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Scientific Breakthroughs from the Bible (Part II)


Posted Thursday, March 20, 2008. — View & Post Comments »
The book of includes so many ridiculous and horrible prophesies, it's obvious that was either consciously trying to scare people into submission or he was on some kind of psychedelic substance; or both.

To me, one of his most revealing claims is that the stars will fall to the earth. Of course at the time of his writing, people didn't know just how big and far away the stars really are. To them, they were just little lights in the sky. But if his "visions" where really coming from an omniscient god, wouldn't he have known?

Here are the verses in question:

Revelation 6:13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

Revelation 8:10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;

Revelation 9:1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

Revelation 12:4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

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Comments:
OpenID the-walruss said...
How can people believe this nonsense? Oh, that's right, ignorance is the most adaptive thing in the universe.

You see, when John was talking about "stars" what he really meant was comets and other small cosmic items that were traditionally called stars until we discovered that they were something entirely different. Will every single one of them fall to earth? Of course not. When the bible says that all of the stars will fall to earth, what he means is that they will be extinguished. And you forget that the parts of the bible that don't make sense are always figurative.

So long as we keep changing its meaning, there's no contradictions in the bible (except the ones we just flat out ignore).
March 20, 2008  


Blogger freedy said...
As a former fundy,I was taught that the word "stars" in these scriptures refered to angels.Rev.12 refers to Lucifer causing one third of the angels to fall with him.Satan is also called "star of the morning".

I can't believe I use to teach that crap.--Freedy
March 20, 2008  


Blogger cipher said...
As a former fundy,I was taught that the word "stars" in these scriptures refered to angels.Rev.12 refers to Lucifer causing one third of the angels to fall with him.Satan is also called "star of the morning".

This is the thing that always gets me. When they need to interpret to bolster their faith, that's fine. But when non-believers or liberal Christians interpret, and the result is a weakening of their position - all of a sudden, interpretation isn't permissible. "It means what it says!"
March 21, 2008  


Blogger Shaggy Maniac said...
Many mainstream Christians don't consider Revelations to be a prophecy at all. Looked at in historical context, it is a book of apocalyptic literature that utilizes lots of sensational symbolism to convey its message intended for the contemporary audience. Many consider it to be aimed at encouraging believers at a time of (Roman) persecution, written in an apocalyptic style as a means of concealing its message from the persecutors. Note, I'm not defending the book as a source of truth as I am myself an atheist. But this criticism of Revelations seems to be missing the point of the book.
March 21, 2008  


Blogger DocMike said...
You may be right, Shaggy, but I've met many a christian in my life who thinks it's the literal "gospel truth."

As a child, I was threatened from the pulpit with Revelation crap and it scared the hell out of me (pun intended).

No doubt, my mother still worries herself to sleep every night over my doomed soul.
March 21, 2008  


Blogger Jamie said...
Revelation was the single biggest hurdle to my deconversion. Specifically, the Seventh-day Adventist interpretation of it. Oddly enough it was a catholic criticism of some of it that made it fall apart for me (Adventist interpretation of prophecy is strongly anti-catholicism).
March 21, 2008  


Blogger THE ACE said...
Here's a strange but true one. I was taught the stars falling to earth were actually Russian ICBM
warheads glowing as they re-entered
the atmosphere. The "gall and
wormwood" referred to in the book
of Revelation was the poisoning of
the earth by radioactivity. (I
believe Hal Lindsey was a big proponent of this idea).

My mother was always very interested when international tensions were on the rise, because, she said, "It's the End
Times. The world is going to blow
up and Jesus will come".

Needless to say, some of my childhood was spent in a less than
calm state!
March 21, 2008  


Blogger ou812 said...
This post has been removed by the author.
March 21, 2008  


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