Everything2
Near Matches
Ignore Exact
Full Text
Everything2

Biblical Literalism

created by Saige

(idea) by Saige (1.2 y) (print)   ?   I like it! Sat Nov 13 1999 at 10:22:26

Belief in The Bible as being not only the Word of God, but also being literally true. That every word in the book is fact.

A flawed viewpoint, as there are Bible Contradictions which should make it clear they can't all be true.

Different translations are believed to be the literal truth to different groups, though none of them realize that no translation is perfect, as the meaning of some of the words in the original languages have been lost.


(idea) by shannonhubbell (11.9 mon) (print)   ?   1 C! I like it! Thu Apr 26 2001 at 19:39:33

Biblical literalists, also known as Young Earth Creationists (YECs), often claim to use science to support their beliefs. This Creation Science cannot be true science, however, as science in its ideal form cannot be used as a crutch for any one belief system. YECs' "scientific method" is flawed from the outset because these pseudo-scientists start off with a "truth" (ie the Earth being 5000 years old) and then attempt to find evidence to back it up.

Of course, the reverse should be true

Beyond the flawed logic of its followers, the Biblical story of Creation is damned, so to speak, as a scientific theory because it is not potentially falsifiable. The theory of evolution is a legitimate one because a single piece of solid evidence could prove it to be false. This is not so with Biblical Creation. If one can somehow navigate the twisted trail of "evidence," dogma and rumoured living fossils, one eventually finds the Big Guy. God did it.

"The Grand Canyon was created in forty days and forty nights by the Great Flood."

"Assuming that's possible (it's not), where did the Flood come from?"

"It rained really hard./The icecaps melted./There were subterranean resevoirs that emptied./et cetera

"And what caused that?"

"God did it."

Therein lies the problem with Creationism. After all of the pseudo-scientific runaround, it's still "God did it," just like it always was. The Creationists use their deity as a safety net for their scientific dabblings. Is there a crack in the facade of the theory? Just say God did it, and they can't say "No, you're wrong." One cannot disprove the existence of God.

Where does this leave us? With a rapidly growing Christian sect, mostly confined to the United States (although I hear that it's gaining a foothold in Italy), whose foundation is circular logic. God's creation of the Universe 5000 years ago is, apparently, evidence for God's creation of the Universe 5000 years ago.

I have a headache.


printable version
chaos

Bible Contradictions Jacob wrestling with the angel young earth creationist Ten reasons why creation scientists don't believe in evolution
Cat 5 Winter solstice is the reason for the season biblical inerrancy The difference between evangelical and fundamentalist Christians
Creation science The Historical Jesus Bible John Wives, submit to your husbands
Gilgamesh and the Sistine Chapel Christianity and civic virtue Skoptsy Theory
Skeptic's Annotated Bible Biblical criticism I don't have a problem with Christians, it's Biblical Literalism I can't stand If I believed in horoscopes, I'd probably keep it to myself.
ostrich science contradictions Liberty University viewpoint
Y'know, if you log in, you can write something here, or contact authors directly on the site. Create a New User if you don't already have an account.
  Epicenter
Login
Password

password reminder
register

Everything2 Help

Cool Staff Picks
Things you could have written:
aburage
So you think you're Bruce Lee
Why I write
A battle for consciousness
Dawn at The Wall
Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox
I felt a disturbance in the fun, as if a million playgrounds cried out, and then
Great Lakes
Society for the prevention of Haikus
Atrocities in the Bible
Carousel of Progress
Coase Theorem
Advice the KJV Bible has to give about Everything
New Writeups
everyday j.Lo
pray do not molest them(thing)
ammie
Bands Who Take Their Names from Eighteenth-century English Poetry and Prose(idea)
shaogo
Under My Thumb(review)
ammie
Rock On(person)
The Custodian
The Dresden Files(thing)
Ouzo
PETA becomes you, a proposed future(fiction)
Ereneta
Stone Soup, Part Two(fiction)
jjen
Sorrier than I ever thought I would be(personal)
locke baron
Moskva class antisubmarine cruiser(thing)
Wuukiee
May 15, 2008(idea)
locke baron
Kuznetsov class aircraft carrier(thing)
Adaptive Child
Annie's garden salsa(recipe)
Simulacron3
Zig-Zag(thing)
Noung
Tiananmen Square Massacre(idea)
aneurin
Lord St Clair(person)
E2 is a by-product of the existence of The Everything Development Company