Space Forum / Space Science / July 2008

On Thu 27 Dec 2007 Sound of Trumpet <sound_of_trumpet@hotpop.com> wrote:  

       
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Just curious. Is that how the survey question was posed, to wit:    
     
"Do you believe the biblical Genesis account of creation, which    
tells us that God created the whole Universe in six solar days?"    
     
I mean, you didn't stipulate earth days, solar days, or whatever,    
but you implied it by not otherwise quantifying what a day means.        
Sure, fundamentalist Christians will reply "we just don't know",
"nobody knows" etc., and yet they believe it's true nonetheless.      
   
It's like they're saying "I don't know much about the bible, or      
what was going on in the minds of its divinely-inspired authors,  
but I believe everything the bible says anyway." It's like they
shun knowledge as if all higher learning were evil or "Satanic".        
What Atheists call "nonsense", the fundies call "devil-worship".    
     
I sincerely doubt that 60% of so-called "Americans" believe that    
God Created His whole infinite and eternal Universe in six solar
days! But if they do, they read the Genesis account from dumbed-      
down English versions. Serious Christians should be reading from
the Vulgate, and the LXX, and in the same Spirit of the original      
authors and translators. If they read from the original texts in
Hebrew (with smatterings of Aramaic) and Greek, they rely on the        
dumbed-down English translations. For example here's Exodus 3:14
(I think of Descartes' "Cogito ergo sum". We see where he got it):    
       
      "dixit    Deus ad     Mosen  ego sum qui  sum      
       and said Zeus toward Moses, I   am  that I am.
         
       ait         sic  dices  filiis          Israhel
       and He said Thus say to the children of Israel,        
                 
       qui  est misit   me ad     vos"          
       I AM is  sending me toward you.    
         
Why do the fundies have such a hard time with ancient names for      
the One and only Supreme God of heaven? Names like Theos, Zeus,    
Deus, Jupiter, Jehovah, also used in the intensive singular of
the definitively plural Elohiym. Very same God, many different      
names in many different languages in many different times upon
the earth. Like the Greek phrase "kuriov o yeov o pantokratwr",      
literally, "the Dominant one Theos Almighty" (ref. Apocalypse,
Revelation 4:8, 19:6, 21:22), Lord God Almighty, it all means          
the same One Universal Creator of the Universe, our heavenly    
father. So why do fundies have a problem with names like Zeus,      
Theos, Jupiter, or Jehovah? Different names for the same One,
True God of the Universe, also known as The Emperor of heaven.    
         
Keeping that in mind, read Genesis 1:1-31 and 2:1-4, literally      
translated from Jerome's Latin Vulgate, interlinear, (Elohiym):
     
                          (SOLIS)          
         
"in principio     creavit Deus caelum     et  terram     terra        
in the beginning created Zeus the heaven and the earth. earth
           
autem   erat  inanis et  vacua    et  tenebrae    super      
however to be inane  and vacuous, and tenebrosity was upon
           
faciem   abyssi        et  spiritus   Dei         ferebatur
the face of the abyss. and the spirit of the Gods did approach    
       
super aquas       dixitque Deus fiat         lux    et  facta      
upon  the waters. and said Zeus Let there be light, and was made
       
est   lux    et  vidit   Deus lucem      quod esset  bona  et      
to be light. and did see Zeus the light, that it was good. and
         
divisit    lucem     ac   tenebras         appellavitque        
divided He the light from the tenebrosity, and appellated Him  
         
lucem     diem et  tenebras        noctem  factumque      
the light Day, and the tenebrosity Night.  and this was
       
est   vespere et  mane     dies unus" --Genesis 1:1-5      
to be evening and morning, day  one.

           
                           (LVNE)      
     
"dixit    quoque   Deus fiat         firmamentum in medio      
and said likewise Zeus Let there be a firmament in the midst
       
aquarum        et  dividat       aquas      ab   aquis      
of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
       
et  fecit Deus firmamentum    divisitque     aquas      quae    
and made  Zeus the firmament, and divided He the waters which  
       
erant sub   firmamento    ab   his   quae  erant super      
to be below the firmament from those which to be above    
     
firmamentum    et  factum      est   ita   vocavitque      
the firmament, and it was made to be thus. and called
     
Deus firmamentum   caelum  et  factum est   vespere et    
Zeus the firmament Heaven. and it was to be evening and
         
mane     dies secundus" 6-8
morning, day  second.
             

                          (MARTIS)      
 
"dixit    vero      Deus congregentur            aquae      quae    
and said in verity Zeus Let them be congregated the waters which  
     
sub       caelo       sunt  in locum    unum et  appareat
are under the heaven, to be in locality one, and let to appear      
       
arida    factumque    est   ita   et  vocavit Deus aridam        
aridity, and this was to be thus. and called  Zeus the arid land
           
terram congregationesque       aquarum    appellavit     maria      
Earth, and the congregation of the waters appellated Him Seas.    
         
et  vidit   Deus quod esset  bonum         et  ait        
and did see Zeus that it was a good thing. and He said  
         
germinet           terra     herbam   virentem  et  facientem      
Let be germinating the earth the herb virescent and to be making
           
semen et  lignum   pomiferum  faciens fructum iuxta   genus    
seed, and the tree pomiferous making  fruit   near to the genus
       
suum   cuius semen in semet  ipso                 sit        
of it, whose seed  in itself of his very own kind is to be,
         
super terram     et  factum est   ita   et  protulit      
upon  the earth, and it was to be thus. and brought forth
             
terra     herbam   virentem  et  adferentem semen iuxta      
the earth the herb virescent and producing  seed  near to

genus     suum   lignumque    faciens fructum et  habens        
the genus of it, and the tree making  fruit   and having
         
unumquodque sementem secundum speciem     suam   et  vidit
each one    sowing   after    the species of it. and did see      
       
Deus quod esset  bonum         factumque    est   vespere et        
Zeus that it was a good thing. and this was to be evening and
     
mane     diestertius" 9-13      
morning, day third.
         

                         (MERCVRII)
           
"dixit    autem    Deus fiant        luminaria  in firmamento        
and said moreover Zeus Let there be luminaries in the firmament
       
caeli           ut          dividant diem    ac   noctem     et        
of the heavens, in order to divide   the day from the night. and
         
sint          in  signa  et  tempora      et  dies      et        
they shall be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and
       
annos      ut            luceant    in firmamento    caeli          
for years, in order that the lights in the firmament of the heavens
   
et   inluminent    terram     et  factum est   ita   fecitque      
also to illuminate the earth, and it was to be thus. and made

Deus duo magna luminaria   luminare     maius   ut          
Zeus two great luminaries, the luminary greater in order that        
   
praeesset    diei     et  luminare     minus  ut
to be ruling the day, and the luminary lesser in order that
     
praeesset    nocti      et   stellas    et  posuit      
to be ruling the night. also the Stars, and from their position
     
eas             in firmamento    caeli           ut       lucerent    
to be advancing in the firmament of the heavens, in order to shine
           
super terram     et  praeessent   diei    ac       nocti          
over  the earth, and to be ruling the day and also the night,
               
et  dividerent     lucem     ac   tenebras         et  vidit      
and to be dividing the light from the tenebrosity. and did see
                       
Deus quod esset  bonum         et  factum est   vespere et
Zeus that it was a good thing. and it was to be evening and        
     
mane     dies quartus" 14-19          
morning, day  fourth.
                 

                          (IOVIS)          
           
"dixit    etiam       Deus producant        aquae          
and said furthermore Zeus Let be producing the waters      
 
reptile               animae    viventis   et  volatile          
the creeping creature breathing with life, and those volant

super terram    sub   firmamento    caeli           creavitque
above the earth under the firmament of the heavens. and created      
       
Deus cete      grandia et  omnem          animam    viventem        
Zeus the whale great,  and every creature breathing with life
         
atque      motabilem     quam  produxerant   aquae      in        
and indeed able to move, which have produced the waters in
           
species     suas     et  omne     volatile   secundum          
the species of them, and all that are volant after    
         
genus     suum     et  vidit   Deus quod esset  bonum    
the genus of them. and did see Zeus that it was a good thing.
             
benedixitque            eis      dicens crescite     et      
and He gave benediction to them, saying Be crescive, and
         
multiplicamini et  replete        aquas         maris      
multiply,      and become replete in the waters of the seas,
       
avesque           multiplicentur super terram     et  factum        
and let the avian multiply       above the earth. and it was
     
est   vespere et  mane     dies quintus" 20-23            
to be evening and morning, day  fifth.
             

                         (VENERIS)

"dixit    quoque Deus producat         terra     animam
and said also   Zeus Let be producing the earth the breathing      

viventem  in genere     suo     iumenta           et        
with life in the genera of them beasts of burden, and

reptilia                et  bestias     terrae       secundum      
the creeping creatures, and the animals of the earth after          
       
species     suas     factumque    est   ita   et  fecit Deus      
the species of them, and this was to be thus. and made  Zeus

bestias    terrae       iuxta   species     suas     et        
the beasts of the earth near to the species of them, and          
       
iumenta               et  omne  reptile           terrae
the beasts of burden, and every creeping creature on earth    

in genere     suo      et  vidit   Deus quod esset  bonum            
in the genera of them. and did see Zeus that it was a good thing.
       
et  ait     faciamus    hominem ad    imaginem  et        
and He said Let us make man     after the image and
       
similitudinem nostram et  praesit                    piscibus        
similitude    ours,   and let them be presiding over the fish

maris       et       volatilibus          caeli       et              
of the sea, and over the volant creatures of the air, and
         
bestiis          universaeque    terrae     omnique            
over the animals and universally the earth, and every
     
reptili           quod movetur in   terra
creeping creature that moves   upon the earth.        
     
et  creavit Deus hominem ad    imaginem  suam    ad          
and created Zeus man     after the image of Him, after
         
imaginem  Dei         creavit    illum masculum  et  feminam        
the image of the Gods created He him,  masculine and feminine
       
creavit    eos   benedixitque         illis  Deus  et  ait      
created He them. and gave benediction to him Zeus, and said
           
crescite     et  multiplicamini et  replete        
Be crescive, and multiply,      and become replete    
         
terram          et  subicite eam  et  dominamini          
upon the earth, and subject  her, and have dominion over
         
piscibus maris       et       volatilibus caeli       et        
the fish of the sea, and over the volant  of the air, and
               
universis        animantibus  quae  moventur super terram      
universally over animate life which moves    upon  the earth.
       
dixitque Deus ecce    dedi         vobis  omnem herbam      
and said Zeus Behold, I have given to you every herb

adferentem semen super terram     et  universa    ligna      
producing  seed  upon  the earth, and universally the tree    

quae  habent    in semet  ipsis             sementem        
which is having in itself his very own kind for sowing

generis    sui    ut            sint        vobis  in  escam        
the genera of it, in order that it shall be to you for food.

et   cunctis         animantibus     terrae    omnique          
even to the entirety of animate life on earth, to every
       
volucri         caeli       et  universis   quae                
volant creature of the air, and universally to all which
     
moventur in   terra     et  in quibus est   anima      vivens        
moves    upon the earth and in which  to be the breath of life,
       
ut                                   habeant      ad
I have given this food in order that to be having toward      

vescendum et  factum est   ita   viditque    Deus cuncta
to eat.   and it was to be thus. and did see Zeus the entirety          

quae     fecit        et  erant  valde bona  et  factum est
of which He had made, and it was very  good. and it was to be    

vespere et  mane     dies sextus" 24-31      
evening and morning, day  six.        
             

                         (SATVRNI)        
               
"igitur    perfecti  sunt      caeli       et  terra      et
therefore completed they were the heavens and the earth, and        
         
omnis ornatus         eorum    conplevitque  Deus die          
all   that was ornate of them. and completed Zeus by the day
           
septimo opus     suum   quod  fecerat      et  requievit          
seventh the work of Him which He had made. and He rested      
           
die        septimo ab   universo      opere quod
on the day seventh from His universal work  which
 
patrarat             et  benedixit        diei        septimo          
He had accomplished, and gave benediction for the day seventh
   
et  sanctificavit illum quia    in ipso          cessaverat
and sanctified    it,   because in this very day He rested      

ab   omni opere    suo    quod  creavit Deus ut
from all  the work of His which created Zeus in order that      
   
faceret       istae     generationes    caeli          et      
to be making. these are the generations of the heavens and
     
terrae       quando creatae sunt      in die     quo      
of the earth when   created they were in the day that
     
fecit Dominus          Deus caelum     et  terram" 2:1-4        
made  the Dominant one Zeus the heaven and the earth.
         
--Genesis 1:1-31,2:1-4, editio Vulgata.    
       
Personally, I think it's clear that the very well-educated royal
Hebrew-Egyptian priest Moses was talking about galactic creation,            
formation and development throughout its lifespan, from galactic            
cradle to grave, a process which assuredly takes a very long time,    
billions and probably trillions of years for the largest galaxies.        
                       
E.g. creation of all suns, solar systems, and everything composing
this entire Milky Way galaxy, including the living solar system we            
earthlings presently mortally live in, presently confined to planet        
Earth--because we are sinners. Such wisdom was more commonplace in          
more ancient times, Mayans, Babylonians, & the forbidden "A" word.
       
But nowadays, "fundie"-type Christians are apt to say they believe        
in something, without really knowing what that thing is which they
claim to believe in. They'll say "I believe the bible". What bible        
specifically do they believe in? And they'll say "I believe Jesus".
Really? For example, take a good hard look at Luke 19:27. Do they      
STILL believe the testimony of Jesus? Or do they simply "pick and
choose" what to believe. You're right, that's not a question, but
is a conscientious and objective observation. The fundies believe    
they get a "free ride". Boy, aren't they going to be disappointed.
     
Armageddon Cometh,    
Daniel Joseph Min    
http://www.angelfire.com/moon2/danieljosephmin/