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Adam Lived to Be 900? Maybe, but Our Shorter Life Spans Tell Us More Than We Might Like to Admit
Archdiocese of Washington ^ | 06-09-16 | Msgr. Charles Pope

Posted on 06/10/2016 7:06:28 AM PDT by Salvation

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To: chuckles
I was just reporting that the apostles knew and read books we don't have in the Bible. To assume the builders of the 66 book Bible we have today got everything right is pretty sure of them.

Then wouldn't that call into question the inerrancy of the Bible? I would argue not IF you take the position the Bible is inerrant in the message, morals, and spiritual truths it teaches. But some of the exact facts - well, those are much like the parable of Jesus, they are there to convey a bigger point.

Instead of saying, "Its' not in there so I don't need it." at least read the story behind why it wasn't included and see more than one view.

That's not what I am arguing, I'm saying what is in there is all you need to understand how to relate to God. It's not a historical, factual record of specific events, it's events used (sometimes figuratively, like the parables of Jesus - maybe other events as well?) to convey a bigger picture of man's continuing relationship with God, and how that relationship can be mended.

You don't use a saw to loosen a nut, and you don't use a crescent wrench to solder a circuit. The Bible's not meant to be a factual, literal history book IMHO - it's meant to be a relationship guide to teach us how to relate to God and to each other (the Golden rule).

121 posted on 06/11/2016 9:23:44 AM PDT by Shanghai Dan
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To: Salvation

Maybe because Adam was actually touched/fashioned by God at his creation.


122 posted on 06/11/2016 11:13:30 AM PDT by Melian (While we argue here, the bad guys are winning.)
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To: Original Lurker; chuckles

Where did the virgin-born Jesus Christ get His Y chromosome? Same place the first man (Adam) got his. From God Himself.


123 posted on 06/11/2016 11:57:11 AM PDT by thecodont
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To: Salvation

An apple a day!


124 posted on 06/11/2016 11:59:39 AM PDT by morphing libertarian
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To: Shanghai Dan
It's not a matter of “flexibility” in Biblical interpretation such as would come into play with metaphors, parables and allegories. Instead, I believe people knew what a year was even back then and if someone was just “really freaking old” and nobody kept track of how old someone was, the Bible would have said so rather than specifically stating a number as well as listing the genealogy of a patriarch. Where the Bible is specific, we shouldn't ignore that because a concept such as extremely long lifespans are unheard of today.

I don't think it's hard to believe people at the start of humanity lived much longer lives as we do today because they didn't have to deal with so many things we have today which they didn't have back then. Things such as heart disease, cancer, the Second Law of Thermodynamics, protection from the destructive rays of the sun because of a canopy of water filtering gamma rays out, etc. explain why they lived longer. After the flood is when humans started having shorter lives.

    The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. (Psalm 90:10)

125 posted on 06/11/2016 2:34:36 PM PDT by boatbums (God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.)
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To: Shanghai Dan
I agree with everything you said. I was merely suggesting the early fathers read more than we have. Jude 1:14 quotes the Book of Enoch. I'm not saying the Bible has errors, in fact I too agree that it is inerrant. The point is there may be more scripture that is inerrant that didn't make the Bible. Just because the theory of Relativity didn't make it to Scripture doesn't make it wrong.

Genesis 6 has been discussed for literal centuries with no agreement as to the Nephilim. We can speculate, but there is no resolution in Scripture. Some say they are from Seth, some say they are fallen angels. Some say angels can't have sex. Enoch explains it all and it pretty much makes sense. It also explains why God flooded the earth and why He told His kings to kill everyone, even women and children. These are hard facts to some beginning Christians looking for explanations.

Also, about the inerrancy of the Bible. The Bible is perfect, IMO, but some translations miss the mark. You have to go back to the original Hebrew and Greek to make sure you agree with the translators interpretation.

Just as an example, Gen 4:26. It says at the time of Enosh, men began to CALL upon the name of the Lord. Well, if you search other translations, you can find it interpreted that at that time men began to PROFANE the name of the Lord. Big difference. If you look at Jewish Study sources, you can see that most of them use "profane". Now is the Word inerrant or the translation a mistake? Another can be found in Amos 7:1. If you read most translations, you get almost nothing of the prophesy contained there. In the Septuagint, it names the king of locusts as Gog. Prov 30:27 tells us locusts have no king, so we know this is a prophesy of the end times and who the leader of the army will be. if you didn't search it out, the KJV or the NKJV would leave you hanging.

No one is saying you need to believe The Book of Enoch as part of your Salvation, but it does contain information written by someone that impressed the church fathers at the time of Christ enough to quote from it.

126 posted on 06/11/2016 7:21:12 PM PDT by chuckles
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To: thecodont

I do not disagree with you that Christ got his Y chromosome from God himself. Not at all!

I do believe God hard-coded the development of Christ’s Y chromosome at the time He took Adam’s chromosomes to create Eve. Perhaps setting the Y gene to activate at a specific time just like a clock set to go off at a certain time.
(the Torah does not state God took Adam’s rib. in the original Hebrew it says the “curve”. sounds like the double helix of Adam’s chromosomes to me)

I also think maybe that’s why the LORD gave the descendants of Isaac rigid kosher dietary laws. Ingesting forbidden food could have upset that hard-coded recessive gene to form Christ’s Y chromosome. Maybe??

You know, a living cell or a seed saved from last year’s harvest for this year’s planting is but an organic computer.
A living cell has its bits either turned on or turned off.
Just like a computer (which in its simplest form is just a box of switches - just like a pipe organ is only a box of whistles). You load the software into that box of whistles
(say, uh, Bach’s toccata in D minor) and it comes to life.
Just as with a living cell.

You know, I honestly think the Almighty wants us to ponder these points. I honestly do. And in doing so we’re actually pondering the magnificence of God himself.


127 posted on 06/12/2016 4:05:57 AM PDT by Original Lurker
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To: Salvation

“Methuselah lived 900 years...Methuselah lived 900 years...

But who calls that livin’ when no gal will give in

To no man who’s 900 years?

The things that you’re liable to read in the Bible:

It ain’t necessarily so!”


128 posted on 06/13/2016 1:06:45 PM PDT by miserare ( "What difference does it make?"~~Benghazi Hil)
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To: Shanghai Dan

HAHAHAHAHA!


129 posted on 06/13/2016 1:09:12 PM PDT by miserare ( "What difference does it make?"~~Benghazi Hil)
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To: HangUpNow

You do realize that Jews and Noachides regard Christianity as idolatrous right?


130 posted on 06/13/2016 2:23:26 PM PDT by Borges
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To: Borges
"Regarding" and "lecturing" are two different issues.

Moreover, are you trying to tell me that Jews and Noachides (whoever *they* are) are actively declaring Christianity "a false religion"? Can you name names? And are these people lecturing Christians that their faith is "unauthorized by the Torah."?

After all this, state your point. Thanks.

131 posted on 06/13/2016 3:02:10 PM PDT by HangUpNow
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To: trebb

You’ve obviously misunderstood my post.


132 posted on 06/13/2016 3:03:47 PM PDT by HangUpNow
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To: HangUpNow

http://beta.moshiach.com/index.php/item/the-7-laws-of-the-children-of-noah

...24. In accord with the Seven Universal Commandments, man is enjoined against creating any religion based on his own intellect. He either develops religion based on these Divine Laws or becomes a righteous proselyte, a Jew, and accepts all 613 commandments of the Torah...


133 posted on 06/13/2016 3:14:59 PM PDT by jjotto ("Ya could look it up!")
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To: Shanghai Dan
As science advances, it looks like we will be able to, in the next 10-40 years, extend human life to well beyond the fabled 120 year limit.

WHAT "fabled 120 year limit"?

That's become the eventual spot on number. At least after the Great Flood and the aftermath of an entirely revamped earth, revamped climate, geography, revamped "laws of nature," and revamped Countdown till The End Days (already upon us.)

All genetics and energy devolve and degrade in quality and quantity over time. You're assuming quite a bit from Science in breaking down man's entire DNA code as though it's a matter of running a few more calculations before extending life or "hacking" a younger one. (there are a couple a great Twilight Zone episodes btw on the subject. Sort of. If you have Netflix you're in luck.)

His will is already stated. 120 years it is. And will be. At the optimum.

God chooses to let those who love Him and follow His voice to live as long as needed, to accomplish what He wants them to accomplish.

I agree. Though it doesn't account for the long lives of those who hate Him, or shorter lives of those who've loved Him. It is His Plan, but too many try to de-mystify "reason and purpose" when it comes to The Almighty. Especially as we endure the evil in this world. Fortunately some of us believe in a second *final* life for Eternity. Good news that there's a Heaven. Bad news is that there's a Hell.

Turn away, though, and your life may be long - but will be empty, with no real accomplishment to be recorded. It's as if you lived but a day, not a thousand years...

Sounds as if you may be a Moody Blues fan :-)

After this life is over, there will be no specific memory of accomplishment or regret. That occurs for most folks in the final phase of this life. "Accomplishment" may be just a moment for *His* reason and purpose during the course of mortal life. Though He's "programmed" us to find purpose, I'm not sure that our own personal "achievement" and fulfillment is what makes Him most proud.

134 posted on 06/13/2016 3:35:13 PM PDT by HangUpNow
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To: jjotto
... man is enjoined against creating any religion based on his own intellect.

And THAT would be....?

135 posted on 06/13/2016 4:06:12 PM PDT by HangUpNow
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To: HangUpNow

Aren’t you just a LITTLE bit surprised that all those lifetimes end in nice, even “divide by 10” numbers? On average, there should be many more than end in something other than zero. But in the Bible..

Oh well. I think it’s more the fact those ages are used as literary metaphors, to show a person lived long and prospered because of their relationship with God, not that they lived exactly 900 years, or 600 years, or 120 years.


136 posted on 06/13/2016 4:08:34 PM PDT by Shanghai Dan
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To: Shanghai Dan
I think it’s more the fact those ages are used as literary metaphors, to show a person lived long and prospered because of their relationship with God, not that they lived exactly 900 years, or 600 years, or 120 years.

"Odd" number would be kinda...odd, wouldn't it? Although 3 and 7 are "odd."

God often is very specific about His numbers in the Bible, isn't he? But we have to assume He rounded them off due to our finite mortal brains. Man is already sufficiently overwhelmed by His word at times. Imagine were "118.68" years to be His written Life Span? We'll have to axe Him when we see Him, "You Big Dawg, what wuz up whiff dose big-time odd numbers from da good book??"

137 posted on 06/13/2016 4:20:06 PM PDT by HangUpNow
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To: HangUpNow

Nah, I think it’s just easier to remember “Adam was 900” instead of “Adam lived 897 years and 10 months”.

It’s not the exact number that matters; I mean, if it was 897 instead of 900, would that crush your faith? If it turned out that really WAS 897 and 900 would your belief in the enternal truths and guidance in the Bible be diminished?

My guess for answers for both is “no”.

Just like the slaying of enemies of the Israelites (again, always a nice round number like 10,000) it’s about “that’s a really big number” that is easy to remember rather than the exact historical, empirical recording.


138 posted on 06/13/2016 4:24:35 PM PDT by Shanghai Dan
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To: HangUpNow
You’ve obviously misunderstood my post.

Quite possible - any way to elucidate it for me? I am truly interested in clearing up any misconceptions I have about the Bible.

Much of the rest of my thoughts turn sardonic/wry/ironic/even snide from time to time, but the Bible is an area where I try to remain serious. rest

139 posted on 06/14/2016 2:22:42 AM PDT by trebb (Where in the the hell has my country gone?)
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To: HangUpNow

Judaism means that Jews follow the 613 commandments and Gentiles follow the Seven Laws of Noah or the Noachide laws. They include a command to establish fair courts to enforce these six prohibitions:

idolatry
blasphemy
sexual immorality
blood-shed
robbery
a limb torn from a living animal.

The belief in the divinity of Jesus would be regarded as Idolatry.


140 posted on 06/14/2016 9:25:14 AM PDT by Borges
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