to ask Christians about dinosaurs...

[EastYorksLass]

This is a serious question - so I have been thinking a lot lately about whether God exists, the meaning of life and why is the world in such a terrible state... been thinking about going to church but still feel I am on the fence. One question which has really got me thinking (after watching dear old David Attenborough... ) is where do dinosaurs fit into all this. Sorry if this sounds very weird but I would love to hear an explanation!

@TooBigForMyBoots

Ancient texts.

It seems the chatty type

What ancient texts are the basis of your assumption?

Specifically the assumption that god would discuss the demise of extinct peoples.

The old testament seems a good shout

I also love listening to John lennox.

I love watching his debates with atheists etc also. So interesting to hear two very highly educated, intelligent people speaking at a higher level.

I also appreciate that in these debates they debate on issues and are not usually critical of each other......ie there is a mutual respect, often sadly lacking in today's society and on social media.

I’m so ignorant
was there any cross over of dinosaurs and humans?

The story of Noah and Sodom and Gommorah appear in the OT. Stories specific to the people of that geographic area and the followers of Judaism.

So I suppose if god exists and spoke to ancient folk in the ME, he did tell them.

No. Not unless you count this week's Britain's Got Talent.

Have you seen his debates with Peter Atkins? Atkins is terrible, rude, arrogant, totally dismissive. Lennox his usual calm unflappable self, takes it all in his stride. I liked his debates with Christopher Hitchens though.

No I originally made the point about Christianity being mocked on this thread. No other religion suffers ridicule like this.

Any religion deserves ridicule, I don't ridicule followers, I redicule the whole religion.

Your God ought to withstand ridicule or it is pathetic. And by the way you do realise that Yahew, God, Allah are all the same God.

Well most Christians aren’t creationists. Even if they are they would then have to take the 7days literally. Otherwise all animals (which could be read as including the potential for all animals inc dinosaurs )were created before man. Of course you could also argue who created them, a monotheistic God or plural gods/goddesses.

you could follow Gnostic Christianity and believe the material world was created by the demiurge.

But if you’re looking into ways to help you through the current state of the world there’s loads of spiritual based options out there,

I also love the fact that Lennox, author, bioethicist and professor of maths at Oxford University will declare openly and unashamedly his strong belief in God. Such a humble man too.

There are few things here:

1. Dinosaures were animals. They are not mentioned in the Bible but aren't either plenty of other animals (I.e kangaroos, pandas, and so on). One reason is (simply put) that the Bible isn't a science encyclopedia but the story of the Jewish people and the story of Jesus. Dinosaures don't come into the picture.

2. Actually we don't really know much about dinosaures and science is far from knowing the whole picture.

Well most Christians aren’t creationists. Even if they are they would then have to take the 7days literally. Otherwise all animals (which could be read as including the potential for all animals inc dinosaurs )were created before man. Of course you could also argue who created them, a monotheistic God or plural gods/goddesses.

If you can pick and choose which bits of bible you believe it all makes it kind of rubbish.

Your God ought to withstand ridicule or it is pathetic. And by the way you do realise that Yahew, God, Allah are all the same God.

When people mock a particular religion is the problem..... Surprised you wrote "my God" then after you reminded us that there's only one.
But as is the usual case if a Christian is offended by insults it's always the same old answer. .....,"I think the same about all religions"
Strange but it's only Christianity we dare do it with eh.

When people mock a particular religion is the problem..... Surprised you wrote "my God" then after you reminded us that there's only one.

Absolute rubbish I never mentioned My god I stated 'Your God' I don't have a god

And I don't state there is only one belief, there are many beliefs in god across the world all wrong.

Christians always come up with this crap well you don't insult Islam ect, yes because have you seem what happens when you insult Islam, but it shouldn't be above insults.

What about hairstyles? Do they deserve ridicule?

If you can pick and choose which bits of bible you believe it all makes it kind of rubbish.

Rubbish? Ancient historical texts aren't rubbish, especially ones that were so significant in the formation of our laws and society.

What about hairstyles? Do they deserve ridicule?

Mullets do. They are also not mentioned in the bible so Evangelicals don't believe in them.

Absolute rubbish I never mentioned My god I stated 'Your God' I don't have a god

When I said "My God" I didn't mean you'd literally wrote "my". But it became "my" when you said "your" itms.
Lucky we're a pretty tolerant lot eh.😊

You must surely have heard other religions being mocked? It's not something that only happens to Christianity at all. In the UK there is negativity towards the Muslim and Jewish faiths in particular, as well as Christianity.

@Bluerose77

What do you mean dare to?

This thread is specifically about Christianity.

If it was about Judaism or Islam or paganism I'd criticise them too.

Who said anything about picking and choosing. Different people have different perspectives on different parts of the scriptures.

historically speaking, most agree Genesis 2 (Adam and Eve) predates Genesis1 (then there was light). The story of Noah is largely agreed to have been nicked for the Mesopotanian story of Gilgamarsh. Taken further the exodus from Egypt (often taken as signifying the Mudane) is seen as leaving the slavery of being bound by the physical world and journeying towards reunification with God in the Promised land etc). then there’s obviously the interpretation of the Old Testament using Gematria. The Old Testament also gives several possible indications of polytheism.

Theres lots of ways people can interpret these scriptures, many read them not in a literal sense but using a variety of interpretations, it’s not a matter of picking and choosing it’s applying different frameworks.

None of these things are “rubbish”, what kind of position is that to hold? It’s not exactly erudite debate is it?

Christians are very intolerant to being mocked even though they have spent last 1500 years being really awful and being total scum but hey they don't like it when someone makes a joke.

Can you quantify that, it's rather a sweeping generalisation