Aside from the 'story' aspect, imagine ONE person (or family) trying to build this gigantica ARK - that's a story in-and-of itself!
Just As In the Days of Noah
by Farkel 140 Replies latest watchtower bible
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JosephAlward
If God had hoped that a possibly huge number of people who repented might join Noah on the ark, then surely he would have let those people know that the flood was coming, and that they could go to the ark if they repented. But, the evidence shows that these sinners had not the slightest idea of the coming disaster, or that they would be saved if they repented. The conclusion we should reach, then, seem unavoidable: God provided ark space for only eight humans: Noah, his wife, and his three sons and their wives. All the rest of the space in that huge ark was set aside for two of every type of animal on the face of the globe, not just the comparatively few animals in what aChristian imagines is the “land of Noah.”
Joseph F. Alward
"Skeptical Views of Christianity and the Bible" -
aChristian
Joseph wrote: If God had hoped that a possibly huge number of people who repented might join Noah on the ark, then surely he would have let those people know that the flood was coming, and that they could go to the ark if they repented. But, the evidence shows that these sinners had not the slightest idea of the coming disaster, or that they would be saved if they repented.
To see that Joseph is most likely wrong about this all we have to do is remember that Peter called Noah "a preacher of righteousness." (2 Peter 2:5) When Peter did so he must have had some idea of what sort of message of "righteousness" Noah "preached." What would Peter have had in mind when He called Noah a "preacher of righteousness"? The answer is obvious. For there is only one kind of message which preachers of righteousness have always preached. Peter knew this message very well. For he himself was such a preacher. That being the case, to determine what sort of message of righteousness Peter believed Noah preached, all we have to do is look at what sort of message of righteousness Peter preached. The book of Acts records much of Peter's preaching. The Readers Digest version of the message of righteousness which Peter preached can be read in Acts 2:38-40. There we find that Peter urged all who listened to him to, "Repent" and "save yourselves from this corrupt generation."
But Joseph asks us to believe that, even though Peter called Noah "a preacher of righteousness," and even though Peter himself urged people to repent and save themselves from their corrupt generation, that Peter did not believe Noah preached a similar message.
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Faithful2Jah
Joseph,
It seems to me that you want to argue against anything and everything in the Bible, and against anything any Bible believer has to say. By doing so you sometimes end up looking less than brillant. There is plenty in the Bible to legitimately take issue with. My advise to you is "Choose your battles wisely." You will look a lot smarter, and what you do choose to say will have more credibility, once you begin to do so.
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JosephAlward
aChristian's recent response to my recent post doesn't make sense. I've never said a word about Peter, or Noah's righteousness. How does aChristians's comments about his "preacher of righteousness" rebut my argument?
My last post dealt with the sinners aChristian thinks God had hoped would repent and come to the ark, which aChristian thinks Noah made large enough to accommodate all of them, if they came. I pointed out that these sinners had not the slightest idea the flood was coming and that if they repented they could come to the ark and be saved.
Not a single one of these folks turned up at the ark, and it's no wonder they didn't, for there is zero evidence that God had given them any clue that the flood was coming soon, and that they could save themselves by entering the ark, as long as they repented.
On the contrary, we have good evidence that these folks were completely in the dark. Thus, we may reasonably conclude that God did not order an extra-large ark in order to accommodate a flood of repentant sinners; the large ark was built to house two of every type of animal on the face of the globe.
Don't tell us about "preachers of righteousness," aChristian; tell us why you still think the Lord ordered a huge ark be built because he hoped that a flood of repentant sinners would repent and come on board. Also tell us how God could have expected any of the sinners to know about the chance for redemption and the escape opportunity the ark presented; they didn't know, did they, aChristian?
Joseph F. Alward
"Skeptical Views of Christianity and the Bible" -
Faithful2Jah
Joseph,
I think what AC was saying was that since Peter called Noah "a preacher of righteousness" Peter must have thought Noah was preaching a "righteous" message before the flood. What could that righteous message have been other than "Repent and be saved"? For as AC pointed out, that is the message Peter preached. "Repent and be saved." So when Peter called Noah "a preacher of righteousness" he probably understood that Noah preached a message much like his own. And if Peter understood the story of Noah in this way, since Peter was an inspired apostle and Bible writer, it must be the correct way of understanding what happened at the time of Noah.
Joseph, I've read some fairly good arguments you have made. But as I said earlier this is not one of your better ones. Let it go.
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JosephAlward
Joseph, I think what AC was saying was that [comments snipped]... Let it go.
Faithful, I think it's better to let aChristian explain himself, since it's his argument I'm addressing. Furthermore, I also think it's better for him to ask me to stop questioning him, not you.
I'm still waiting for him to respond to my rebuttal of his claim about the reason God asked Noah to build such a large ark. No part of his comments about a "preacher of righteousness," and nothing you said to help him, in any way comes close to addressing my recent remarks.
Please read my previous post, aChristian, and respond in full to my argument. That argument was a rebuttal of your claim that God ordered Noah to build an extra-large ark not because there needed to be room for two of every type of animal on the face of the globe, but because he wanted there to be room for possibly very large numbers of repentant sinners. If you no longer believe you can defend that position, please say so now, and I will make Faithful happy and "let it go."
Joseph F. Alward
"Skeptical Views of Christianity and the Bible" -
Farkel
You Bible Thumpers are Idiots, and your arguments and evidence is laughable.
I know. I've seen that crap before. You poor folks are pissing in the wind....
Farkel
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aChristian
Joseph,
As you say, I believe "God ordered Noah to build an extra-large ark not because there needed to be room for two of every type of animal on the face of the globe, but because he wanted there to be room for possibly very large numbers of repentant sinners." I believe God may also have asked Noah to store enough food for all such people. As I said, I believe God probably said much more to Noah than is recorded in Genesis. Waiting was able to understand that point. Faithful was able to understand my argument that Peter apparently understood that Noah urged all in his land to repent and get on the ark to be saved. Why you have such a hard time understanding what I write I don't know. All I can figure out is that your obvious hate for the Bible and for Christianity has blinded your mind. (2 Cor. 4:4)
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JosephAlward
aChristian,
You comments about Peter, and your belief that God said more to Noah than is recorded, are totally nonresponsive to my questions. Will you please answer the questions I've asked? Maybe you missed them, so I'll repeat parts of my previous post below.
A previous post of mine dealt with the sinners you think God had hoped would repent and come to the ark, which you think Noah made large enough to accommodate all of them, if they came. I pointed out that these sinners had not the slightest idea the flood was coming and that if they repented they could come to the ark and be saved.
Do you deny this? If so, what evidence do you present to support your denial?
Not a single one of these folks turned up at the ark, and it's no wonder they didn't, for there is zero evidence that God had given them any clue that the flood was coming soon, and that they could save themselves by entering the ark, as long as they repented.
If you deny this, too, then what evidence can you show in support?
We have good evidence that these folks were completely in the dark. Thus, we may reasonably conclude that God did not order an extra-large ark in order to accommodate a flood of repentant sinners; the large ark was built to house two of every type of animal on the face of the globe.
Don't tell us about "preachers of righteousness," aChristian, or that part of God's instructions to Noah were left out of the Bible; please tell us why you still think the Lord ordered a huge ark be built because he hoped that a flood of repentant sinners would repent and come on board.
More importantly, please also tell us how God could have expected any of the sinners to know about the chance for redemption and the escape opportunity the ark presented.
They didn't know, did they, aChristian? If you believe they did know, will you please say so, and also tell us how you know this?
If they didn't know, then God would have known that they didn't know, because he knows everything; and, if God knew they didn't know then he would have had no expectation that they would come to the ark, would he?
Joseph F. Alward
"Skeptical Views of Christianity and the Bible"