The WT asks: Was the Flood of Noah's Day Really Global?

by undercover 23 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  undercover

  The subject of the day at watchower.org is about Noah's flood.

  A direct link to the article is here: http://www.watchtower.org/e/20080601/article_01.htm

  In the article highlighted this comment is made:

  Geologists studying the landscape of the northwestern United States believe that as many as 100 ancient catastrophic floods once washed over the area. One such flood is said to have roared through the region with a wall of water 2,000 feet high, traveling at 65 miles an hour—a flood of 500 cubic miles of water, weighing more than two trillion tons. Similar findings have led other scientists to believe that a global flood is a distinct possibility.

  Of course, no references are given as to who these scientists are and what they say exactly.

  But hey, that's not needed as definite proof is given in the very next paragraph:

  For those who believe that the Bible is God’s Word, though, a global flood is more than a possibility. It is a fact. (italics mine) Jesus said to God: “Your word is truth.” The apostle Paul wrote that God’s will is that “all sorts of men should be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of truth.” How could Paul teach followers of Jesus the doctrinal truth if God’s Word contains myths?

  So for all you guys that have been harping on Noah and the flood the last couple of weeks, you can rest assured that despite all your arguments against such an event happening, God has provided documentation through his earthly channel that this event did take place.

  So there....nyaaahhh
• 

  leavingwt

  Nathan Knorr: "You can debate this stuff all you want in this room. When it comes off of the sixth floor (Pressroom), however, it's The Truth!"
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  jwfacts

  I find it hard to understand why the WTS continues to take this stance that the flood was global. A global flood is impossible and proponents of it look like fools. There is no reason that the WTS couldn't step into reality at least on this point and argue that the Bible supports a large local flood.
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  Kudra

  Holy crap... bleh.

  Geologists studying the landscape of the northwestern United States believe that as many as 100 ancient catastrophic floods once washed over the area. One such flood is said to have roared through the region with a wall of water 2,000 feet high, traveling at 65 miles an hour—a flood of 500 cubic miles of water, weighing more than two trillion tons. Similar findings have led other scientists to believe that a global flood is a distinct possibility.

  One of the geologists that researches the Missoula Floods (which is what the quote is speaking of) is on my graduate committee and would split his sides knowing that work on those floods is being used to back up JW flood stories... Look them up to see why the above quote is total crap. They were glacial and they know the EXACT mechanism that caused them. Absolutely no possible way they could be related in any sense to a "global flood". They are called glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and they happen all over the world where there are (or were) large glacially-dammed lakes. Creationist hacks have long yearned to claim them as "global flood water deposits" or some such rot.

  This advisor is a really cool guy with a big interest in the history of science and the intersection of religion (particularly fundies) and science. He wanted to have a History of Science seminar one year but couldn't get enough students to take it... I said I would!

  Anyhoo, it is actually great to read that the JWs still take the flood as literal so that when eventually they have to eat their words (as they did on the age of the earth and universe) we have archived proof that they are flip-floppers!

  -K
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  Kudra

  Similar findings have led other scientists to believe that a global flood is a distinct possibility.

  I don't believe it. This is an outright lie.
• 

  moshe

  It is not possible to accept the fact that The flood of Noah was a rehash of the prehistoric oral flood stories. Why? Well, Jesus believed in a future day of global judgement, just as in the day of Noah. Knowledgeable people accept that the flood of Noah was not 40 days of rain that covered the highest mountain. The son of god should have known this, too. Losing respect for Jesus means losing repect for the authority of the Watchtower Org, too.
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  sspo

  How easy it is to pick and choose what they need to support their lies.
• 

  Leolaia

  jwfacts.....But you see, that would mess up the Armageddon antitype, unless Armageddon is going to be local to just New York City or Las Vegas.

  Kudra....Here is a quote you're going to just love.

  *** gm chap. 8 pp. 113-114 Science: Has It Proved the Bible Wrong? ***
  
  If we grant that a great flood could have happened, why have scientists found no trace of it? Perhaps they have, but they interpret the evidence some other way. For example, orthodox science teaches that the surface of the earth has been shaped in many places by powerful glaciers during a series of ice ages. But apparent evidence of glacial activity can sometimes be the result of water action. Very likely, then, some of the evidence for the Flood is being misread as evidence of an ice age....

  An editorial in the magazine Biblical Archaeologist observed: "It is important to remember that the story of a great flood is one of the most widespread traditions in human culture . . . Nevertheless behind the oldest traditions found in Near Eastern sources, there may well be an actual flood of gigantic proportions dating from one of the pluvial periods . . . many thousands of years ago." The pluvial periods were times when the surface of the earth was much wetter than now. Freshwater lakes around the world were much larger. It is theorized that the wetness was caused by heavy rains associated with the end of the ice ages. But some have suggested that on one occasion the extreme wetness of the earth’s surface was a result of the Flood.

  Geology professor John McCampbell once wrote: "The essential differences between Biblical catastrophism [the Flood] and evolutionary uniformitarianism are not over the factual data of geology but over the interpretations of those data. The interpretation preferred will depend largely upon the background and presuppositions of the individual student."

  Tell your geologist friend that he misinterpreted the data for the Missoula floods — the evidence of a glacial cause of those floods is really evidence of a global Flood being the cause, cuz evidence for the Flood can be misread (thanks to your friend's sciencey presuppositions) as evidence of ice ages. Cuz, like, liquid water can do the same thing that ice can do. Simple.

  Now I'd like to see the engineering involved to make the ark withstand the force of walls of water 2,000 feet high capable to slicing through solid rock.
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  parakeet

  If the someone from the WTS were to present such "evidence" at a geological conference, without complete documentation of their "research" and field work to support their findings, they would be laughed out of the auditorium.

  The WTS is not trying to convert geologists -- they know better than that. They're targeting those with minimal education, to whom the WT's specious explanations make sense.
• 

  oompa

  geeze leo.....you know gods holy spirit would keep the ark same........cmon........oomps