want and believe in it as passionately as you like too - but that doesn't make it true.

Or perhaps you think David Icke really is the new Messiah?

[Rick Beekman]

John;
God our Creator can do whatever he pleases. He usually does things to suit his purposes not necessarily for what we think. He knows The end from the beginning. God could have chosen to just let everyone drop dead except the chosen animals etc and of course Noah and his family. There is no human now or past or in the future who is any match for the Wisdom and creator.

[Fatpie42]

The main conflicts between the claims of a literal worldwide flood and the actual scientific evidence are tackled on the following website (which provides an index of claims and refutes each one):
http://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/list.html#CH400-CH599

The site also shows that the Ark's described dimensions are larger than would have been feasible for the time period and that catering for two of every animal for such a long time period would also have been unfeasible.

Then there's the issue which Eddie Izzard points out concerning 'evil ducks'....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFdmG-TRxzE
(watch the video from 6:30 to see the relevant section)

[Felix Turner]

All religious people please stop saying Noah's Ark is true. It was adapted as a religious story when a river overflowed in ancient Babylon and an ark that had a lot of animals in it were saved. The sattelite photos are most probaly a rock formation.

[jim]

Rick, there have been numerous attempts to find an ark since then, and all have failed to do so. The conclusion is there are no ark remains, and wouldn't be even of there had been one.
You seem to be clinging to a single floating log of sinking belief if you hold on to the ark belief. It's hard to admit one has been wrong for a lifetime, and I feel for you in your narrow-minded prejudice, but you ARE wrong.

[Cosmo]

Well, at least by labeling the film sci-fi the good folks at IMDb see no problem in mixing science and religion...

[Konrad Czerepowicz]

Re:Rick Beekman
Here we have the usual believer who puts forward faith as an argument. Faith is nothing but believing someting without the need for proof! Eg:"In Genesis 8 v 4 we read where the Ark rested upon Mt. Ararat as the waters receded.
Sattelite Photos confirm taken in 1972 that something very large is encased in Ice on top of that Mountain.How could any large Ship get up there unless Water rested it there as The Bible says?"
Who has stated that it is a ship in the photo...a massive leap of faith there...also I think that modern satellite photos are of a much higher definition than those of 1972 and so this 'large Ship' would easily be spotted.

[kevin]

If you check Dawkins site out you'll see how discussion of the flood and Noahs shark is endless. Possibly because we share a trace memory of flood disasters having, as a species, followed the coastal routes to world domination?

[alan]

Well it's certainly not science.

[ceseeley]

One of the main points of stories like Noah's Ark is to help one from the Old Testament into the New Testament so that one will learn to walk in the Spirit after being Born Again, Baptized and given the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Our bodies were designed by God to be guided by the Holy Spirit. That is what those scripture about the Holy Temple imply.

If you want to experience the more Abundant Life that Christ promised and have become Born Again and Baptized by immersion, then start taking Roman 12:1-2 seriously in your life so that you can prove what is God's perfect will for your life as compared to His permissive will.

Don't be afraid to turn everything over to God for guidance because that one thing that you are not willing to turn over to God (i.e. money, materialism ... etc.) can put you into bondage and the last thing that God wants for any Christian is for them to be in bondage to anything.

God wants you to experience Christian Liberty which means that you are free 24/7 to be guided by the Holy Spirit. Who knows if one every reaches that standard but God knows your heart and your willingness.

One can take on the scripture admonition to walk in the Spirit through faith and obedience:

Rom 8:1 [There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Gal 5:16 [This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

As Christians, we should let the Holy Spirit guide us every moment of every day.

One of the functions of the Holy Spirit is to interpret scripture the way God intended. It is not what we think, but what the Holy Spirit guides us to think; then God gets the glory.

Please, read Rom 12:1-2, letting the Holy Spirit guide you.

The is nothing so far that I know the compares to the joy, peace and supernatural experiences that come with walking in the Holy Spirit's guidance and believe me I have a long way to go through obedience, faith, God's mercy and grace.

[Rick Beekman]

To All;
Seems I am the only one on this thread who believes the Story of Noah And His Ark.

I guess God Really did'nt ask Adam to name all the animals Either..(Genesis 2 verses 19 & 20). According to the "Experts" on this thread there is no possible way God could have brought all the animals to Adam from all over so Adam could name them. Another one has stated the story of the flood is a Babylonian myth. I Just Wanted All Of You To Know All Of You Are Dead Wrong...But the Good News Is I'm Not Upset And Love All Of You!!

[Alex Mcgregor]

There is an obvious divide here between unquestioning faith-heads (Rick Beekman and CESEELEY) and rational entities (Jim, John and Alistair). The first group have no recourse but to their own scripture, and seem to have very little awareness of the fact that to take Christian scripture seriously you need to be Christian in the first place! To anyone who ISN'T already of the Christian faith, their arguments of course do nothing to further the debate.

The second group gives practical reasons why the Ark story can only be read as a work of fiction; they show the ability to question the evidence and use common sense to interpret ancient texts.

From the perspective of a member of the second group, the inane ramblings of the faith-heads appear more and more the rants of the insane.

Rick's unique writing style - WITH UNNECCESSARY CAPITALS! ("I Just Wanted All Of You To Know All Of You Are Dead Wrong...But the Good News Is I'm Not Upset And Love All Of You!!") - doesn't help us take him seriously, either.

Someone please rid us of our priests!

[iain rae]

Noahs ark is true bcause my granny told me.She says he was a skilled carpenter and was interested in wilderbeest and antartic penguins.

[Rick Beekman]

Psalm 12 v 15; "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes; But he that hearkeneth unto Counsel is wise."

1 Corinthians 3 V 18 & 19; "Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world; Let him become a fool That he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written he taketh the wise in their own craftiness."

Titus 1 V 15 & 16; "Unto the Pure all things are pure; but unto them that are defiled and unbeleiving is nothing pure; But even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess they know God; but in works they deny him being abomnable and disobedient and in every good work reprobate."

Amen & Amen...