Reddit reviews Genesis and the Big Bang: The Discovery Of Harmony Between Modern Science And The Bible
We found 10 Reddit comments about Genesis and the Big Bang: The Discovery Of Harmony Between Modern Science And The Bible. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
(Actually, your quote is not from Romans, but from Titus 1:9.)
I don’t understand why you chose to ignore what I write then chose to lecture me, but I will write here plainly:
1.) I do trust scripture – with my life. I believe and confess it is the inerrant word of God.
2.) I do not trust, or put my salvation, in your interpretation of it.
It’s naïve to think that we clearly understand every beautiful nuance and detail that is held within the Torah. I explained that the entire six days in Genesis is described in 31 sentences and a few hundred words. All I’m asking, is not to project a total understanding of those few sentences in a simple reading of an English translation viewed through 21st century eyes. Even Solomon alluded to looking deeper into the Torah: “A word well spoken is like apples of gold in a silver dish.” (Proverbs 25:11) Maimonides in The Guide for the Perplexed interprets this proverb: The silver dish is the literal text of the Torah, as seen from a distance. The apples of gold are the secrets held within the silver dish of the Torah Text. Thousands of years ago we learned that there are subtleties in the text that expand the meaning way beyond its simple reading.
Examples for you:
The origin of the Biblical calendar. The Jewish year is figured by adding up the generations since Adam. Additionally, there are six days leading up to the creation to Adam. So where did Jewish scholars make the zero point? On Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year). Rosh Hashanah commemorates the creation of the Neshama (the soul of human life). So we start counting our 5700-plus years from the creation of the soul of Adam. We have a clock that begins with Adam, and the six days of creation are separate from this clock. The Bible has two clocks. In an expansion of the Talmud (Midrash Vayikra Rabba 29:1) all the Sages agree that Rosh Hashana commemorates the soul of Adam and that the six days of Genesis are separate.
Why were the six days taken out of the calendar? Perhaps because time is described differently in those six days of Genesis (e.g. see my references to days/generations.) The world sees 15 billion years – the Torah says six days. They both may be correct. The Bible tells us what happened on each of those six days and you can take cosmology, paleontology, archaeology, and see whether or not they match up day-by-day. They match up close enough to send chills up your spine.
If you are in the least interested, you may wish to read Genesis and the Big Bang and The Science of God both by Gerald Schroeder.
Please note: I asked politely that you not to put words in my mouth. I did not write or imply “yea, that’s what it says, but I refuse to believe that’s what it says". If you continue with this posturing, this ceases to be a civil discussion and unfortunately I will be forced to end the discussion. I’m asking you again to please be respectful.
Gerald Schroeder has two great books on it. The Science of God and Genesis and the Big Bang.
He provides one possible framework showing that Creationism and Evolution are not at odds. He also has audio version available at Aishaudio.com.
There is a greatly great book, Genesis and the Big Bang, that discusses 15 billion years in seven days as a possible product of Relativity, and points out that the order of events after the Big Bang is more or less the same as in the first story of Creation in Genesis.
Just depends on your interpretation of the bible. Fundamentalist doctrine says everything in the bible is literal, so genesis is literal. Honestly that position seems more intellectually honest than saying stupid shit like genesis is an account of the big bang.
well the church messed up.
nowhere in the bible it says evolution is false, the earth is not 7000 years old.
evolution and age of the earth in science is compatible with old testament go ahead and read this book.
only uninformed misinformed people who think they are smartsy science guys think that.
http://www.amazon.com/Genesis-Big-Bang-Discovery-Harmony/dp/0553354132 read that book
Genesis and the Big Bang by nuclear physicist Gerald Schroeder is more well known and accessible. Challenge has some bigger names, but I wasn't all that impressed with it's content. Still an interesting book. 19th century German Jewish leader, Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch actually talks a lot about the intersection of science and Torah, including evolution and cosmology in his Collected Writings and Horeb but they're very dense and can be difficult to get through.
There was never a period of time where genesis (bereshith) was taken literally. There was always two accounts of creation. The written allegorical account, and maaseh bereshith, literally the way of creation. What actually happened. The rambam stated that maaseh bereshith means physics, and notes the lack of controversy about that. Every ancient commentary on the genesis follows a physical, nonmystical account, that seems to be frighteningly accurate. This is my favorite quote of Nachmanides teaching in the 13th century.
> At the briefest instant following creation all the matter of the universe was concentrated in a very small place, no larger than a grain of mustard. The matter at this time was very thin, so intangible, that it did not have real substance. It did have, however, a potential to gain substance and form and to become tangible matter. From the initial concentration of this intangible substance in its minute location, the substance expanded, expanding the universe as it did so. As the expansion progressed, a change in the substance occurred. This initially thin noncorporeal substance took on the tangible aspects of matter as we know it. From this initial act of creation, from this etherieally thin pseudosubstance, everything that has existed, or will ever exist, was, is, and will be formed.
I highly recommend a very thin, very cheap book, Genesis and the Big Bang by Dr. Schroeder. This was written by a physicist and explains the account of genesis in light of modern science, and using only ancient commentary. He does this to demonstrate that it is not science influencing theology, but rather theology predicting science.
Have you read Genesis and the Big Bang?
The Science of God and Genesis and the Big Bang might be of interest to you.
>conflicts between science and religion
By religion I mean the texts that make up a religion - not the popular interpretations of those texts. (This argument works for Judaism, Christianity and Islam - it may not hold true for other religions)
So there are three possibilities:
So there is not really any conflict between science and religion, there is only conflict in heads of those who cling to dogma rather than use their capacity for reason.
You might find these books interesting:
Genesis and the Big Bang
God According to God