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talking snakes.
Topic Started: May 23 2009, 10:25 PM (286 Views)
the breeze
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the breeze
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Feedback: Talking Snakes and Magical Trees
by Bodie Hodge, AiG–U.S.
May 22, 2009
Layman
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•adam-and-eve
•author-bodie-hodge
•feedback
•tree
Dear AiG,
I've noticed a lot of evolutionists will try to mock creationists and make our beliefs seem ridiculous by saying things like "You creationists believe a woman was convinced by a talking snake to eat from a magical tree."
How should creationists respond to remarks like that?
Thanks and God bless,
Dylan.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Dylan,

Thank you for contacting Answers in Genesis. Those making these sorts of comments are not likely even looking for a response, but are primarily poking fun without even knowing much about what they are ridiculing. In cases like this, sometimes it may be good to illuminate the humor of their own belief such as: “And evolutionists believe everyone in the world ultimately came from rock.” Then point out that if they have trouble with talking animals then they mustn’t believe parrots exist either!

In this case, explain that, like the talking donkey that Balaam rode, the talking serpent was a vessel enabled for another being to use or speak through—Satan, in the case of the serpent. And nowhere does the Bible call the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil “magical.” The curses and repercussions came from God as a punishment because of Adam and Eve’s sin, not the tree. I suggest that they are confusing the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil with the Tree of Life, which one may mistake for having “magical” properties to make one live forever (Genesis 3:22). The Book of Revelation does mention that the leaves of the Tree will be used for healing (Revelation 22:2).

Humor aside though, today we see people dying, which is exactly what God said would happen because of Adam and Eve’s rebellion and sin. Today, we also see serpents slithering (snakes), which was what Genesis says. And yet, no one sees people coming from rocks, algae, or even lemurs! The Bible explains the world we live in, and it is the evolutionary position that simply begins with and ends with absurdity and irrationality.

When people do begin asking serious questions indicating they are truly looking for answers, I suggest you be prepared (I Peter 3:15) to give good, solid answers. Study the Scriptures, first, and then read up on common questions and answers in relation to challenges to the Bible. I pray this helps. God bless.

Bodie Hodge


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ngc1514
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breezy continues to cut and paste in tongues...

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Feedback: Talking Snakes and Magical Trees
by Bodie Hodge, AiG–U.S.
May 22, 2009
Layman
Keywords
•adam-and-eve
•author-bodie-hodge
•feedback
•tree


Pray for editing skills, breezy!
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It might be secret code!

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"“And evolutionists believe everyone in the world ultimately came from rock.”"

Oh, man, no! We came from apes!!!

:hystery:
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Answers In Genesis is a hoot. I like that site alot!
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ngc1514
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The only tools the creationists have in their little tool boxes are lies and utter misrepresentations of what science actually says.

Creationism has changed from the only accepted weltanschauung (I won't justify it with the title of "theory" for it never was) of a couple centuries ago to a dying world view held by only a small percentage of christians today. The main adherents and proponents lie and they KNOW they lie in a failing attempt to keep the fundamentalist believers believing.

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“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”

-Joseph Goebbels

Replace "state" with religion and it rings true today. Unfortunately for the creationists, they do not hold absolute control over the broadcast and print media nor over the education of the young as did Goebbels did. Telling lies only works when dissent and truth can be suppressed.
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Ah, but the creationism of evangelical fundamentalism is not the old theology. Theology had already become naturalistic. Newton's Laws do not depend on God, though he threw God in at the end. Paley, the father of the ID movement was a proponent of Natural Theology. Darwin was a minister, and reluctant to present his theory which combined ideas prevalent at the time. No, the creationism of today arose after Darwin had already won the day, under the militancy of Huxley and others, and is just as much in reaction of German high criticism of the Bible. No where in Christianity do you see prior to The Fundamentals an insistence of biblical literalness and inerrancy. It is a newcomer. Yes, on their narrow view they are what has always been, but that is a result of tunnel vision.
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ngc1514
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From the Wiki article on Allegorical Interpretations of Genesis.

Augustine wrote:
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"It not infrequently happens that something about the earth, about the sky, about other elements of this world, about the motion and rotation or even the magnitude and distances of the stars, about definite eclipses of the sun and moon, about the passage of years and seasons, about the nature of animals, of fruits, of stones, and of other such things, may be known with the greatest certainty by reasoning or by experience, even by one who is not a Christian. It is too disgraceful and ruinous, though, and greatly to be avoided, that he [the non-Christian] should hear a Christian speaking so idiotically on these matters, and as if in accord with Christian writings, that he might say that he could scarcely keep from laughing when he saw how totally in error they are. In view of this and in keeping it in mind constantly while dealing with the book of Genesis, I have, insofar as I was able, explained in detail and set forth for consideration the meanings of obscure passages, taking care not to affirm rashly some one meaning to the prejudice of another and perhaps better explanation." (The Literal Interpretation of Genesis 1:19–20, Chapt. 19 [AD 408])


From http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/1998/9803fea3.asp
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Augustine warned against a danger among Christians of his day and ours. If the Christian insists on a certain scientific theory as if it were the teaching of the Bible, and it turned out to be wrong, then the unbeliever will reject the Bible wholesale and miss the saving purpose God has in composing it. This danger is so real that Augustine emphasized it a number of times in his writings. Unreliable knowledge of nature is not damning but it can be a stumbling block "if he thinks his view of nature belongs to the very form of orthodox doctrine, and dares obstinately to affirm something he does not understand." In this case, the Christian's lack of true knowledge becomes an obstacle to the unbeliever's embracing the truth of the gospel. The great harm, says the bishop of Hippo, is not that "an ignorant individual is derided" but that "people outside the household of faith think our sacred writers held such opinions and . . . the writers of Scripture are criticized and rejected as unlearned men."

And, so, the Roman church accepts evolution and Big Bang cosmology.

Fifth century Augustine understood the allegorical nature of Genesis. Perhaps our resident creationist would be better served reading him than those loony websites he embraces.
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Breeze wouldn't know who Augustine is. But even Mike rejects great thinkers like Augustine and Aquinas. They, following, Paul, kept adding Greek and Roman influences into Christianity. I really want to engage in research on the origins of Christian thought. Undeniably it is an important influence in Western thought, but where did it's ideas come from?
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