6000 yrs for mankind

by lastmanstanding 24 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  lastmanstanding

  I have a question to the board.

  If someone asks you the below question, how do you respond? Please reflect on why you think the question was asked. (Background... the spouse was talking to dubs about 6000 yrs and wanted to tell them that it was proved false)

  “HAVE THEY PROVED THAT MAN HAS NOT BEEN HERE FOR 6000 YEARS?”

  I would like to mention that my answer was...

  ”IT DOESN’T MATTER”

  Please reflect on my answer also, as it was not intended to be facetious. It was intended to be the most brief yet comprehensive answer that I could muster based on my studies and faith as a Christian and student of science.

  Also, do you think that it deserved to be blown up into a huge fit of anger by spouse?

  And was this a scientific question or a religious one?
• 

  Jeffro

  It seems that either the question is misreported or something is missing from the context. If the question were asking whether ‘they’ have proved that humans had existed for MORE than 6000 years, then it was almost certainly a religious question. Though if it is about a discussion with JWs, then it’s almost certainly a religious question (with only incidental relevance to science) anyway. Perhaps the question is meant to say “only” instead of “not”?

  I’m not aware of any statistically significant view suggesting humans have existed for less than 6000 years (though there are minor and sometimes purely conjectural views that everything could have been made ‘as is’ only a very short time ago), and it’s unlikely that a JW would be discussing those views.

  But the other aspect is that if the person specifically asked for information about proving a view false, the response that “It doesn’t matter” isn’t particularly helpful and might understandably elicit some irritation. Perhaps “I don’t know” would have been a better response if you couldn’t (or didn’t want to) provide any helpful information.
• 

  TD

  I don't understand the question myself.

  Technically, the JW's believe that humans have been here for a little more than six thousand years, although it has been so long since they have discussed anything of this nature that most simply don't know and don't care.

  Most other people believe, based on the physical evidence, that humans have been here a whole lot longer.

  I'm not personally aware of any groups who believe it is less than six thousand years.

  If I were asked the question, I might be tempted to point out that negatives can't be proven, but would probably just say, "I don't know" which is perfectly true. I don't.....
• 

  lastmanstanding

  But 6000 watchtower years is not a science question. A science question would be “how long do science thinkers believe man’s been around”.

  So, I spoke from my perspective, watchtowers 6000 yrs doesn’t matter, not to science and not to Christians who are not otherwise influenced by religious propaganda.
• 

  Jeffro

  TD:

  I might be tempted to point out that negatives can't be proven,

  It’s not really the case that ‘negatives can’t be proven’. (Saying 1+1 doesn’t equal 3 is just as provable as 1+1 equals 2.)

  Though perhaps you’re just using this as shorthand for ‘the burden of proof lays with the person making the assertion’.
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  Jeffro

  The question as phrased in the thread is ambiguous. It could mean “have humans not yet existed for 6000 years” or “have humans existed for longer than 6000 years”. Assuming the latter, the briefest and correct answer would be “yes” (though “I don’t know” would be a convenient shortcut to terminate the discussion amicably).

  In the context of responding to your spouse, just saying “it doesn’t matter” without elaboration is probably the worst possible response. Pre-supposing a specific reply to a response that essentially shut down the line of inquiry might have seemed enigmatic but was doomed to fail.
• 

  TD

  Jeffro,

  όχι ακριβώς

  I'm talking about a textbook example of proof of nonexistence. (Perhaps a misstatement on the OP's part)

  That proposition is only provable in specific situations where a definite test can be devised; as in an exact science like mathematics.
• 

  truth_b_known

  “HAVE THEY PROVED THAT MAN HAS NOT BEEN HERE FOR 6000 YEARS?”

  That is specific to Protestant/Reformation Christian sects. Persons belonging to such sects are obsessed with their chosen structured belief system's scientifically inaccurate narrative that modern humans have only walked the earth for 6,000 years because a literal (Sola Scriptura) reading of Genesis says so.

  "What does it matter?" is a question. Not an answer. An example of a decent answer would be "The builders of Göbeklitepe would have the answer to your question."
  
  
• 

  waton

  together with the latest scrolls they found a beautiful basket dated as > 10 000 years old, so the 6 000 year limit for human consciousness, is a basket case.
• 

  Diogenesister

  Yes. Human artefacts going back many thousands of years, for one. Such as the kind of “Venus” found at Hohle fels caves and the “lion man” of Swabia, Germany, nearly 40,000 years old both. We also have bone flutes of a similar age and skull beads found in Israel over 100,000 years old.

  watchtower claims dating methods are off but their information around that is extremely dated to say the least. A rudimentary check will flood a truly interested party with information on how long man has existed. Trouble is most witnesses are not truly interested.