What had happen' was.....: Feb 26, 2010

Friday, February 26, 2010

Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament: Palestinians Oppose Calling the Cave of Machpelah a Heritage Site

Temple Mount and Western Wall during Shabbat

Dr Mariottini has posted a great article about how the Palestinians are reacting to the recent archaeological evidence for the Jewish claims to the Holy Land. I agree that the reaction comes to no surprise. If it is proof that Genesis is correct that several of the founders of Israel are buried where the Bible says they are buried it adds credibility to Jewish claims on the land. I wish that there was some way that they could share the land. I mean because technically the land does belong to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. While the Palestinians are obviously also Abraham's descendants they are not Isaac's or Jacob's. It's like Issac and Ismael are still at each other's throat although the two men buried their differences and buried their father together.

¹ Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. ² She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. ³ Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan; the descendants of Dedan were the Asshurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. ⁴ The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.
⁵ Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. ⁶ But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east.
⁷ Altogether, Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. ⁸ Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people. ⁹ His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, ¹⁰ the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. ¹¹ After Abraham's death, God blessed his son Isaac, who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi. - Genesis 25:1-11

Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament: Palestinians Oppose Calling the Cave of Machpelah a Heritage Site

Image via Wikipedia

So what happens when two believers who are educated in similar scientific discipline really debate old earth and young earth creationism? I always wondered. Well thanks to Mike from the Apologetic Front I have found one. A radio debate between Jason Lisle who is an AstroPhysicist and Hugh Ross who is an Astronomer. Lisle was arguing that the days of creation were six 24-hour days while Ross sees them as 6 periods of time that scientific observation gives you periods of millions of years. What struck me was how similar Lisle's arguments were to Kent Hovind's. The only difference I could find was that Kent has a thick southern accent living from Florida.

The discussion seemed to center on how the question affect how you view and have confidence in the Bible. I personally agree that the Bible is correct and we should make all effort to understand what the Bible says. In both Lisle's and Hovind's theology I see a few problems

1. They argue that plants are not alive because they don't have consciousness.
2. They ignore that the genealogies in Genesis don't list every single generation.
3. They think that nothing died but plants (but according to them plants are not alive) before Adam sinned.

In addition Ross made a major point. Many times this debate centers on Genesis 1 and 2 but ignore the fact that the Bible does discuss it in other passages: Job 38; Psalms 104; and Proverbs 8. This is an awesome point. And I did not like Lisle's response, I don't think we can say those passages are poetic.

I was real disappointed how Leslie did not try to engage Ross on the Astronomical and Physics that Hovind failed miserably to be able to do. I would have like to see how Lisle would explain how he can see that the earth is only 6000 years old from astronomical information. I find that my attitude towards the subject fits much closer to Hugh Ross' attitude.

Dr. Jason Lisle and Dr. Hugh Ross Debate: Special Webcast - Answers in Genesis