Defending Genesis as literal truth is a pretty hard challenge for any Christian. I no longer do it.
Absolutely. However, its not because the evidence doesn't support it, its because those who wish for it not to be true have a very loud and forceful voice. They attempt to tear down our beliefs while they prop up their own. The evidence that is presented doesn't support beliefs unless you first assume that the bible is not true. It actaully takes just as much faith (if not more) to blelieve the stories that are put forth by those that wish to destroy the truth of Genesis.
I can no longer even argue that the Hebrews were ever enslaved in Egypt. There's not a shred of credible evidence to support it, and the Egyptians documented everything.
Contraire:
Wikipedia "Exodus Decoded" and
Archaeology uncovers the history of the land of Rameses
Once I realized that, it shook my faith. I mean, if that's not true, what else is not true?
You didn't
realize this, you were
convinced of this. Lack of evidence never proves anything. I'm sorry that you were so easily convinced that your faith was without basis, but it's simply not true. However, if we require proof in order to believe, then its not really faith. I don't say this as an excuse to not look for answers or truth, only to point out that in the absence of evidence, faith must fill the void. There is no evidence that proves many of things that scientists try to put forth as an alternative explaination for things, so it too is based on faith.
But the bottom line is that Christianity is not based, nor either passes or fails, on the prehistoric accounts in the books contained in the bible. What does it matter whether there was a Noah's Flood or not? It doesn't.
Jesus quoted from the OT extensively, including Genesis. The danger that I see in believing this statement is, how do you know where to stop? How do you know what is true and what is a lie in the bible? You reduce the Christian faith to nothing more than any other faith on the planet. For Christianity to have any real meaning, we must put our faith in the revealed truth that God has given us through His word.
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.-2 Timothy 3:16-17
I pray that you reconsider your position on these issues. Don't put your faith in the fallible wisdom of men. Apologetics can be a dangerous game for Christians. It forces us to try and take the illogical and miraculous aspects of a God who operates outside of our physical and spectural limitations and then somehow logically defend our faith in His existance. The beauty of it all is that it is just as impossible to ligically defend the belief that He does not exist. Thankfully, we have His inspired word, and all of the evidence that does exist, supports His word, regardless of what others tell you.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. -Romans 1:20
God bless you, Dog Gone.
Well, all I can tell you is that I'm still wrestling with it. I have trouble believing God would ask us to disregard physical evidence and believe an alternative explanation. I think it should all make sense, and where faith is required to accept a truth, so be it.
I do think Santorini was the pillar of fire by night and pillar of cloud by day. That makes perfect sense, except that it doesn't from an Egyptian point of reference. They would have followed that directly into the sea.
It does make sense if they were actually in Iraq or Saudi Arabia. That direction would lead them toward Canaan.
But, in order to believe that, one has to believe that not every word in the Bible is historically accurate. And that's kinda where I'm at. It's a slippery slope, I know, when one doesn't believe that Noah's Flood was a global event, or that the Hebrews didn't do their exodus from Egypt.
Yet, I think I can believe that the themes and message of the Bible is valid, even if some of the accounts aren't accurate. Nobody argues, for example, that the book of Job really describes real-time events. He probably existed, and he probably went through some tough times, but his story was made into a parable.
Anyway, thanks for the links which I read. My mind is not settled on this issue, but it might not ever be.