When Christians are asked by non-believers to reconcile dinosaurs and the account of creation in Genesis, many questions arise. Is the Bible silent about dinosaurs? Why are dinosaurs apparently never mentioned in scriptures? Did dinosaurs live before or during the time of Adam and Eve and mankind?
We should note that the word “dinosaur”, which means terrible lizard, is a relatively new word that was first used in 1842 and was coined by scientist Richard Owen. This is the reason that the word “dinosaur” doesn’t appear in the Bible which was written well before the 1800‘s.
What The Bible Says About Dinosaurs
Dinosaur-like Creatures Mentioned
In the Book of Job, dinosaur-like creatures are mentioned and so they appear to have existed at the same time that Adam and Eve and their descendants existed. Job is an ancient book. If this book were placed in its true chronological order in the Bible, it would reside within the Book of Genesis since Job lived over 4,000 years ago.
In Psalm 74:13 it says, “It was you who split open the sea by your power; you broke the heads of the monster in the waters.” Isaiah 43:20 reads, “The beast of the field shall honor me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen” and he also writes about a monster (51:9).
Specifically, Are Dinosaurs in the Bible?
Job describes what sounds very much like a dinosaur. Read Job 40:15-24:
15 “Look at Behemoth, which I made along with you and which feeds on grass like an ox.
16 What strength it has in its loins, what power in the muscles of its belly!
17 Its tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of its thighs are close-knit.
18 Its bones are tubes of bronze, its limbs like rods of iron.
19 It ranks first among the works of God, yet its Maker can approach it with his sword.
20 The hills bring it their produce, and all the wild animals play nearby.
21 Under the lotus plants it lies, hidden among the reeds in the marsh.
22 The lotuses conceal it in their shadow; the poplars by the stream surround it.
23 A raging river does not alarm it; it is secure, though the Jordan should surge against its mouth.
24 Can anyone capture it by the eyes, or trap it and pierce its nose?”
Some of the translations say that the word “Behemoth” is an elephant or hippo, but there has never been a hippo or elephant that has a tail like a “cedar” (v 17) which is taken from the cedars of Lebanon. The cedars of Lebanon were valued above all timbers in ancient antiquity. They were 130 feet tall and their stout trunks could be over 8 feet in diameter. What elephant or hippo has a tail that size!? Many ancient dinosaurs were up to 150 feet in length like the Brachiosaurus.
Verse 19 says that this enormous creature ranked first in all of God’s works (v 19). Its size allows it to be unfazed by a “raging river” (v 23). It also appears to be irresistible even to humans or other animals that try to “trap it” (v 24).
Elsewhere, Job (41:1-34) describes a creature that inhabits the seas that some translations have mistakenly translated into the word whale. But any Bible with margins that gives the original translation of the word clearly indicates it is not a whale. What whale has razor sharp teeth like iron that can swallow its prey whole (v 14)? Has anyone ever seen a whale or fossil remains of a whale where the weapons of man can not penetrate (v 26-29)? What whale can destroy by simply passing over their prey (v 30) and has no fear whatsoever of anything (v 31-34)? In 2008 the Natural History Museum in Oslo, Norway revealed one of the largest dinosaur sea predator ever found. It is a Pliosaur Kronosaurus which is estimated to be over 50 feet long. The teeth that remain are still sharp enough to cut wood.
Dinosaurs, Fossilization and Extinction
There are hundreds of early British and French explorers and trappers and American explorers and settlers that wrote down reports of sightings of giant mastodon bones still lying on the ground. Many of the Indians they spoke with mentioned them as being in recent memory. The fact is that fossilization does not take millions of years since under the right conditions a bone, an old boot, and even wood can become filled with minerals fairly quickly. Necessary ingredients for fossilization, even in a few thousand years are these; a quick burial under very deep water or volcanic ash.
Consider the Great Flood of Noah’s time — this would have provided excellent conditions for fossilization of plants and animals. There would have been a rapid burial by millions of tons of water and sediment. The fact is that today there are many dinosaur remains that are still not completely turned in to rock and that have not been fossilized; millions of these have been found as bone. Even today they are finding fish fossils that still have a fishy smell to them. The flood may have been the reason that many of the dinosaurs died out. Even the sea creatures would have died since many of their prey could have perished in the flood.
Conclusion
The more we read the Bible, the more we find that dinosaurs are not inconsistent with the scriptures. They could have died from disease, the flood, or in some cases, hunted into extinction. Regardless, it is obvious that the dinosaurs did roam the earth at one time. It is also clear that the Bible makes mention of some creatures that fit their description. Therefore, Christians belief in the Bible and the knowledge of the existence of dinosaurs, are not incompatible. In fact, they are completely compatible with God being the Creator of all life; plants, animals, insects, and mankind.
Did This Article Help?
If this article was helpful feel free to link this to your own blog or share this with others through the social buttons to the left or below. You might also enjoy the below articles related to Bible answers.
Are Guardian Angels Biblical? - This article gives a detail look at angels from the Bible along with answering the question in the title.
What is the Unforgivable Sin? - Is there a sin that you can commit today that is unforgivable to God? Read this to find out.
What is Speaking in Tongues? - Have you ever wondered what the Bible says about speaking in tongues. This article will help to clear this up for you.
Source
The Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV)
Welcome to What Christians Want To Know! The mission of this site is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians. Look for regular updates including Bible Verses, Bible Stories, Christian Quotes, Christian Answers, Christian Videos, and much more. Find out 
{ 202 comments… read them below or add one }
← Previous Comments
to become a fossil something has to be immediately covered before death which proves the flood proof, mud covered those dinos which is the result of a flood not a bang otherwise they would have just fell over and died it is all wrong the bible is truth not scientific theories
This argument is rediculous, man never lived together with dinosaurs, there have never been any fossils with evidence of wounds suffered by weapons, and carbon dating proves they lived 65 million years ago and earlier, there is no fossil of any type of human that old. I believe in science, not superstition. Why must a fossil be immediately covered before death? In dry climates corpses are well preserved for a long time, some are found where they were covered in mud, and some in tar pits, why does it matter how they died? They certainly didn’t exist along with man, that is a farce and untrue.
And the world is flat right Russel? If you believe man lived 65 million years ago, you are obviously misinformed. Science is fact, not debateable sorry. You can try to fit a square peg in a round hole, but it just wont work. Science is a lot more reliable than superstition.
the funny thing is that these are scientists telling you all of this they are just scientists of faith
i have something for you research where you live.no matter where you live there is a flood story of which the entire place was covered in water sorry most people cant handle the truth and thats the truth
Jason, I remember studying this in history and anthropology in college and there are stories of a great flood in almost every single culture in the world…even in isolated areas and remote island nations. There is fossil evidence even on the top of the world’s mountains. The truth is indisputable…more so, God’s Word is truth. He said there was a flood on the earth and we can believe God for it is impossible for God to lie.
Heb 6:16-18: “People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.”
Peter admonishes these scoffers, and us, to consider God. Verses 5 and 6 explain, “For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water.”
Our God, who created all things by His word, flooded the whole world by that same word. Rain came down from heaven and up from the ground for 40 days and 40 nights. God said it in the Bible and that settles it for me.
First of all God did not write the Bible, and just because there was a great flood doesn’t mean man existed at the time of dinosaurs, there must have been many great floods in Earth’s history, and also meteor impacts, which covered the earth with dust from the impacts. Science does not lie, the same can’t be said by the many authors of the Bible. Plus there were many scriptures left out of the Bible for political reasons, so I wouldn’t put much faith in it. Sorry, but I don’t believe in superstition. If you have faith, then drop something and pray it doesn’t fall, then show me the results, because science tells me that’s impossible, and that’s what I believe.
Sorry Joe that you do not believe in God. How did life begin since Spontaneous Generation has been disproved? Evolutionists can only theorize and they recognize that it is beyond their scope. Scientists used to think the earth was flat and we had faith in them…they used to think “blood letting” cured people but that was superstition.
By the way, which scriptures were left out of the Bible for political reasons?
At leas science has a basis to work from, and there are universal laws of physics that can be used to determine certain things with absolute confidence. I have never seen any evidence that a God exists, and I used to be an alter boy, and went to a Catholic School, but life teaches you reality, at some point you have to admit you’re being lied to. I have found that the more wisdom I aqcuire, the less the Bible has meaning, it is a book compiled from many scriptures written by many human beings proposing that they have heard the word of God. I have grown to realize that all religion, not just the Christian religion are just a crutch for people who cannot deal with the problems that arise in life. It is something for them to fall back on. Religion does a great disservice to mankind, so many lives have been taken because of religion, the Catholic has a herrendous record for the most gruesome punishments and tortures, If they are acting on behalf of God, what is going on? Religion is the scurge of mankind, we can live by laws based on morals without religion having anything to do with it, in fact, that’s what this country is supposed to represent, laws written by man, not the Christian faith or any other religion. That is why I think people like Rick Santorum is a very dangerous prospect if he were to become President, he will govern by religion, and the Constitution is clear on this, the founding fathers had the wisdom to decry that the government shall be separate from religion. I could go on, and I will if necessary, but for now I’m done.
I’m sorry but that was the church that believed the earth was flat, and if you disagreed you could be put in front of the inquisition for your heretic thoughts. Many scientists such as Galileo had to keep quiet about what they knew, he was even sentenced to house arrest and couldn’t leave just for suggesting the church was wrong, he had been favored for his ties to high up priests or else he would have been executed.
Joe,
All the issues you raise, from ‘no evidence for God’ to the ‘gruesome punishments and torture’ have been raised before…and answered. There has been much written to answer these accusations. I’m sorry you have had such a bad time with religion. I will be the first to admit that religion can be abused, and has been during much of church history. However, this does not reflect badly on God, it serves as a reminder that we are fallen creatures in need of rescue. Those moral laws you speak of originate in the person and character of God and, apart from Him, humanity simply twists and reshapes those laws for his own purposes. The Bible reminds us that our hearts are wicked and our thoughts flow from our wicked hearts. Joe, I’m not advocating religion, I’m advocating a relationship with God, through Jesus Christ. Only He can fix us. I would be glad to discuss all this with you if you would like. I’ll be praying for you.
Yours in Christ,
Robert
there are so many things in this world undiscovered in animal life that they are still finding today like red blood cells in dinosaur bones that wouldnt exist if they where millions of years old
Hello Jason. I really appreciate your enthusiasm about this subject. I truly believe that evolution is popular because God is not. They want to push Him out of the picture as a First Cause, but we know better. Evolution takes more faith than a Creator creating everything and evolution is in fact a faith-based belief. To read more on evolution and what Christians think about it, please read this my friend and thank you sir for your fine comments.
http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/does-faith-in-god-and-science-conflict-with-each-other/
Why can’t you believe that because of the way it was preserved that it couldn’t last that long? That is a very weak argument.
On another note saying there was no flood, is like saying humans are not made from dirt and water. When you take our skin and body fluid to a lab and analyze it, you find the minerals of dirt and water based fluid. I’m into physical science, never went to college couldn’t afford it. I was more knowledgeable in sciences than any other subject and a big bang theory, just doesn’t make any sense and for some reason, not one person has ever proved the big bang but you cant disprove the flood. And there is your “big bang”.
Jason, you are so right. I wrote an article a couple of years ago called “The Big Bang Bust” at: http://voices.yahoo.com/the-big-bang-bust-5451329.html?cat=9
The Big Bang Theory has and continues to fall out of favor with scientists and cosmologists more and more..and for good reason. The theory is just that…a theory. I am more interested in facts that theories…just for example, the Tooth Fairy! LOL
Take care Jason.
It doesn’t seem like you know what the big bang is, hint: it is not the asteroid that killed off the dinosaurs. And those red blood cells you mentioned shouldn’t have survived even 6000 years unless they were fossilized in such a rare and miraculous way. We have rejuvenated bacteria and yeast that are millions of years old as well, it was possible because just by chance they were in the right environment to be preserved. But yeah, go on using instances of scientific principles to prove the existence of god while rejecting entire fields of science like radioactive dating and geology.
Thank you for your comment and for visiting the website. “Shouldn’t have” survived does not sound very convincing. I do not believe that radioactive dating is very reliable. A careful reading of Genesis 1:1 shows that there is no mention of time when God said that “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” If we read the entire event, we should take into consideration the entire context of Genesis account both verse one and two: “1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” You will notice that the earth was first, created. Then (and no mention of time was given here) we see that the planet was covered with water, and was formless and empty. The Hebrew word used for “formless” was the word “Tohuw” which means it was “formless” and in a state of “chaos”. The amount of time between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 is not mentioned. It could be millions or billions of years for all we know. The event of creation is not intended to be a scientific account of it but it is intended to be a stated fact and an account that God is the Creator.
Thank you for your comment.
There are just too many interpretations of the Bible to be believable. It is a story authored by many over hundreds, even thousands of years, I just don’t give it much credence. If it was truly the word of God, than why are there so many ways of interpreting it, why isn’t it incredibly clear and concise? Why does God speak in riddles, wouldn’t he want us all to have the same interpretation? Science is proven, the Bible is not. You’d maybe like my interpretation of the Bible, it describes events that actually make more sense if you look at it as ancient aliens visiting Earth, and people looked to them as Gods, many stories in the Bible are more sensible when looked at it from that view, many alien encounters are described in detail, such as Ezekiel. And what of the virgin birth, can it not be an alien insemination that produced a hybrid with great knowledge, like Jesus? It’s as good an interpretation than any other in my opinion. Why does it use the plural in Genesis, We shall make man in our image, and don’t give me the trinity explanation, it was extraterrestrials messing with our dna, therefore making us in there own image, plural.
“But yeah, go on using instances of scientific principles to prove the existence of god while rejecting entire fields of science like radioactive dating and geology.”
Good point!
“Jack-The theory is just that…a theory. I am more interested in facts that theories…just for example, the Tooth Fairy! LOL”
The tooth fairy is as credible a story as the bible.The bible is interpretation on a massive scale in MY OPINION. just sayin….
If the case of evolution, which remains a theory for now 160 years, here is from a Scientific Journal:
ScienceDaily (Feb. 7, 2008) — Few modern animals are as deserving of the title “living fossil” as the lowly horseshoe crab. Seemingly unchanged since before the Age of Dinosaurs, these venerable sea creatures can now claim a history that reaches back almost half-a billion years.
Interesting that the horseshoe crab has not changed one bit in their “half a billion years.” No sign of evolution. Why not? Surely it should have evolved. But as I remember, its just a theory. Obviously the horseshoe crab has never taken biology.
You are showing a fundamental flaw in how you think of evolution. An animal that fits his environment has no “need” to evolve. Evolution is not a constant progression, all animals will not eventually evolve into humans. There are a lot of animals that haven’t evolved, the niche they live in puts no incentive on that natural process to take place.
Anonymous,
Correct me if I”m wrong, but if the horseshoe crab has not ‘evolved’, then does that mean it ‘appeared’ in its current form?
Robert
( I don’t know if I can reply directly to you Robert, sorry)
When they say the crab hasn’t evolved they just mean it hasn’t changed in a while, because it’s environment hasn’t changed in a while. Even 100 million years is a short amount of time compared to the age of the earth (4.6 billions years). When we say something evolves we just mean that the environment acts on it and kills off the animals not adapted to it (or one form of an animal outcompetes and kills it off because it is better suited to the environment.). That part is easy to understand it’s just the timescale this is happening on that makes evolution such a difficult thing to comprehend. Imagine how much change and chance for mutation there would be in even just 1 billion years of breeding.
Anonymous has a point, there are instances of species not evolving simply because they are so well suited to their environment that there is no need to evolve, alligators, crocodiles, and many sharks and other marine life has not evolved in millions of years because they didn’t have to, most land based animals after leaving the sea had to adapt and evolve to survive in their new environment. Some grew legs, some grew wings, and some just crawl along like snakes or worms, this is the way they evolved. It can all be substantiated by science. The day that science can explain a supreme being I will believe it, and I’m not saying it won’t happen, but as far as the Bible, there are many contradictions and interpretations to be a book of fact.
Anonymous, the horseshoe crab may have indeed evolved from it’s original form but just stopped evolving when it reached a point where it was perfectly suited to it’s environment.
Very interesting anonymous. Evolution works but not always. I thought that the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics shows that things are moving from organized to less organized and that things are not getting more complex but staying the same or less so. Evolution doesn’t fit the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics which describes basic principles familiar in everyday life. It is partially a universal law of decay; the ultimate cause of why everything ultimately falls apart and disintegrates over time. Material things are not eternal. Everything appears to change eventually, and chaos increases.
It is a well known and established scientific fact that, left to themselves, chemical compounds ultimately break apart into simpler materials; they do not ultimately become more complex. Evolution is like a rock rolling up hill against this Law.
That’s called entropy and if you want to judge whether the universe is becoming more or less organized you have to look at the whole universe, or at the very least our solar system, not what happens to living things on our tiny sector.
No chemical compounds are ever “left to themselves” in our universe, they are constantly influenced by each other and all the energy around us (like that really hot, bright thing above us). But yeah, being a living being, even just a bacteria, is one hell of an uphill battle. We use physics to describe nonliving matter.
So entropy occurs in the universe but not to living things in our tiny sector. Sorry, but the 2nd Law is universal. How can a Law work in some places in the universe and not in others. That’s like saying gravity works in the universe but not in our tiny sector. That is illogical and contradicts that Law and the scientific definition of it. That’s a Law, established and proven, evolution a theory and not a law.
heh, Jack, you’re a living thing! Everytime you break down a hot dog in your stomach and use atoms of it to incorporate into you’re skeleton you’re breaking that law. But in the context of the universe it is absolutely nothing, the universe still expands and breaks down, continuing to spread out the energy from the big bang. It’s kind of beautiful, no? Being a living thing, fighting that constant onslaught of entropy, being so small. I like that you think about this stuff though, it’s better than what most people do with their time.
I too think like you my friend in that I am so interested in science, the universe, black holes, and such. Interestingly, I actually had a hot dog about 2 hours ago prepared by my wife, a science teacher. Isn’t this ironic stuff friend? I got a laugh out of that….my hope is that it will break down before I go to bed! LOL
Things are constantly renewing and advancing also. There is change of every type, whether it be disintegrating or creating, it is a cycle of life and physics.
Jack,
It has been an honor to do the work of God i am not a minister but i do confine to his will. That’s what i was called to do as a christian. Yes i make mistakes as does anyone but i admit my mistakes to God and give him my troubles. As i am glad to serve my God and my King i am just as honored to serve you and everyone who may read these as well. Thank you Jack, for your intriguing knowledge of this study and for your time. I hope these messages get to people and they may start the continuance of these studies. To God be the honor, the glory, the power and the kingdom forever Amen.
Take care Jack. May God always be with you. Amen.
Thank you Jason. I appreciate that and your interest in this and many different subject. I too am willing to admit mistakes and many theories have been proven false over time so there are many that were mistakenly wrong. Please visit again Jason.
Why do you need to follow something? Can you not make your own moral decisions? Do you need a protector or supporter, or can you handle life on your own. Religion I’m sorry to say is for the weak of mind. Religion is for people who need something to follow and need constant reassurance that they are doing things right, well I don’t think you need religion for that, you just need to know right from wrong and how to live in harmony.
Mr. Wellman has done a fine job here of laying out the Christian perspective on the existence of dinosaurs. Everything he has written in his article is compatible with not only the biblical record, but also with true science. True science can only make assumptions as to what happened in the past based on what they observe today. Any time science claims to KNOW what happened in the past they enter into the realm of philosophy. Many of the people who make up the present scientific community do not believe God exists, therefore any conclusions they reach must necessarily exclude the possibility that God had anything to do with it. Otherwise they would also see that their findings are completely compatible with the biblical record.
Yours in Christ,
Robert
Robert, thank you sir for your kind remarks. As I told Joe and anonymous, they can not explain how did began since Spontaneous Generation has been disproved. Evolutionists can only theorize and they recognize that it is beyond their scope. Scientists used to think the earth was flat and we had faith in them…they used to think “blood letting” cured people but that was superstition.
Please come back again…obviously, with 118 comments and growing, this topic must stir the waters some.
The “bible” explains how the earth was created, but how were the heavens created? Maybe the big bang did happen? Just saying…
Hi Angelica,
According to the first verse of the Bible, God created the heavens also.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1 ESV)
(Also check out Genesis 1:15-17)
Yours in Christ,
Robert
Robert, well said. Thank you sir. You are appreciated.
Hi Angelica. Thank you for your comment and observation. You can read the comment below and I think Robert was spot on the mark. Thanks for visiting the website.
You can be christian and believe in the big bang theory. God created the Heavens and Earth from nothing. That’s what the big bang theory is, a creation in an instant, from nothing. I don’t know if that’s how it happened, but as long as you know that it was God who caused it I don’t see any harm in listening to the “scientific” explination of what GOD did.
Great point Roger. So true. As long as we attribute the cause to God all is well. Yes, you can believe in the Big Bang and be a Christian and believe that God is Creator of heaven and earth. You are most certainly correct sir. This is a non-essentials-to-salvation issue and I agree with you. Well said. I think the point is that non-believing scientists and Christians differ in the cause behind the effect that it was God and not just an unknown cause. Thank you for such a grace-filled comment Roger.
In my opinion you wouldn’t need faith if God came down and started shaking hands and trying to make sure that everyone knows that he is real. So he has put certain things in motion and let us learn how to understand them over time, so that we can see proof of what he says and what he has done. Seeing science and saying “oh it just happens” is like discovering cookies and denying that there is a baker. We can’t assume that the tools used to make the cookies opperated on their own and created the cookies but there has to be a creator who used the tools.
Beyond that I would also like to say that carbon dating, no matter how they wanna explain it, is not accurate. All you can do is look at something and compare it to another item and evaluate if it looks like the same kind of stress and decay. When looking at something new you can only guess what its original density was or speculate how the ground would have preserved or effected it, and I can say without a doubt that there are no items that we have that we know are 140 billion years old that we may compare a fossil to. Especialy when we have so much trouble finding things from say noah’s days. Some times you have to use logic and not just assume that scientists are right. Don’t get me wrong I am not slamming scientists for what they are doing, they are trying to find answers to. But if christians were to guess at things and make stories while trying to explain God they would laugh at us, but we are supposed to except it from them.
The fact is that no one has all of the answers and that is why we all have to keep studing, that is why the bible is written the way that it is cause if not there would be just one messge and this way you are able to understand a new situation in a different way from the same scripture. in closing remember that studing isn’t always just in the bible its in your heart and sometimes its in science.
God bless
This post Roger is full of common sense and logic. You are right about faith because I remember Jesus saying that blessed are those that believe in me without seeing, as Thomas had too. I also agree with Carbon Dating not being conclusive and without its problems. For one thing, carbon-14 dating methods are intended for once-living organic matter, not stone-dead rocks, asteroids, meteorites, or moon dust. There are no human eye witnesses to the creation and so to try and speculate is futile and as you said, we are not slamming science but only trying to distinguish between theories and facts. Excellent post my friend. Thank you.
thank you for this description it all really makes sense now! Obviously the bible and everything in it is true and you have to believe it all or nothing at all. I am so happy that dinosaurs are now made sense in their place. The bible clearly states of beasts the same size, described what they looked like.. how could anyone not piece together they lived then and died and are no way millions or whatever of years old when a huge amount of bones were found not fossilized?! Its obvious its true and your are right the flood of noah would 100% have wiped them out everything was destroyed! Again thank you for sharing this!!!!!!!!11
Thank you Jennifer for your comment. I like what you said that “you have to believe it all or nothing at all.” Well said. Love it. Imagine if we choose to believe only part of it and not the rest of it…then are we sure then that Christ died for our sins, that He was resurrected or that we can also be raised? Please come back again soon my friend to the website and thank you for coming to leave us some edifying and encouraging words.
This really floors me that people are engaged this debate of; is god real or is he not? We sit and argue what we believe in our heart, trying to convince others of why we believe or not. How “ours is better”. Is that what is important here. To inflict our beliefs on others, whom do not subscribe. Be it Buddhism, Christianity, science and so on. Is this what the Lord had in mind. I don’t think so. Quantum physics says that there is an observer. Be it God, Jesus, you or something completely unimaginable. The bible is full of wonderful stories that are a good blue print as to how to live. That can’t be denied. Whether it is true or not is not the point. The philosophy is sound. The way we operate….I don’t think thats what the lord had in mind. I believe…in science and the Lord. But will not try to convince you that you are right or wrong. Just be kind to one and other.
Hello jeff,
One reason Christians try to convert others is because Jesus commanded us to do so in Matthew 28:19-20.
He did this because there are consequences for disbelief. I encourage you to “lean not to your own understanding” and get to know God through his Word. There was a time when i thought the very same way you did, but I thank God he saw fit to take the scales off my eyes!
Well said Christian. So true. We only want to share the gospel because, as God does, so we too desire that none should perish but have everlasting life (2 Pet, 3:9). Thank you sir for your words of grace and love.
Hello Jeff,
If I might, I’d like to respond to your email. Feel free to respond to my response, etc. etc. etc. It seems like you have a sincere heart and might like some solid answers. So, here goes.
Jeff:This really floors me that people are engaged this debate of; is god real or is he not?
Me: The question of God’s existence is one of the most important, if not the most important, question that could be asked. Our eternal destiny hinges depends on it.
Jeff: We sit and argue what we believe in our heart, trying to convince others of why we believe or not. How “ours is better”. Is that what is important here. To inflict our beliefs on others, whom do not subscribe. Be it Buddhism, Christianity, science and so on. Is this what the Lord had in mind. I don’t think so.
Me: Jesus commissioned believers to spread God’s Word (Matthew 28:19-20) and in the book of Jude we read that we are to, “…contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 3 NASB). Christians share their faith because we love people with the love of Christ, we know what it’s like to be forgiven of our sins, and we want to see everyone enjoy a close personal relationship with God. It’s not a question of whether “ours is better or yours is better” but “what is the Truth?”
Jeff: The bible is full of wonderful stories that are a good blue print as to how to live. That can’t be denied. Whether it is true or not is not the point. The philosophy is sound.
Me: “Whether it is true or not” is the whole point. If Jesus is who he says he is, then we should heed his words. If he is not who he says he is, then there is no basis for Christianity at all. Jesus said that He is the Way to God, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 ESV). Certainly, Jeff, you can’t be saying that truth doesn’t matter to you. If you are about to take medicine, you count on the label to be true so that you don’t ingest anything harmful. You want the truth about whether or not any cars are coming when you’re about to walk across the street. The Truth concerning your soul and its eternal destiny is incredibly important.
Jeff: The way we operate….I don’t think thats what the lord had in mind.
Me: Granted that some Christians, and many pretending to be Christian, have behaved in ways that did not honor God. However, the Bible tells us that we are to share, spread, pronounce, whatever you want to call it (although ‘inflict’ isn’t what believers try to do) the Truth of God to anyone who will listen.
Jeff: I believe…in science and the Lord.
Me: No one is saying that science is bad, but when science hypothesizes on how we may or may not have began our existence, they have exited the realm of science and entered the realm of philosophy. True science, the science that seeks and finds cures for diseases, etc. is a wonderful gift from God. It should glorify Him in its endeavors.
Jeff: But will not try to convince you that you are right or wrong. Just be kind to one and other.
Me: People can be kind to one another and still wind up spending an eternity in misery separated from God. It would be dishonest to claim I loved someone if I never shared with them the One thing they really needed above all other things…how to have a saving relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ.
Anyway, I hope you will seriously consider the truth claims of the Bible and realize the God loves you enough to send His Son to die on a cross for your sins.
God bless you.
Yours in Christ,
Robert
Amazingly good Robert. So eloquent and yet so full of truth. If the Bible is simply a good rule of thumb to live by then Jesus died for nothing. No, He died so that we might have life and have it more abundantly and eternally. It is worth the effort to provide concrete, empirical evidence for the existence of a Creator. I appreciate your lovingkindness in your remarks to Jeff, Robert. Thank you my friend.
Dinosaurs!! I use to watch them in tv’s, but was not so sure of it whether it has really existed millions of years ago, as i have little knowledge about it and i’m not well-versed with the Bible relating to this specific creature. But after visiting this site and seeing the article, i’m more convinced and it has now put a reliable context to my questioning mind….
I’m still a learner, wanting to know more about God and life., And Thank you sir for making my conscience more clear. I’d like to share it with those friends who are still in doubt like i did, whatever the arguments be, with science.!!
“Let the truth be known”
God bless.
Hello Rhakho. Thank you so much for your comment and your edifying and encouraging remarks. I believe that the burden of proof is actually on the atheist or evolutionist. See if they can prove conclusively that there is no God and this will be impossible for them to do. I do know that there is a creation which points to a Creator. Please come back again soon.
I’ve seen people complain about their posts getting deleted.
Why do you worry about other viewpoints when clearly yours is the correct one? When the word of God is on your side, why not let the sinners ask their questions, and combat them with all of your knowledge?
Thank you Mikey. Whose comments that were deleted are you speaking about? Was there a particular person’s words that you saw deleted? By the way, the only time comments are deleted are when anyone chooses to use words and language that are demeaning and derogatory and these can not be allowed on a website that welcomes all members of the family and new and old Christians and those who are not yet Christian, but when the comments are done in poor taste or attack someone vehemently, there is no wisdom in debating when they are determined only to stir up strife. It is in following the biblical model.
“strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers” -II Timothy 2:14
“But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. And their word will eat as doth a canker…” -2nd Timothy 2:16-17
“But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.” -II Timothy 2:23
They can ask questions and differ in their opinions but when they become mean and nasty, there is no edification in such debates. No one was ever argued into heaven.
Jack,
I have personally been banned on 2 of my e-mail accounts, and nothing I said was even remotely vulgar. I admit it is a subversive move, but I really wanted to hear a response.
The last post of mine that got deleted was about why the burden of proof is on the evolutionist. You say that the Christian God can’t be disproved, and you are right about that, but neither can any of the Greek Gods, or the Hindu Gods, or any gods of hundreds of other religions. This obviously does not make all of them the correct path.
I am not trying to dissuade anyone from believing in a higher power by any means, and I’m sorry if I’m coming across vulgar. I just don’t understand why you think the burden of proof is on the evolutionist.
Thank you sir. I am only saying to someone who left a comment that it is basically impossible to prove that God does not exist. I apologize if I overreacted Mikey. I am sorry for that sir. I see what you mean by not being able to disprove that the Greek gods or the Hindu gods do not exist but none of these have the historical, archeological, paleontological, or manuscript support that Jesus Christ has and for the Old and New Testament. There is no such empirical evidence for these gods.
I’m not going to debate the existence of Jesus Christ, because you are right that there is solid evidence that he existed. Just because somebody exists, however, doesn’t make them some sort of supernatural being. Show me solid evidence that Jesus performed any sort of miracle.
The bible does not count as solid evidence.
Your proof can come from the new testament. You must realize that much of the gospel came from people who knew jesus personally! I believe they call that a primry source. I can understand your doubt. It wasnt too long ago that i was in your very same shoes. If you truly want God to “prove” himself, that’s fine. I can tell you personally that if you ask God to increase your faith He is fully willing and able to do so! But you must have the right attitude in doing so. He resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. There is more hope for a fool than for a man that is wise in his own eyes. If you really want to know the truth, you must first humble yourself. Search your heart and decide if you really want to know God for real.
Amen Christian. You put it much better than I could have ever hoped to do so sir. Thank you and may God richly bless you. Surely we know that God desires that none should perish and I thank God that He saved you and me too even though there was nothing good in me or any reason to save me.
To mikey k.
Alot of so called ‘scientific known fact’ on existance and the start has been proven as False by scholars.
Jesus was fortold to come thousands of years before he did and dideverything that was predicted. The bible is the only proof you should need. Anything is possible.
Jennifer,
Name one thing that science has declared as “fact” that has been proven wrong. Science is very cool in that unless there are zero missing puzzle pieces, the scientific community only accepts something as theory. This is why evolution is still called a theory, also why gravity is still called a theory.
And I’m sorry, but calling the bible real evidence is ridiculous. That’s like calling comic books proof that spiderman is real.
Hello Mikey, we can not call evolution a fact and scientist and evolutionists talk like it is a fact.
Name one thing that science has declared as “fact” that has been proven wrong? Okay,
There are 9 planets in our solar system
New information: We have at least 10 planets, but wait, there were 9 planets is what we were told to be a fact in school but now only to hear there’s only 8 (stay tuned)
There are 30 orders of insects
New fact: Now there are 31
There are 109 Elements in the Period Table but new information: Since 1994, six new elements have been discovered
Blood-letting was once proven to be a cure for most illnesses. Now a days blood-letting is considered totally ineffective.
Margarine was considered much healthier than butter. Research now suggests that the butter is much healthier than margarine.
Eggs were considered bad to due to high cholestrol. Now it is say that eggs aren’t bad at all, and that they are actually healthy for the body.
I could add dozens & dozens more Mikey but I don’t see the point. By the way, we can use Newton’s LAW (not theory) of Universal Gravitation to calculate how strong the gravitational pull is between the Earth and the object you dropped, which would let us calculate its acceleration as it falls, how long it will take to hit the ground, how fast it would be going at impact, how much energy it will take to pick it up again, etc.
While the law lets us calculate quite a bit about what happens, notice that it does not tell us anything about why it happens. That is what theories are for. In the language of science, the word “theory” is used to describe an explanation of why and how things happen. For gravity, we use Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity to explain why things fall.
So, does Spiderman have archeological, paleontological, historical, and manuscript evidence too? Not a good comparison to the Bible. Even a 6 year old knows that there is no real Spiderman.
Hi Mikey,
Judging from the two statements you made in your post, I take it that the evidence for the existence of Jesus you mentioned does not come from the Bible? However, the Bible has plenty of solid historical, archaeological, and textual evidence to render it authentic. Now granted, anyone can disbelieve an authentic historical document; there may even be mistakes in authentic historical documents (although, most Christians believe the Bible to be mistake-free). But the evidence is conclusive that the Bible is a authentic historical document (based on the same tests that verify every other document. If you throw out the Bible based on textual criticism, then you must throw out every other record of history we possess).
I wanted to share with a logical case for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I first ran across this presented by Hank Hannegraaff. It is based on an acronym: F. E. A. T.
F: Fatal Torment-Scholars agree that Jesus died on the cross. He didn’t pass out to be revived later. No stunt double was used in His place. He had been beaten almost to death, hung on cross, and there He died.
E: Empty Tomb-Scholars also agree that the tomb, in which Jesus was buried, was found empty. Due to the presence of the Roman guards, no one could have stolen Jesus’ body nor could He have opened the tomb Himself and walked out.
A: Appearances of Christ-Jesus appeared to many people AFTER His crucifixion. He did not appear to them in a beaten, bruised, half-dead, condition, but as a healthy, complete person.
T: Transformation of Disciples-Just before Jesus’ crucifixion, His disciples deserted Him and fled for fear of their lives. Some time after His crucifixion, they boldly proclaimed that He is a risen Savior, here to save us from our sins. They weren’t preaching in a vacuum either. They were standing before the very same group of people who had condemned Jesus to death…and carried out His crucifixion. What changed this group of scared, hiding men into men who stood boldly in front of people capable of putting them to death, in order that they might announce Jesus resurrection? These men were now ready to lay down their lives to proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ. A person might die for a lie he truly believes to be true, but he will not die for a lie he knows to be a lie.
While this may not fully convince you to believe in Jesus Christ, my prayer is that it will give you something to seriously contemplate.
This is a wonderful website, where you can find answers to your spiritual questions given by people who truly care for your soul.
Yours in Christ,
Robert
Thank you for at least trying Jennifer. Without faith it is impossible to please God and since God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble, he will never believe until humbles himself. Psalm 14:1-3 is so true and it is not me saying it but God.
To All that have commented,
Great debate! Now take this perspective to heart, not from me but Jesus.
1> Truth without Love is brutality.
2> Love without truth is hypocrisy.
Neither side will ever convince the other. The interpretation of The Bible comes from the one who reads it, not the author. God used the Holy Spirit to ultimately write the Bible through his servants. There are always going to be questions that can not be answered because it is not His Will. These debates always have one ending for me. And that is:
>If non-believers are right, then no big deal, right? You just die.
> But if believers (Christians) are right, then it’s a very big deal! It’s where your soul will spend eternity. This is the position that all Christians pray everyone will accept. The alternative is too horrible to even think about.
I encourage everyone to read The Bible. After all, how can you debate if you don’t know both sides. Stop trying to figure out what came first, the chicken or the egg. It’s not that important. Joe, I am praying for you because that’s what we do. Not to prove you wrong, but because you are my brother.
To All, Have a Blessed Day,
Matt
Matt,
(Please take this in the spirit in which it was written; a spirit of love and encouragement.)
Truth, by its very definition, is exclusive. If the Bible says one thing is true, then its opposite must be false. While we are commanded to speak the “truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15), our speech should contain both of those elements, not one or the other by itself. The subject of whether or not God exists, and if He does what He requires of us, is a vitally important topic. We must know the truth and we must preach the truth. Nothing less will honor our Lord and Savior.
That is why I must take issue with a couple of the statements you made in your most recent comment. First, you said, “Neither side will ever convince the other.” However, Jesus told His disciples to, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20a ESV). In addition, Peter said we should be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks (I Peter 3:15) and Jude said that we are to “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). These are just a few of the verses that indicate that we are to actively attempt to share the Gospel with others. Sure, we must do it in a spirit of love, but we are to do it.
You also said, “The interpretation of The Bible comes from the one who reads it, not the author.” This simply is not true. We are not at liberty to make the Bible say whatever we want it to say. For example, if I write a letter to someone, I am trying to convey my message to the reader. The reader is supposed to understand what I am trying to convey to him or her. They are not to simply make up what they want me to be saying to them. This is a dangerous and unproductive way in which to read the Bible. We may not understand everything written in the Bible, but God meant something specific by composing the words the way He did.
The Bible tells us, “And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (II Peter 1:19-21 ESV). [Emphasis mine]
We must read the Bible with a heart that is listening to the Holy Spirit. We must let the Bible interpret the Bible, because it will not contradict itself.
The believer must stand up for the truth of God’s Word in a spirit of truth and love.
Yours in Christ,
Robert
I agree with Matt about interpretation of the Bible. thats the reason that we look to the bible for guidance. If the bible were wrote like a letter, without interpretation,there is nothing specific to your situation to guide you. However, I feel that the Bible was written in a way that, if 3 different people read the scripture they may interperate it differently, and it may guide them through 3 seperate situations. And i feel like this is why we are supposed to study the Bible, you dont study a letter cause everything is wrote face value and you wont understand in a new way from reading the same lines again in a letter. I believe that people need to spend more time interperating what the Bible means for themself, beacause thats what everyone else is telling you, the way that they interperate the Bible. and if there were no room for interperatation why are there different beliefs among different denominations.
All of this is also written out of love and not to attack or discredit anyone, please accept it as such.
thank you and God bless
Well stated sir. You are correct. The Bible is a good book to use to help in interpreting itself. The same Scriptures can tell people different things and that is where the indispensable value of the Holy Spirit comes in. He guides us into all truth and reveals to us the Word’s meaning just as the Holy Spirit reveals Who Jesus is. Great observations Roger. Thank you sir.
How come some people say that the dinosaurs were extinct from a asteroid that impacted earth. Did that really happen?
The belief that dinosaurs were killed from an asteroid is much like the theory that man evolved from ape, it is theoretical and there is absolutely no definitive proof of it. There is more archeological evidence that supports the Flood and the fossils in the sedimentary levels than that of an asteroid destroying all of the dinosaurs. In either event, the point of this article is that God is Creator and that dinosaurs were known about and that these are consistent with the Scriptures about them.
Thank you Tigg for your comment and question. Please come back again soon.
Thanks jack. Makes sense now. One thing that throws a curve at me is some people believe in aliens and life on mars. Where in the bible does it state about mars and other planets besides the moon, stars and the sun. I’m not atheist I just to like to find out the facts.
Tigg, there is no where in the Bible that really talks about the planets. There is just the fact that He is the Creator of them and all the universe. I would say that the Bible is not so much a book about the stars, planets, and heavens as it is about how to get to heaven.
Most of the Old Testament is about aliens, that is who it speaks of when referencing, “we shall make man in our own image”. The Old Testament mirrors almost word for word the the Sumarian texts, which were thousands of years earlier than the Bible. Check it out, read what the ancient Sumarians, the first known civilization says about their story. They called them the Anunnaki, which means: Those Who From The Heavens Came. I know this will be hard to accept, but if you read words that were written way before the Bible was and see how closely it resembles the Bible, I’m sure it should make you think.
Hello Joe,
At one time such things did throw a wrench in my faith. I had to realize that God is eternal. Texts that predate the written bible do not discredit it. To say so would sort of mean that God didnt exist until the bible was written. The Old Testament also had prophecies concerning Jesus. He fulfilled every single one of them. There were witnesses to his miracles and ministry. His disciples wrote some of the new testament, and paul wrote much of what is in New Testament as well. Paul was alive and worked with Jesus’ disciples. So if Jesus believed in the God of the Old Testament, then so do I. I also encourage you to accept Jesus as your Lord and savior.
Christian, I hope you are sitting down, but the miracle of the virgin birth of Jesus in my opinion was an insemination of alien sperm, therefore producing a human/alien hybrid, the son of God if you will. Jesus was indeed sent here by God, but because of misidentification, the aliens, one in particular were seen as gods, this is where religion began, a misidentification of the aliens and their technology, which in the early days of humans were seen as gods performing miracles when in truth they were simply aliens with far superior technology which they could not possibly have comprehended.
Joe,
I’m curious as to the source of your belief that we descended from aliens. Christians trust the Bible as their source of information. It has been verified repeatedly by several different branches of science. Is there any scientific evidence on which you base your belief? I would be interested in taking a look at it.
Thanks,
Yours in Christ,
Robert
Robert, the part about Jesus being a Human/Alien hybrid is my theory, since it would explain the virgin birth, also I have circumstantial evidence in the form of hundreds of years old art which depicts an object in the sky projecting a laser like light down on the mother Mary. However the rest of the evidence comes from the Sumarian texts, which predate the Bible by thousands of years, and very closely mirror the text in the Bible. Check it out, do a search for the Sumarian texts and read them, and keep in mind that the story predates the Bible. Thanks.
Joe,
That’s a very interesting worldview. As with the creation/evolution discussion, no one was there to witness our beginnings, so everything we know about that event comes to us through other-than-eye-witness accounts. That is, unless you believe the Bible, which is God’s account given to the writer of Genesis.
How come one would find it more reasonable to believe in an alien race than an all-powerful God? Just trying to understand your viewpoint Joe. I mean, we are all seeking the truth, right? If your theory is right, then I want the details. What about if my theory (the biblical record) is right? Do you want to know the details?
What are we to make of the words of Jesus in your theory? He said that “HE” is the way, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. In your theory, is there an absolute morality? Is there a purpose for our existence?
Yours in Christ,
Robert
In my opinion, and I stress, my opinion, many of the stories of the Bible make more sense when looked at with the alien theory, many of the things that happened seem to be more easily explained by technology that was misinterpreted by people who did not understand it. The star that led the wise men to Bethlehem. Ezekiel’s story of a machine described as a wheel within a wheel. The pillar of fire that gave the Isrealites cover, the parting of the Red Sea, the virgin birth of Jesus, the ascention of Jesus, Jacob’s ladder, many many stories actually sound like them explaining things that they couldn’t understand. Just think about the Bible in those terms and you’ll see what I mean. The ten commandments written on stone tablets, maybe by some kind of laser, the burning bush, possibly from a beam of light, the bush was not consumed. It goes on and on. Abraham being lifted to heaven could have been an abduction. One has to have an open mind about such things. Have you read the Sumarian texts yet? Go ahead and read them and get back to me ok?
Howdy again Joe,
Why does “alien technology” make more sense than God? If an almighty God exists, as the Bible says He does, then He could easily perform all the feats you have presented in your comment. Why attribute these things to aliens instead of God? We have a written, historically verified, account pointing to God. Whereas, the alien connection is pure imagination.
As far as thinking with an “open mind” about the alien angle. I grew up researching that kind of idea (“Chariots of the Gods”, Whitley Strieber, Barney and Betty Hill, etc.) I was completely immersed in that world. I know now that I was looking for something bigger than myself, bigger than what I could see…something that would make sense of both the world I was living in and the yearnings I was experiencing.
Aliens never fulfilled my quest. Jesus did. The teachings of the Bible made sense of everything I know. Now, the more I study the Bible, the more it explains why everything is like it is. My search is over. My goal now is to help others see the truth, or rather, meet the Truth…Jesus Christ. I am so glad that I didn’t get trapped into a false system of belief. Someone cared enough about me to show me the truth, and God made it come alive in my heart. All I did was to stop rejecting the truth. It was then that everything came into focus.
I will admit that I do not have an “open mind” anymore to things which deny the Bible or cast doubt on the person of Jesus Christ. I am fine with having a “closed mind” in this regard. I am fully convinced in the veracity of God’s Word and I believe there is ample evidence for its truthfulness. I’ll skip reading the Sumerian texts in full. I am familiar with sections of it and do not believe it is a document that carries the same weight as the Bible. I do not feel that I need to know every falsehood in order to be able to recognize the truth. God has given us plenty of reason to believe He exists and to trust in Him. One must actively reject His revelation (Romans 1) to attribute His glory to extraterrestrial activity.
Joe, I will be praying that God will open the eyes of your heart (I know hearts don’t have eyes, but indulge me), and I would be glad to help you investigate the truths of the Bible. If I can’t answer your questions to your satisfaction, I know where to point you to people who can. People who truly care about you.
Yours in Christ,
Robert
Thank you so much Robert. Truly there is nothing to compare to the solid, concrete evidence of the Bible. Historians have testified of its authenticity, archeologists have unearthed its reliability, paleontologists have validated its reliability. This book is the only ancient book that has empirical, verifiable, and quantifiable evidence that supports its truthfulness, unlike aliens or spontaneous generation or evolution, which are all hypothesis and suppositions. Thank you for trying to reason with Joe for we do this in love. As to our discovering a cure for cancer…the cancer of sin and that cure is found only in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. It is just too important to keep to ourselves, so Joe we are only do this because we care for everyone, including those who do not yet know God as Savior and as Creator and as Redeemer.
Robert, was it Jesus who opened your eyes, or was it your own mind because you believe in him? Where has god been, can you explain that? If he was around doing all these things in the Bible, where did he go? He hasn’t been around for thousands of years. The Anunnaki also said they will return, so tell me what the difference is.
Jesus has not been around on earth for 2,000 years yes but is at the Right Hand of the Father today…..but the Anunnaki? Try the fact that they pass by the earth every 3,500 years or so according to Zecharia Sitchin, an economist by education and profession, and the author of several best-selling books, including Genesis Revisited. This is fiction. The Bible is non-fiction and historical. The Anunnaki are part of a paradigm that explores ancient mythology. The first and most important parts are that they are mythological and folklore with no evidence except megalithic ruins found around the globe that are unexplained and can not be directly tied to the Anunnaki. I love fiction but this is truly fictional. There is not archeological, paleontological, historical or manuscript evidence. The evidence is mythological, folklore and has no scientific proof. That sir is the difference.
And this Anunnaki can not offer eternal life so what can they offer you beyond the grave Joe? That is my question sir and I ask it in sincerity because Robert and I truly desire for you to know the One True God. Then you can know the answer to the questions: What happens after you die? Can you know for sure where you will be?
Surely God “wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4) and is “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Pet 3:9). This means that He passionately wants to save you and give you eternal life and no Anunnaki could come and die for you to live for eternity (John 3:16). Can’t you see my friend Joe. We don’t want to win a debate but rather win a soul for eternity.
What sources would you recommend reading to support “The Bible is non-fiction and historical”? I’m reading around on wikipedia articles (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bible_and_history) and it’s really not giving the impression of the text that you seem to hold. There is a lot up for debate in regards to how the text is translated, what “books” are included in the Bible and who actually authored it. Can you really say it is historically accurate or is it just “historical”?
Let me say that you may not know that Wikipedia is a user contributed site so we do see anti-Christian bias on it so we could say that Wikipedia is not historically accurate. Let me explain. Some one was trying to find some information on St. Brigid, one of Ireland’s patron Saints. Wikipedia described her as a figure in Christian “mythology”! What!? As if she were a mythological figure in the sense of Apollo, or Zeus, or Venus. I decided to look up some other Christian Saints on Wikipedia and I found the same thing. St. Brigid and all the other Christian Saints were real people who had a real impact in people’s lives and the times in which they lived.
Wikipedia calling Christian Saints mythological figures is a deliberate sleight against Christianity and so the site’s veracity is already known to contain blatant errors. The project was initiated by atheist and entrepreneur Jimmy Wales and the agnostic philosophy professor Larry Sanger on January 15, 2001. An irony of internet history is that Jimmy Wales, despite being an atheist, refers to himself as Wikipedia’s “spiritual leader”. Despite its official “neutrality policy,” Wikipedia has a strong liberal bias. In his article entitled Wikipedia “Lies, Slander Continue journalist Joseph Farah stated Wikipedia “is not only a provider of inaccuracy and bias. It is wholesale purveyor of lies and slander unlike any other the world has ever known.
The point is that Wikipedia has been proven wrong hundreds of times so to use Wikipedia as proof that something else is wrong is like the having the fox guard the hen house. Sorry, Wikipedia is about the least reliable source there is according to its being exposed to a multiplicity of errors and blatant lies. Can you say its factually accurate. In short, nope! Clearly not.
What non-biased sources would you recommend reading regarding the history of the Bible?
Thank you for your question Anonymous. I would recommend Britannica Online Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia.com, or the Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language (a book). These are acceptable sources at the one college and the one university that I had and my professors at Newman University in Wichita, KS said these were the best there were online.
Even the (yes, old fashioned) Dictionaries and Encyclopedia’s in the Library. I have several at home that I use as references.
So Britannica right away mentions the various books of the bible “with the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox versions of the Old Testament being slightly larger because of their acceptance of certain books and parts of books considered apocryphal by Protestants.” and the first two paragraphs of the encyclopedia.com article (http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Bible.aspx) mention the “heterogeneous” composition of the bible, the books themselves being accumulated over 1,300 years.
It’s that stuff specifically that I want more information on, what did you read that make you think the way you do about the Bible? What version of the Bible do you read? How can I trust that the Bible is the actual word of God if it has been translated and edited so much?
Another great point my friend. I can tell you that the process of the Bible’s being translated was such a precise practice that each of these 70 scribes had the other 69 scribes check their writings for error. Each of these 70 scribes reviewed the others writings as well as having the other 69 check their own. Their methods resulted in such an accurate reproduction of Scripture that only one error for every 1,500 words occurred and these errors were so slight that they never affected the content. This leaves absolutely no room for private interpretation or mistranslation that would affect the context. By modern standards, the accuracy rate is superior to Microsoft’s Spelling and Grammar Check (no, it is not perfect since it came by humans). Under these strict guidelines and conditions, no one can dispute that the translation differences has any effect on the message of the Bible or its general context.
For the Old Testament, any translation or copying differences were inconsequential. Of the thousands of manuscripts, and pieces of manuscripts, the only discrepancies that existed were vowel related (spelling difference), leaving out one consonant or rearranging certain names or words.One such example had “Jesus Christ“, while the other version had it “Christ Jesus”. Historically speaking, the number 70 was especially symbolic to the Jew. Moses appointed 70 elders, and there were the 70 scribes whose sole purpose in life was to copy the original manuscript so close as to be identical. This tradition continued throughout Israel’s history.
New Testament manuscripts have been preserved by the thousands. No other ancient works or events in human history have today what the Bible contains in documented and recorded histories.
Let me say that the NASB is considered to be strictly literal. The Greek New Testament is faithful to the individual words of God, such as the King James Version (KJV) or the New King James Version (NKJV) is one of my favorites because it gives citations to the original Greek (New Testament) or Hebrew (Old Testament). I tend to use different versions to so I can get a more complete picture, like the ESV and the NIV. Sorry this is so long and thank you for your sincere attempt to discern the truthfulness and veracity of the Bible.
Joe,
The difference is manifold. First, the biblical record has been verified by, as my friend Jack has said, “…empirical, verifiable, and quantifiable evidence that supports its truthfulness, unlike aliens or spontaneous generation or evolution, which are all hypothesis and suppositions.”
Second, the biblical record makes the universe make sense, whereas the alien theory is at the mercy of the universe…it explains nothing. Let me give you an example: For many facts there can be multitudes of explanations. However, some explanations are more feasible than others, they simply make more sense. But even beyond that, one of them is true while the rest are false. Does it not make more sense to believe the one with the most feasibility? Even if every nuance cannot be explained, it is more reasonable to believe the one in which most of the facts are actually verifiable and line up with the truth?
Speaking of the mind, what is the mind? Where did it come from? The Bible has the answers, Joe. Let me ask you to do something: Take a moment to honestly look into your heart and ask yourself if this alien explanation for everything really satisfies your emotional, spiritual, and intellectual yearnings. If it truly does, then all I can do for you is to pray that God will change your mind, because you aren’t in a place right now where discussion will make any headway. However, if you realize that there is still something missing in your life, then let’s investigate the claims of the Bible, and the counterclaims of unbelief.
I’m praying for you, Joe.
Yours in Christ,
Robert
Dear Joe,
It is a true tragedy that your experiences in churh have led you away from Christ. I can tell you from experience that God is alive and performing miracles today. History has taught us, through the bible that the witnessing of miracles does not garauntee belief and trust in The One who performs them. Look at the Isrealites. They were led by God through a desert, ate his mana, but still began to worship other Gods. In Jesus’ day, the Pharasees and Saducees Witnessed his ministry and miracles first hand, but still condemned him to death. If you truly want to witness God’s miracles, as I have, (such as an elderly bishop who doctors say should first be unable to speak or walk then, granting that, should not be able to live through the extensive and intense travelling and preaching he does.). If you truly wish to hear from God, which i have reason to believe you do, then you must diligently seek Him. I come to you not as someone who has believed his whole life, but someone who spent the majority of his life denying the existance of God for most of my life. I come to you as some who has been comforted by his Holy Spirit personally. As one who cried out to the Lord and had Him answer, even after a lifetime of rejecting Him!
I say this to you because i can relate on some level to what you are experiencing. A desire for God to show Himself to you, but The reality is that He is waiting for you to be in a position to recieve Him! When i cried out to the Lord, I didn’t recieve a very long response, the sky didnt thunder, the earth didnt quake. While my heart was in turmoil, God answer with a calm, quiet voice. He simply said, in essense, “What took you so long?”. God had been waiting on me all along.
Well I admit, I didn’t read your whole reply, but the ancient Sumarian texts are not fiction, it is their history. They are telling the story of what actually took place. The Anunnaki needed gold to seed their disipating atmosphere, they manipulated our dna to more closely resemble them, they needed miners to help them mine the gold. This also explains the missing link. The texts are not fiction. You wish to believe in a supernatural being, and I choose to believe in flesh and blood beings. As far as religion goes, it is the power of your own mind not the presence of God that makes you have faith, the Bible is actually a very close story to that of the Sumarian story, which predates the Bible. You shouldn’t judge the texts of the Sumarians by one person, or one website, if you look deeper into the facts you may understand it a little better. And please don’t pity me with your “one day you’ll find Jesus” stuff, I have never seen him, felt him, or heard him, despite the fact that I was once an alter boy, and attended a Catholic church for 6 years of my life, as I matured I started thinking for myself, and now I am at peace without doubts so I don’t need religion to guide me, I have my inner sense of values that I guide myself by. I can’t be certain that my theory is correct but niether am I certain that the Bible is the word of God. It’s a good book for values, but all you need is common sense to have values and live by them.
Joe, I too believe we have reached the end of this discussion since you are not going to convince me or Robert and we surely can not convince you so I too pray for you and wish the best my friend. I hope you will stay in touch either way sir. Take care and as Robert said, thank you for being respectful and even with disagreeing, not being disagreeable. My compliments to you for that sir. Thank you as well Robert.
Joe,
I will continue to pray for you. And I cannot help but pity those who reject the truth in favor of untruth…as I once did myself. It has been interesting and enjoyable speaking (well, typing) with you, and I mean that. Thanks for replying civilly (many people, regardless of their beliefs, cannot seem to keep it civil)…it has been my pleasure.
I will always be willing to discuss with you, as I’m sure Jack will also, so if you find yourself with questions and no answers, you can find me here.
God bless you Joe.
Yours in Christ,
Robert
Robert, you say my beliefs are false, and yours is true. How can you make that assumption? Why is what you choose to believe be any more true than what I choose to believe? You can pray for me if you wish, but do not pity me, I don’t want or need your pity. I am happy and content with my life as it is, the fact that I don’t need religion, and actually think that religion is one of the most dangerous things for mankind, too much blood has been spilled by those who have religion, which to me is ironic. I think that as long as you are content and happy in this life, that is enough for me. I pity you, who need to believe in a supernatural being, and need a book of rules to live by, I pity you because you can’t think or discover the values within yourself, you need a book to guide you. But if you insist, I’ll let you pray for me if it makes you feel any better. Thanks for the conversation, and good luck.
Joe,
I intended on being done with our conversation, but upon further reflection, decided that I should respond more. I mean, it is an interesting subject and I am interested in knowing how you came to have so much confidence in your worldview.
Do the Sumerian texts actually attribute their history to aliens, or is that someone’s interpretation of the Sumerian text? Let me just ask: Has there been any alien stuff dug up by archaeologists? At the risk of being repetitious, the Bible has been historically verified (meaning that there have been many people, places, and things, discovered that attest to the truthfulness of its text). The Bible makes sense out of everything we see and experience.
I too, believe in flesh and blood beings, one in particular: God, who came clothed in flesh as a human being to pay for the sin that separates us from Him. There is plenty of historical evidence that He lived and was who He says He is.
By the way Joe, I’m not pushing for anyone to “join a religion”. Religion can be, and has been, abused and misused. It is a relationship with God through belief and trust in Jesus Christ that I preach. Jesus never advocated the use of violence in order to spread the Gospel. His is a message of love. There have been those who did terrible things in His name, but that does not change His message.
It is also simply not true that religion has killed more people than any other institution. Consider the killing carried out by non-believers such as Hitler or Stalin, Charles Manson. The only religion they ascribed to was a religion of self-service. Blaming God for what bad people do in His name is simply an excuse for not repenting and giving God His rightful place in your life.
The Bible tells us that everyone knows the truth of God’s existence. This truth can be resisted, shut out, denied, etc., but it makes each of us accountable to Him. Each of us chooses whether to give God glory or to worship something else.
Anyway, hope you see your way to continue this conversation. Joe, I have no pity for you, only hope that someday you will see and embrace the truth. Truth is objective, we are not free to create our own truth, it doesn’t work that way. We simply choose whether or not we will accept the truth or reject it.
Jack, well I’m glad you feel that way because I already said goodbye to Robert, who is the one I was talking to anyway. I don’t know where you came from, but if you want to pray for me too, then fine. I hope you find what you’re looking for.
Thank you Joe and I apologize for intruding but I was trying to help but even so, I wish you the best my friend and please do keep in touch sir. Best to you. I truly have found what I have been looking for and hope you can too, if you have not already done so and again thank you for your being gracious with your words. My compliments. Take care Joe.
Christian, I don’t remember saying anything about my experience in church, or that something happened, I just said I was an altar boy once. The only thing that led me away from the church and religion in general is the fact that I matured to the point where I saw the pointlessness of it all. Religion is dangerous in my mind, it makes people too dependant on things instead of strengthening their character and having them think for themselves. I have to say I’m comfortable and happy without having religion in my life. I don’t need a lecture, I don’t need help, I don’t need pity, I am fine ok? Thanks for your concern though, I think. lol
Heheh, concern is an accurate term. Lol. You explained that your unbelief came from maturing, would you then say that converts such as myself dematured? :p
Also: Good, bad, or nuetral, experience is experience. The experiences I mentioned were negative only because of where it led you, not because they were bad in and of themselves. I mean no harm by calling it negative.
Thank you for taking time to respond to these comments as well.
The person who wrote this article seems to be writing on behalf of all Christians, but he does not have the authority to speak on behalf of all Christians.
Thank you Brian for your comment. No, I can not speak for nor of course have all authority to speak for all Christians anymore than any other person can speak for all of any particular group. I have not said that nor would I dare to imply that. I quoted Scripture about the references to dinosaurs. Is this the problem that you have with this article sir or is it the comments? I appreciate you telling me so I can understand where you are coming from Brian. Thank you.
A few alternative theories that may be of interest to someone:
1) The Creative time periods described in Genesis and designated as “days” could refer to much larger periods of time. The Dinosaurs could have lived during one of these creative time periods but were not meant to survive into the age of Man.
2) We do not know how long Adam and Eve lived in the Garden before they were driven out and we have no knowledge or history about life outside of the Garden during this time. Many animal species could have lived and become extinct during this time.
3) Perhaps the earth was not created from nothing, but rather organized from existing materials and matter, and certain fossils are simply left over in the material from which the earth was created. Of course, to subscribe to this theory you would also have to believe that “The Beginning” described in Genesis refers only to the creation of this earth and not the beginning of all creation.
The idea that some fossils were simply left over from material when the earth was formed is frankly impossible, the Earth went through a period when the entire surface was molten rock, this would have erased any fossil if that were the case. So fossils came on the scene well after this period in Earth’s history.
I as a Christian believe that God is infinite. He has always existed and will always exist. He is omniscient and omnipresent and his power is limitless. If you are a Christian who also believes this, then logically a contradiction between evolution and creationism does not exist.
While I believe that the bible is the word of God, I also recognize that it is infinitely impossible, for me or anyone else in this world, to fully comprehend God. Even if God gave me the words to describe him like the writers of the bible, it is beyond our capabilities to fully understand an infinite, omniscient and all powerful being. It is also impossible to fully share the thoughts of a limitless being with the limitations of human language.
This being the case it is easier to understand that while God created the world in 7 days, His 7 days are not necessarily our 7 days. How much actual time, as we measure it, occurred between God’s 2nd and 5th day of creation before He created man in His own image is unknown. It is not unreasonable to believe that all of the geologic periods before man would fit in those days. Why Christians insist on trying to shackle God with human limits and beliefs, like time, is beyond me.
Hi Tim. This article does not really address the issue of a literal 6-day Creation but I think the important fact is not how old the earth is but Who is the Creator, and we know it is God. I think you are right in that we get hung up on non-essential issues that are not relevant to salvation. Whether creation was only 6,000 plus years ago or 6 million or 6 billion, the real truth is that God created the universe and all things and that is what we should be more interested in to settle in our minds. We should be more concerned with saving souls in the Great Commission work than over the age of the earth. The Bible is not so much a book about the heavens but about how to get there. Agreed? Thanks for your great comment and please do come back again soon Tim.
← Previous Comments