The Museum won’t be paying for it. The people going to the museum will be paying $25 a person for it, and presumably Bill will get half and the museum will get the other half.
1 Like
You underestimate the ability of the credulous and ignorant to delude themselves.
The video won’t have to be edited for a believer to watch the whole thing and marvel at what an amazing job Ham did, refuting Nye’s every shoddy point and constructing insightful and convincing arguments for creationism’s primacy.
3 Likes
I salute Bill Nye’s willingness to bang his head against a brick wall repeatedly for the amusement of the people.
4 Likes
I think some people here may underestimate how important it can be just to expose creationists to a well-articulated argument for evolution delivered by a charismatic and knowledgeable individual. I wouldn’t be surprised if lot of people who frequent the Creationist museum were never really taught about evolution in school, particularly if they were home-schooled or attended a religious private school.
You won’t always win converts with an open and respectful dialog but it sure doesn’t hurt. The first time I heard anyone speak in person about what it was like to live as a homosexual in a society full of anti-gay bigotry, they were addressing the Catholic youth group I was part of at the time. I don’t know if any of the speakers who accepted the invitation to talk with us realized they made any kind of impression, but it was an eye-opening experience for me.
10 Likes
While AIG espouses a young earth creationist view based on the English translation. There are very Scientifically viable vews of the Bible based on the original Hebrew and Science…an infinite chain of physical cause and effects is a self contradiction because the chain is always looking for a reason for the chain and never finding it, first cause had to be beyond cause and effect, eternal, self governed, universes by chance cant be because every infinite point would birthuniverses in infinity past and coalesce by now being an infinite universe-olbers paradox says temp would be 3000 and no night, our universe is not an actual infinity, only potentially so
YWHH might transitioned (bara in Hebrew) in the past; NOT NOW; 3000000 species, we have monkeys and men but no LIVING monkey men, assuming just 1 transition per species since we have starts and ends, assuming the odds are 1 in 3 , 1/3 that the transition(1/3) would be missing of the start(1/3)and stop(1/3), the odds are 1/3^3000000, its statistically impossible for every transition that is NOT living to be missing in every species and only have the starts and stops;evolutionisNOT happening NOW
some scientists say natural selection creates complexity, some scientists say it doesnt…the truth is …simpler animals survive catastrophies better than complex animals…survival of the fittest has nothing to do with complexity …the two are completely different issues
HEBREW (HEBREW YOU DUMMIES NOT ENGLISH VERSIONS) GENESIS: Create bara strongs #4 means transform (change shape, form, appearance, etc); made asah means to work on-not necessarily made from scratch, set means to yield or extend; tenses are mostly imperfect continuous and unfinished, Hebrew tenses do NOT envolve time-rather the kind of action; tanniym is giant sea creature(mostly amphibian or reptile), owph “winged insects” (rather than birds)
GENESIS (HEBREW U DUMMIES) matches science on 19 items, darkness on face of abyss, one light-big bang, stretching-space, time,stars( Job38),atmosphere, seperation of continent, sea, continents and seas, primitive plant life, haze clears and suns luminosity reaches earth(made-asah-expand),small life in seaSherets(small animals to large) tanniym(large sea life), flying insects,transformed(create-bara-transform)into distinct kinds,land animals(transformed to kinds)modern man,finished1 in 10^17
Gerald Schroeder showed that the “Hebrew” genesis order of events are in harmony with the astronomical and geological record. I spent 6 months initially plus all the times since Ive looked up the Hebrew to genesis 1. GENESIS 1 matches science on 19 items, darkness on face of abyss (event horizon), one light-big bang ( the person who first came up with the idea of some sort of big bang event was Lematrie a priest with a devout faith in YHWH…atheists didn’t like the idea-but they put their own twist on it like they always do ) , stretching-space (tenakh OT says about 15 times YHWH is stretching the heavens and they are CHWG a sphere, 1000 years ago Nachamedes said the universe was first seen the size of a “mustard seed” and expanded to what it is now) , bible says time was created,stars before the earth ( Job38),atmosphere, seperation of continents, sea (singular) , continents and seas (plural) , primitive plant life(descriptions can match algae and other primitive plants), haze clears (job 38) and suns luminosity reaches earth(made-asah-expand, yield),small life in seaSherets(small animals to large) tanniym(large sea life…most tanniym are reptilian or amphibian creatures according to strong’s concordance), flying insects (owph can mean flying insects…they match the geological time period) ,transformed(create-bara-transform…YHWH transformed Eve from Adams rib…the word create bara is used and strongs def #4 means to transform…its in the Bible…making things from things is not anti-biblical…create bara can mean to transform…see strongs lexicon definition #4 for bara))into distinct kinds,land animals(transformed to kinds)modern man,finished…19 things in the correct order is 19x18x17…x1; odds are 1 in 10^17 that Genesis got these events I mentioned in the correct order; most tenses in Genesis one are imperfect in the original Hebrew meaning on going action…not once for all; its time we Christians are open to the original language of the Bible…we have access…if we ignore it…we might be spelling the doom of christianity…the Hebrew stands the test of fire
No one can show “every step” of evolution from biogenesis to now, show every step in the “math”, leave nothing out; one bad step would stop evolution in its tracks; Darwin said a creator started everything-evolutionists should follow darwins footsteps
There are 2000 fulfilled prophecies in the Bible average 1 in 10 each, written out the odds would be 1 in 10^2000 power or 1 in 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000…2000 zeros…
day 4, set- to yield or extend, tenses are imperfect continuous action , hebrew tense doesnt envolve time as english tense does, made asah can mean simply to work on(proof-Job38 says stars were before earth), nothing in the hebrew demands that the lights were made from scratch this day, alternatively asah(made)can mean to be working on, the haze cleared this period and the sunlight reached the earth directly this is mentioned twice, sun and moon are for biological cycles,
distance of YHWH from farthest photon inthe estimated size of the universe=46500000000 LY radius; 299792458 m / s x60 x 60 x 24 x 365 x 46500000000=439,622,855,430,192,000,000,000,000 meters;439,622,855,430,192,000,000,000,000 meters x .99999999999999999999999999999999= 439,622,855,430,191,999,999,999,999.99956 meters distance;439,622,855,430,192,000,000,000,000 - 439,622,855,430,191,999,999,999,999.99956 = .0005 meters difference, YHWH half a millimeter from farthest photons
13.7 BILLION YEARS HERE ARE 6 DAYS “ABOVE THE UNIVERSE” NEAR THE FARTHEST PHOTONS ; T1=T2/(1- (v^2)/c^2) ½;13,700,000,000 x365 = 5000500000000 days;5000500000000 = 6/sqrt 1-.99999999999999999999999999999999% velocity of photons (farthest photons);5000500000000 = 6/sqrt .000000000000000000000001;5000500000000 = 6/1.19988001199880011998800119988e-12; 1/2 a millimeter from the farthest photons YHWH is in all reference frames.
the next calculation…the precision is 32 decimal places, about the equal of having 100,000 earths and painting a pea size piece of earth red and someone blindfolded finding the red size pea the first attempt
Gould-“we dont know how life got started” morowitz-“we dont know how life got started” Bill Nye-“we dont know how life got started” Scientific American we don’t know how life got started, Dawkins-no one knows how life got started ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha also on film dawkins was asked if heknew of a mutation that improved the information of a genome…dawkins could not answer and has not to this date
New Scientis Magazine list what they call MYTHS…Evolution: 24 MYTHS and misconceptions; Evolution MYTHS: Natural selection leads to ever greater complexity-natural selection does not create complexity ( it would take 10^600 permutations for every bone in the best place…cannot switch any two bones and they work as well; 300x299,x1=10^600; 10^54 falls way way short;then theres 2000000 proteins in the best place; 7500 organs in the best place, remove a bone you will have functional problems)
if the odds of any protein being in the best place by chance are .99 then the odds of all the 2000000 proteins in the body being in the best place by chance are 1 in 10^8730…crunch numbers baby…whew
the odds of a protein with just 56 amino acids all left handed with hydrogen bonds and a 50% chance amino acid substitution are 1 in 10^50 odds…you’ll never get anything equal or beyond that by chance…show the math how 7500 organs are of the right proteins and in the right place, and how 2000,000 proteins are in the right place, how there are 10^14 neurons in the brain, the complexity of a cell is like a city of machines that know what to do and when and where to do, show the math how this happened by chance from nothing…show every step andleave nothing out…show all the math…YOU CANNOT
NO God creates himself – and besides that, he is also composed of opposites that contradicts entity creation. No God can even exist in our Universe of Opposites. Opposites transcend Entity. Entity equals cancellation — the death of Opposites. Evil Educated “Singularity” Stupid - ignores the Cubic Wisdom of Wisest Human and The Greatest Thinker. No human or god can match Nature’s simultaneous 4 day rotation in 1 Earth rotation. No human has a right to believe wrong - for that would be evil thinking. Ignorance of 4 days is evil, Evil educators teach 1 day. 1 day will destroy humans. OPPOSITES CREATE.
3 Likes
I think you may need to loosen than foil cap. It appears to be interfering with your ability to correctly format a post.
2 Likes
If you had solid facts your post would actually merit a reply of thought.
Hitchens once said That which is presented without evidence may be dismissed without evidence. What we have here is a jumble of incoherent ideas, perhaps intended as presentation of facts?
A fact is a peice of evidence not subject to dispute, or verifiably true.
For instance, that the bible stole all the juicy bits from the ancient “Epic of Gilgamesh”. A haha, that was a joke, you see.
No, I don’t think you deserve a serious reply, because as far as I understand the PURPOSE of your message was…
Intended to cast doubts on certain scientifically established ideas?
Scientifically no idea is above being challenged,and they stand or fall on their own merits. If your challenges had any basis (I don’t see any) other than dogma, then they’d deserve attention. Instead you’ve tried to claim that doctors in their respective feilds are dishonest or mislead, and because there exists doubt, you get to shoe-horn in an omnipotent magical genie that poofs the universe into existence. Thats not how honest reasoning…or science works…you don’t get to pick your favourite conclusion and then construct an argument from the basis of ignorance.
It is wholy dishonest to assert as fact that which is not evidentially (supported by facts that are explained by only one conclusion and no competing theories) true.
Claiming 2000 fulfilled prophecy’s? What utter hogwash. Show some honesty and some intellectual integrity why don’t you? How would you even begin to demonstrate these claims?
You are an ape. So am I. We can demonstrate THESE claims. For instance, you are a simian (which means among other things that you have a dry nose). You are from the family of Homonidia. These are things you can examine the EVIDENCE that leads to these conclusions.
“dawkins was asked if heknew of a mutation that improved the information of a genome…dawkins could not answer” Could not answer? We’re now rolling our eyes at you… because the question is malformed, similar to ‘What is the difference between a duck?’. Its the kind of question that a person ignorant of the subject would consider ‘challenging’ to someone actually educated in the field of biology. Do you even understand WHY the question is malformed?
Ken Ham is a liar, and a fraud. He is a for-profit shyster that KNOWS enough about his topic to KNOW he’s being dishonest, and he does it anyway. This is known as being a conman.
“show the math how this happened by chance from nothin”
Why would I explain to a kitten how a toaster works? The kitten is too simple to understand, and furthermore doesn’t care to know. Kitten likes string. If you want to understand aspects of cosmology or biology or astrophysics or geology or any of these other subjects, then it behoves you to EITHER accept the testimony of non-controversial accredited EXPERTS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE FIELDS (because you’re attempting to challenge all of them) or educate yourself beyond the highschool level…as claiming a bronze age text that is wrong about just about everything as “are very Scientifically viable vews” is the perspective that only one who PLANS to prove that -his- book of fairy tales is the ‘right’ one and has no interest in the truth of the matter at all.
Also, its Abiogenisis, not Biogenesis. Its not proven, its merely a theory. Like germs and gravity.
Genesis places the earth before the stars, bats as birds, and has two conflicting accounts.
You put a challenge to science to show ‘every step’? There is evidence that you can explore and independently verify. We -know- (to the point we can demonstrate) the age of the earth as a number that is in direct conflict to the bronze age fairy tales version of events, by orders of -magnitude-. Even if you had somehow cast doubt upon all established knowledge, all you’ve demonstrated is a reason for doubt, not a reason to believe in made up nonsense…for no good reason.
4 Likes
You seem mad…I must have hit a nerve? My intention is not to make you mad. For someone that is not concerned about what I said…you sure said a lot. You are welcome to show how life started…or how it developed from a reproducing molecule to what it is now…if you can…you will become very wealthy and win a nobel prize. Its a common tactic of the atheist to pounce on things such as spelling or a word not said the right way. But at the same time you have a mountain of calculating to do to show life got to where it is now by chance- I know you are not able and the world is watching. I do not want to force you to believe in YHWH. But I do have a problem with evolution being and abiogenesis being passed on to little kids as though its a proven fact…but when you get to the nuts and bolts…the math seems to cause serious problems for evolution. Also as far as bats and such in the Bible…I highly recommend if you going to split hairs-always go to the original languge…the lack of this is exactly why we’re in the mess we are in. the English translations are exactly that…a translation based on 16th century knowledge. The original text was in Hebrew and Greek and some Aramaic. Also there is a list of prophecies… Tyre (satellite image right)
… Samaria
… Gaza and Ashkelon
… Jerico
… The Golden Gate
… Zion Plowed
… Jerusalem Enlarged
… Palestine
… Moab and Ammon
… Edom
… Babylon
… Summary
I must point out that the tenses about Babylon and tyre are the imperfect in the original hebrew meaning they have not been completed yet…there are still things that have to be fulfilled…so while there are some things that Stoner jumped the line on…the majority he understood correctly. Also, there are lying atheists out there that say that Nebucchadnezzar never took Tyre…but Babylonian records show that he did. And yes…will give you another example of fulfilled prophecy…Isreal was scattered and regathered twice…this has never happened to any other nation. Remember…next time you want to show yourself a fool…try looking into the original text of the Bible before making comments. I hope you find eternal life…it seems to me the atheist has no hope…but YHWH does love you…you were made in his image…but…I know this will inflame you also…I hope you find peace… Peace and goodwill.
and by the way…I think you missed the point that dawkins is an expert. Gould once said if life went extinct …it would never start again…so…i ask you…is evolution probable? Many evolutionists have said its improbable but not impossible…so if it is improbable…should you rest your life on it? If not…should it be taught as a fact? and by the way…heres more details on several prophecies…MUCH HAS BEEN WRITTEN about the fulfillment of biblical prophecies. Many archaeological expeditions have delved into the ruins of old cities referred to in biblical accounts, and have written reports of their findings, showing that the biblical accounts were accurate. Many books have been written showing how prophecies have been fulfilled and are yet being fulfilled. As far as I have been able to find, very little has been written to show just how definitely this fulfillment of prophecy does prove the Bible to be the inspired Word of God.
This chapter is being written so that the person who is in doubt about the inspiration of the Bible may be given strong evidence upon which to anchor his faith. Only a very few of the great number of prophecies which could be considered are being used, and only a very brief account is given of the fulfillment of these prophecies; just sufficient to make evaluation possible. Other books are suggested for more complete treatments. In some cases references are given to histories and other books, so as to facilitate the checking of the facts from sources outside of the Bible.
I am making use of the well-known principle of probability. If the chance of one thing happening is one in M, and the chance of another independent thing happening is one in N, then the chance that they shall both happen is one in M times N. The proof of this theory will be found in any college algebra text. I shall only illustrate the truth of the principle. Suppose one man in every ten is bald, and one man in 100 has lost a finger, then one man in every 1,000 (the product of 10 and 100) is both bald and has lost a finger. To show the truth of this conclusion, suppose you take 1,000 men at random and sort out all that are bald. Since one in ten is bald you will have just 100 bald men in the 1,000. The other 900 are not bald, therefore cannot both be bald and have lost a finger. f Now go through these 100 bald men and look for men who have lost a finger. Since only one man in 100 has lost a finger, you will find only one in this group. This man then is both bald and has lost a finger, and he is the only man who fills the two conditions. In other words, we could say that the chance of a boy becoming bald is one in ten, and the chance of a boy losing a finger is one in 100. Therefore, the chance that a particular boy shall become bald and lose a finger is one in ten times 100, or one in 1,000. Thus the theory is seen to be true.
If the events are not entirely independent, a somewhat different theory of probability must be used.
If the chance of one thing happening is one in M, and after it happens the chance that a second and related event will happen is one in N, then the chance that both will happen is one in M times N.
Let me illustrate. What is the chance that a young man will eventually lose both his first and second fingers? We cannot find the answer by asking the questions: One man in how many men has lost his second finger? and then multiplying the two results. The loss of the first and second finger is often related. The same accident that takes the second finger is very apt to take the first finger also. We must ask the questions: One man in how many men loses one of his first two fingers? And one man in how many men after losing one of his first two fingers also loses the other? Then we may multiply these results.
This principle will be carefully adhered to throughout this treatment of probability in the following pages.
These theories of probability are the foundation on which the rates are fixed for all kinds of insurance, and its truth has been proved in practice in every application.
The probability of the fulfillment of the items of various prophecies is difficult to arrive at. The abilities used in this treatment are an attempt to give the chance of the prophetic items being fulfilled if they had been written only with human knowledge. The author has used the mean of the estimates given him by some seven hundred college students over a period of more than ten years as a starting point, but he has carefully weighed these and changed all that seemed questionable. In nearly all changes the estimates were made more consecutive. no attempt will be made, however, to defend these estimates. The reader should feel perfectly free to make the estimates which seem reasonable and conservative to him. He should then compute with his own estimates the probability of the fulfillment of the prophecies. The author believes, however, that the reader may wish to increase as many values as he would decrease and thus make very little change in the final results. At any rate his computed results will be conclusive.
TYRE (see satellite image above)
Ezekiel 26:3-5, 7, 12, 14, 16 (written 590 B.C.) reads:
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up. And they shall destroy the walls of Tyrus, and break down her towers: I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock. It shall be a place for the spreading of nets … For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will bring upon Tyrus Nebuchadrezzar King of Babylon… and they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water… And I will make thee like the top of a rock: thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more: for I the Lord have spoken it, saith the Lord God … Then all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, and lay away their robes, and put off their broidered garments: they shall clothe themselves with trembling.
This prophecy predicts the destruction of Tyre and states seven definite things which shall take place:
- Nebuchadnezzar shall take the city of Tyre.
- Other nations are to participate in the fulfillment of the prophecy. (Fig 7)
- The city is to be made flat like the top of a rock.
- It is to become a place for spreading of nets.
- Its stones and timber are to be laid in the sea.
- Other cities are to fear greatly at the fall of Tyre.
- The old city of Tyre shall never be rebuilt.
Tyre was a city on the northern coast of Palestine inhabited b the Phoenicians, a strong maritime people, greatly feared by their enemies. (The king of Tyre supplied timbers of Solomon in the building of the temple.) In 586 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, laid siege to the city of Tyre. The siege lasted for thirteen years; and when Nebuchadnezzar took the city in 573 B.C., he found that the Phoenicians had moved everything of value to an island about one-half mile off the coast. Though the city was taken, Nebuchadnezzar profited nothing, and the Phoenicians were not conquered. Nebuchadnezzar could not pursue them to their island position, so he returned to Babylon. Thus the first item of the prophecy was fulfilled: (1) Nebuchadnezzar shall take the city of Tyre.
For 241 years the mainland city of Tyre remained very much as Nebuchadnezzar left it. Later, Alexander city Great started his great conquest. His field of campaign lay to the east, but he feared that the fleet of Tyre might be used against his homeland, so he moved south to take the city of Tyre. In 332 B.C., Alexander reached Tyre, but he was unable to take the city at once. So he captured other coastal cities and took over their fleets, but with these combined fleets he was still unable to take Tyre. Alexander finally built a causeway from the mainland to the island. In building the causeway he used all the building materials of old Tyre, and that was not enough. He scraped up all of the soil in and around the old city and with it completed the causeway. After seven months, by a combined attack of land forces marching in over the causeway, and the fleets of conquered cities, he took Tyre. Thus items 2,3, and 5 of the prophecy were fulfilled: (2) Other nations are to participate in the fulfillment of the prophecy. (3) The city is to be made flat like the top of a rock. (5) Its stones and timber are to be laid in the sea.
Fig. 6. Phoenician fortifications and ancient causeway. Tyre, Lebanon. Courtesy of Moody Institute of Science
Other neighboring cities were so frightened by the conquest of Tyre that they opened their gates to Alexander without opposition and fulfilled another item: (6) Other cities are to fear greatly at the fall of Tyre.
Today visitors at the old city of Tyre find it is a very popular place for fisherman; they are spreading their nets on this very spot. Thus prediction 4 has been completely fulfilled: (4) It is to become a place for spreading of nets.
The great freshwater springs of Raselain are at the site of the mainland city of Tyre, and no doubt supplied the city with an abundance of fresh water. These springs are still there and still flow, but their water runs into the sea. The flow of these springs was measured by an engineer, and found to be about 10,000,000 gallons daily. It is still an excellent site for a city and would have free water enough for a large modern city, yet it has never been rebuilt. Thus item 7 of the prophecy has stood true for more than 2,500 years: (7) The old city of Tyre shall never be rebuilt.
This prophecy by Ezekiel has been fulfilled to the last item. Let us try to evaluate the evidence of inspiration as supplied by the fulfillment of this prophecy.
History shows that while many of the cities in the vicinity of Tyre were often captured and recaptured by various forces, Tyre usually withstood these attacks and remained a free city. Tyre and Babylon represented two very different military powers–Tyre, naval, and Babylon, a land force. Each had left the other strictly alone. My groups of college students were asked to imagine that Ezekiel was writing from his own human knowledge, and then to give an estimate of the following:
- Ezekiel had one chance in how many of knowing, or being able to predict, that Nebuchadnezzar would take the city of Tyre? Since Nebuchadnezzar was conquering many cities, and since Tyre was besieged four years after the prophecy was made, it must have been a reasonable thing to predict.
Nebuchadnezzar might have tried to take Tyre and failed, or he might have succeeded, or he might have never tried. An estimate of one in three was chosen.
-
What chance did Ezekiel have of knowing that Nebuchadnezzar would, in his conquering of Tyre, not completely fulfill the prophecy of destruction, but other nations would later come in and complete the fulfillment? The indications in the time of Ezekiel certainly were that when Nebuchadnezzar took a city he was quite capable of completing the destruction himself, so the estimate was placed at one in five.
-
What chance did Ezekiel have of knowing that Tyre would be made flat like the top of a rock, after it was conquered? How many cities have been made flat like the top of a rock after being conquered? The sites of nearly all ancient cities are marked by mounds of accumulated debris. I do not know of any other city where the ruins have been so completely cleared away, so the estimate of one in five hundred was chosen.
-
What chance did Ezekiel have of knowing that after the city had been completely cleared away it would become a popular place for fishermen? There is really no basis on which to make an estimate. However, taking this site merely as a little stretch of coast, and considering all sections of coasts that size, an estimate of one in ten was chosen.
-
What chance did Ezekiel have of knowing that when Tyre was made flat its building material, and even its dust, was was to be laid in the sea? Since the site was to be cleared, the debris had to be disposed of, but it would have been far more likely to have used this material in constructing the buildings of nearby cities, so the estimate was given as one in ten.
-
What chance was there of other cities opening their gates to the conqueror of Tyre without resistance? The estimate was given as one in five.
-
What was the chance that Tyre, after being made flat, should never be rebuilt? Nearly all old cities which had great natural advantages were at some time rebuilt. Tyre is in an excellent location and has an abundant supply of fresh water, so valuable in this land. The estimate chosen for this part of the prophecy was one in twenty.
Having been given these estimates by my students for the probability of the fulfillment of each part of the prophecy, we shall get an estimate of the probability of the fulfillment of the whole prophecy by multiplying all of the estimates together. The chance then of Ezekiel writing this prophecy from his own knowledge, and having it all come true, is 1 in 3 x 5 x 500 x 10 x 10 x 5 x 20. This is 1 in 75,000,000. This can be abbreviated as 1 in 7.5 x 107. The exponent 7 indicates the number of ciphers (digits - or zeros) that are to follow the 7.5.
If Ezekiel had looked at Tyre in his day and had made these seven predictions in human wisddom, these estimates mean that there would have been only one chance in 75,000,000 of their all coming true. They all came true in the minutest detail.27
SAMARIA
“Therefore I will make Samaria as a heap of the field, and as plantings of a vineyard: and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will discover the foundations thereof” (Micah 1:6 - written 750 B.C.).
This prophecy makes the following five predictions:
-
Samaria shall be destroyed.
-
It shall become as a heap of the field.
-
Vineyards are to occupy its site.
-
Its stones shall be poured down the sides of the bill on which it stands.
-
Its foundation is to be dug up.
Samaria was still a prominent city 750 years later, in the time of Christ, and is often mentioned in the New Testament. The city was finally destroyed, and became a heap of stones and ruins. Gradually the hill has been cleared; the foundation stones and other rubbish taken to the edge of the hill, and rolled down into the valley. It is now covered with gardens and vineyards.
Then my students considered the following:
-
What chance had Micah of predicting the destruction of the great walled city of Samaria, which was greatly protected b its position on a hill? The estimate was set at one in four.
-
What was the chance that it should then lie as a heap of the field, instead of being rebuilt? Many ancient cities are still just heaps of the field, many others have been rebuilt, so the estimate was given as one in five.
-
What chance was there that it should become a garden spot, a place for vineyards? What is the change that the old site of Samaria should be cleared for gardens when much untilled land lay all around? Very few old cities were considered to occupy sites of sufficient agricultural value to clear away all the stones and debris in order to use the ground for gardens, so the estimate was set at one in one hundred.
-
What is the chance that the stones would be rolled down the side of the hill when the ground was cleared, instead of being piled in stacks on the hill, or used for other buildings? Estimate was one in ten.
-
What is the chance that while clearing the ground for the gardens, the workers would be industrious enough to dig down and remove the foundation stones, as well as the surface debris? The estimate was placed at one in two.
If Micah had considered the city of Samaria and made these five predictions regarding it in human wisdom, his chance of having them come true would thus be about 1 in 4 x 5 x 100 x 10 x 2. This is 1 in 40,000 or 1 in 4 x 104.28
GAZA AND ASHKELON
“For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation … And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks” (Zeph. 2:4, 6 - written 630 B.C.).
“And the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord God” (Amos 1:8 - written 787 B.C.).
“Baldness is come upon Gaza” (Jer. 47:5 - written 600 B.C.).
These prophecies predict four things:
- The Philistines shall perish.
- Gaza shall become bald.
- Ashkelon shall become desolate.
- The vicinity of ashkelon shall become the dwelling place of shepherds with their sheep.
When these prophecies were made the Philistines were the most powerful race in this country. Palestine means the land of the Philistines, but the Philistines have completely vanished.
A city of Gaza still exists, so for a long time the prophecy with respect to Gaza was thought to be an error. Finally a careful study was made of the location of Gaza, as described in the Bible, and it was found that the new city of Gaza was in the wrong location. A search was made for the old city and it was found buried under the sand dunes. It had indeed become bald. What better description could you give of a city buried under sand dunes than to say that it had become bald?
Ashkelon was one of the main cities of Palestine when the prophecies regarding it were written. It was a prosperous city in the days of Christ. Herod the Great beautifully embellished Ashkelon and established his summer resort there. But in A.D. 1270 sultan Bibars destroyed it, and it has never been rebuilt. The seacoast in this vicinity has become the grazing place for many flocks of sheep. It is dotted with shepherd’s huts and sheepfolds.
-
Many races of people have continued from the dates of these prophecies to the present day, but the Philistine has vanished, so the first estimate is placed at one in five.
-
What is the chance that Gaza would become covered with sand (bald)? This is extremely rare, especially in Palestine, so the estimate is set at one in one hundred.
-
The chance that Ashkelon should become desolate was estimated at one in five.
-
What is the chance that after ashkelon was destroyed, it and its surroundings should become a sheep country instead of being put to some other use, or just lying idle, or rebuilt? Estimate, one in five.
Thus the human probability of these four prophecies coming true would be 1 in 5 x 100 x 5 x 5 or 1.2 x 104. 29
JERICHO
“And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it” (Joshua 6:26 - written in 1451 B.C.)
This prophecy makes four predictions:
- Jericho shall be rebuilt.
- It shall be rebuilt by one man.
- The builder’s oldest son shall die when the work on the city starts.
- The probability that his youngest son should die just as the gates were being hung was also estimated, from mortality tables, at one in one hundred.
These give for the whole prophecy a probability of 1 in 2 x 10 x 100 x 100 or 1 in 2 x 105.
And Falcor saw JohnDoe1’s posts and saw that they were raving and ate his account. (Neverending 23:4)
14 Likes
A thousand likes. Although your comment also made me realize where your avatar comes from. I only have vague memories of watching that movie as a child, but for some reason I find myself being a little bit creeped out.
Ken Ham’s degree in biology: Equivalent to someone having a degree in Earth science and claiming that the Earth is flat.
1 Like
Not to mention the fact that this debate is taking place in the friggin creation museum itself, attended almost completely by evangelicals and probably some intentional plants by Ham to make Nye look bad. Bad idea for Nye, in my opinion.
1 Like
Who invited here the Time Cube guy?
But… I thought you didn’t eat children…
3 Likes
Thank you so much; I’ve always wanted to use the words “sententious bore” in a sentence.
3 Likes
Not to sound touchy, but the creation museum is 20 miles from Cincinnati. Sorry, just a feeble attempt to place this ridiculousness as far away from my fair city as possible. Plus, we have enough problems already. Also, Bill needs to manage his time better. Let those bible-o-saurs be, Bill!
1 Like
That’s Luckdragons, our weaker cousins. I am a Don’t Push Your Luckdragon. I am better-fed.
8 Likes
Head.
Wall.
Bang bang bang.
