Why would God stop man from building a tower that reached into the "heavens" and yet let modern man reach even further with a space station and moon landings? (page 2)

upnorth

The Tower of Babel was built to get "up" with God.

The lunar missions and other lofty goals seem to be nothing more then "getting there first" and then trying to figure out what good it is.

I'd say it's similar to climbing Mt. McKinley, after you reach the top you enjoy the view for a moment and they you go back home.

"Nice view ! holy crap it's cold ! let's get out of here !"

Terry

The primitive world view of Heaven and Earth was quite small and analogue.

Earh was a large, circular disk (like a platter) and above it like a glass dome was heaven.

You could actually REACH heaven if you climbed up on top of a mountain!!

The Greeks, who were no slouches in science and philosophy, imagined Mout Olympus to be inhabited by all sorts of deities.

Moses had to go on top of Mt. Sinai to have an encounter with Jehovah and receive the ten words from his magic finger.

The Apostle Paul spoke about the Third Heaven which would be like a Penthouse today in which only the chief Deity of all would reside.

It is all PRIMITIVE thought being expressed in the Bible, my friends. The Tower of Babel threatened the VERY PLACE where God himself hung out. You just don't invade His majestic hood and get away with it!!

Terry

The primitive world view of Heaven and Earth was quite small and analogue.

Earh was a large, circular disk (like a platter) and above it like a glass dome was heaven.

You could actually REACH heaven if you climbed up on top of a mountain!!

The Greeks, who were no slouches in science and philosophy, imagined Mout Olympus to be inhabited by all sorts of deities.

Moses had to go on top of Mt. Sinai to have an encounter with Jehovah and receive the ten words from his magic finger.

The Apostle Paul spoke about the Third Heaven which would be like a Penthouse today in which only the chief Deity of all would reside.

It is all PRIMITIVE thought being expressed in the Bible, my friends. The Tower of Babel threatened the VERY PLACE where God himself hung out.

You just don't invade His majestic hood and get away with it!!

Below is an even earlier conception:

http://blog.beliefnet.com/scienceandthesacred/Ancient%20Science%20Diagram%20GIBERSON.jpg

JWoods

This "tower of Babel" story is one of the most inexplicable of all the bible legends. Nothing about it makes any sense.

How in the hell could primitive culture actually build a tower "up to God" anyway?

If God was all powerful - how could it threaten him? Why would God care what they built?

How, really, would having their languages scrambled do anything more than just delay their progress a century or so?

The only way to look at this is as a primative legend to attempt to explain why people in different regions have different languages.

Open mind

Answer from my 100% WT parents when one of us know-it-all JW teens asked this question:

The Tower of Babel was too early in human history to allow mankind to FULLY prove to Jehovah's satisfaction that human rule is hopelessly flawed and can never work.

That's right. A few more MILLENIA of human suffering and death were required for Sky Daddy to REALLY make his point and win the argument with his own rebellious teenager, Satan.

Isn't it satisfying to have nice neat answers for EVERYTHING?

om

awildflower

I think what happened was one guy said, "I don't know what the hell the other guy wants" and moved on. It may have been a lack of leadership, ego's flying, people stomping off all mad. Hmmmm??

JWoods

That's right. A few more MILLENIA of human suffering and death were required for Sky Daddy to REALLY make his point and win the argument with his own rebellious teenager, Satan.

So this JW "logic" was saying that Sky Daddy himself did not know FOR SURE that man could not form "good government" and needed to prove something on the subject to Satan???

Well, OK - but that is not the way I read the account. It says God felt they would "build the tower to heaven" FOR SURE if he DID NOT scramble the languages. I didn't recall anything about Satan in this one. Not, of course, that any of this makes any sense...anyway.