“It seems that even Sagan’s quote about Bozo the Clown is yet another straw man argument: it hides the fact that the main topic of the quote is about fighting against new ideas with scornful guffaws and amused contempt. There was no scorn or contempt directed at Bozo. The quote is dishonest. It is not about healthy laughter at all.” I truly plead that modern scientist do not become what they resent so much, close minded bigots who refuse to examine seemingly outlandish scientific notions.

As for a global flood having to creditable evidence, here’s an URL: http://www.earthage.org/EarthOldorYoung/scientific_evidence_for_a_worldwide_flood.htm
Admittedly I did not read all 18 arguments for a worldwide flood, but the article goes to show that there is tangible evidence for biblical notions such as a world wide flood. But let’s be honest, I can go about posting URLs all day to counter your arguments, and you could spend all day arguing with me, but it if you choose to ignore me then it is all pointless. In the end we must not pt our faith on worldly evidence, for the world’s evidence changes daily. Instead we must search ourselves for the truth, through introspection we can find that deep inside of us we already know what the truth is. We have to have faith in what we know inside of us instead of having faith in statistics and probabilities. I suggest that you spend some time with a Bible and that you search yourself. Get rid of all of your bias and stubbornness and be open to an epiphany. If you search you will find.

The oracle at Delphi, who was always a woman, was known as the Pythoness. This was a reference to the early practice of the cult, when the priestesses claimed to get prophecies by listening to, and interpreting, the hissing of serpents. (J.K. Rowling, of course, used this cult as the inspiration for some of the scenes in the Harry Potter septology.)

In any case, the entire book of Genesis looks like a collection of the oral histories the Hebrews had passed down. Like Native American tribes in the 19th and 20th centuries (and like writers such as Hesiod in ancient Greece) the first thing groups usually do when they get writing is write down and save their oral histories, without regard to whether they are “literally true” or not. (It isn’t even clear what literally true would mean to pre-literate people.)

In any case, there is nothing at all in Genesis about original sin. That wasn’t even a recognoized doctrine until the second century of the Christian era.

The theories the science scoffs at one day become widely accepted as true the next.

Correct – for an exceedingly small set of ideas. But the majority of ideas fall by the wayside, leaving the best ones standing. The Sagan quote about Bozo is particularly relevant here.

NJ, can you give me an EXACT example of when science has disproved Genesis

No evidence supporting a global flood. Lots of evidence that the early Hebrew tribes co-opted the pre-existing story of Gilgamesh.

No evidence Universe created in six calendar days as described in Genesis. Lots of evidence for 4.5 byo Earth and 13.75 byo Universe (no day-age claims, lets try using a little originality.)

And NJ, as I have previously stated, evolution and God (and everything in the bible) can coexist. Furthermore What we “know today” often changes tomorrow. The theories the science scoffs at one day become widely accepted as true the next. NJ, can you give me an EXACT example of when science has disproved Genesis (no big bang theory, lets try using a little originality.)

And care to explain NJ?

Sure thing.

Adam. Mythical 1st human male. Story in Genesis developed/adapted from early cultural myths of assortment of Near East hunter-gatherer tribes. Concept inconsistent with current state of knowledge about the evolution of humans.

Eve. Mythical 1st human female. Ibid.

To extend point…

Garden of Eden, Noachian flood, Tower of Babel, etc. Aspects of stories in Genesis developed/adapted from early cultural myths of assortment of Near East hunter-gatherer tribes. Concepts inconsistent with current state of knowledge about the evolution of language, of geography and geology.

We can go on like this for as long as you need.

Note that these observations are not about the existence or lack thereof of any types of deities whatsoever; it is only the literal reading of Genesis which cannot be reconciled with our current knowledge that I am discussing here.

Word to the wise, kiddo– if you want to impress people with the excellence of your brand of Christianity, calling yourself persecuted when somebody says something mildly snarky to you on a blog is exactly the wrong way to go about it. You ended up looking spoiled, pompous, and, may I say, *sinfully* indifferent to the suffering of others.

Before you pull out the persecution line again, I would strongly suggest you read up on the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre and the Cathare Crusade. Those were True Christians who really were being persecuted (and, of course, also True Christians doing the persecuting.)

You should try praying over that computer. Maybe God will heal it for you? I know; it *sounds* nutty! But give it a try – I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

We are not being ‘punished’ for what Adam and Eve did

Particularly true given that both Adam and Eve were metaphorical and not real, actual, living persons.