Do I need a degree in advanced physics?
Yesterday I was talking to a co-worker about inconsistencies I see in the Bible. One has bothered me since my young days as a Sunday School student with perfect attendance. Maybe someone in cyberland or perhaps a brave minister might dare to provide me with an answer. If you can provide me a valid explanation a $20 Starbucks card is in it for you.
According to the Bible, Moses and Aaron talked to Pharaoh about letting the Jewish slaves free. To convince Pharaoh:
“The LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs’-and they will turn to blood. Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in the wooden buckets and stone jars.” (Genesis 7:19) When Pharaoh basically says “No way Jose.” Aaron takes his staff and every drop of water in Egypt turns to blood.
I am willing to give the benifit of the doubt on that. All the water in Egypt turns to blood. Cool plague. Where biblical creadibility gets dodgy is in verse 22 where Pharohs croonies preformed the same miracle. ”But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts…”
Now if in the first verse it tells us that alll the water in the land, even that in containers turned to blood, where did the Egyptians get their water to preform their miracle? I doubt that Alhambra delivered.
So, is it worth a Starbucks gift card to help shed some light on this, um, ‘miracle’ for me?
Nulaanne said,
December 3, 2008 @ 6:36 am
There are two schools of thought on this one. First that it was silt washed down from upstream. Second that it was an actual mirical. What I belive is to long to put in a comment space. One way to look at it is literaly. “God said it it happened.” The other way is to look at it through historical and anthological studies. That opens up a whole other can of worms.
June said,
December 3, 2008 @ 4:40 pm
Great photo–you’re so cute! If I’d’ve sat behind you in Bible study class, I would’ve pulled your pigtails the first day.
Imho, ya shoulda been a lawyer. Chesterton offered multiple references asserting that problems of moral conduct have plagued society since the beginning of time, justifying perhaps such means as lying and evasion in any push toward democracy. From that perspective, why should we make a straw man argument against the writer(s) of Genesis? On the other hand, something about the way you wrote this reminds me of Oscar Wilde: “When I think of all the harm the bible has done, I despair of ever writing anything to equal it.” This is one of those never-ending, circular debates, isn’t it?
p.s. Are double contractions technically illegal? I mean the literary kind, of course, not the muscular kind.
p.s.s. Popeye is adorable. The little guy is in my prayers.