All right Joseph,
I'll play along with you. Solely for your benefit, as I do not think anyone else here has had such a hard time understanding what I have written. But, since God has shown me much patience, I will try to show you the same. However, God's patience has limits and so does mine. So this will be the last time I respond to you in this thread, or probably in any thread, since as some here have just pointed out, there seems to be little point in a Bible believer conversing with you on any subject.
1. Why would the Genesis writer not tell us that God had Noah plan for a possibly huge number of passengers, and that the huge space was not meant for the huge number of animals, two of every type over the face of the globe?
The writer of Genesis, traditionally understood to be Moses, apparently combined elements of at least two flood stories, which had been preserved by the Hebrew people he helped to free from Egypt, into his one story of Noah's flood. These flood stories had probably been preserved only as oral traditions which originated not with Noah himself, but with some of his descendants who may have heard Noah or his son Shem tell parts of what happened before, during and after the flood. If the oral traditions which the writer of Genesis based his flood account on did not preserve all of the details of Noah's flood the writer of Genesis would not have been able to include any such unmentioned details, unless they were directly revealed to him by God, which they may not have been.
2. Nobody on this list seriously believes in your theory, and there isn't a single Biblical scholar anywhere in the world, or from any time in the past four thousand years, who believes what you do, aChristian. How do you account for that?
I account for that by saying it is not true. What I have here suggested as an answer to your question was not my own idea, though I wouldn't mind taking credit for it. It is the belief of at least three highly respected and highly credentialed biblical scholars whom I have spoken with personally at some length on these and other matters. All three of these men have published their belief that the flood of Noah's day was an actual historical event which was confined to "the land of Noah" which is usually referred to as "Mesopotamia." I have mentioned their names and the names of their written works dealing with this subject matter on this forum before when it has been discussed in the past. If you really need to know the names of some other people who believe as I do, you can use this forum's search feature and read what I have written about the "flood" here before. At this time I would rather discuss ideas than the people who hold those ideas. I do not want to appear to be a follower of men or appear to be saying that we should believe something because "Doctor so and so" or "Professor so and so" believes it.
The reason nearly all Bible scholars and commentators in centuries past believed the flood was global was because not until very recently have the findings of scientists categorically proven that if Noah's flood actually occurred it could not have been a global one. These findings have compelled many modern day Bible readers and many modern day "Bible scholars" to take a closer look at the text of Genesis and see if it might actually be describing a large local flood. Before the findings of modern science compelled believers in a historical Noah's flood to consider the subject matter of "local vs. global" this issue was not an issue. For, as I freely admit, a simple reading of the Genesis account as it is commonly translated, using words like "mountains" and "earth" to translate Hebrew words which are usually translated elsewhere in the Old Testament as "hills" and "land," never really gave anyone any reason to believe the Bible was not describing a global flood.
3. How do you explain why the Genesis writer tells us that God told Noah to put food on the ark for the animals and for Noah and his family, and says nothing about putting enough food on the ark to feed all of the possibly huge number of repentant people who might come to the ark?
As I have already said, God may have told Noah to do so, but everything He said to Noah may not have been preserved in the flood traditions which the writer of Genesis based his flood account upon. Or, as Waiting said, God's words to Noah could have been understood by Noah as having implied that he should make such preparations. Or, as I have also said, God may never have told Noah to make such preparations or even implied that they should be made. God may have waited to give such instructions to Noah until He saw that some residents of Noah's land were repenting and that there would be a need for Noah to bring additional food onto the ark. If suddenly at the last minute hoards of people decided to repent God could have slightly delayed the flood until enough food was brought on board to feed all those last minute repenters. Or He could have canceled his Judgment altogether, as He did after Jonah had prophesied for forty days that Nineveh would be destroyed and many in that city repented.
4. Do you believe the Genesis writer was inspired by God, or not?
Certainly.
5. Do you believe that he was writing the Word of God, or not?
Yes.
6. If you believe he was writing the Word of God, then how do you explain the important omissions?
I don't see them as important. You are the only one I know of who seems to think such things amount to "important omissions." I don't take your opinion of such things too seriously, since I know you are one who picks apart virtually every passage of scripture in one way or another.
7. Why would God not make sure that his writer made it clear to you and me that the large space was for the repentant sinners who might come, and why did he not tell the writer that he told Noah also to put a huge amount of food on board for those people?
Because, as I said, I don't see that such details are that important to the story. I think it goes without saying, and always has, that if some people at the time of Noah's flood had repented that Noah would have found room for them on the ark.
8. 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.
Because, as I said, and as the Bible tells us, Noah served as "a preacher of righteousness" to the people of his land before the flood. And, as I have also already said, and as others here have had no problem in understanding me to say, the message "preachers of righteousness" have always preached is, "Repent and be saved." So Noah must have preached that message to the people of his land before the flood.
Joseph, I think I have clearly answered all of your questions. Some of them several times. If you now want to say that I have not answered them and claim credit for "winning" this "debate" be my guest. Or I suppose you can now start picking on a different aspect of my understanding of Noah's flood or some other part of the Bible. If you do, and if I do not respond to such criticisms, my not responding should not be understood to mean I have no answers for you. It should just be understood to mean that I do not think any answers on such matters could ever satisfy you. On this I certainly hope I am wrong.
