An over simplification statement made by a “believer” yesterday afternoon. Wow, how did we get here? Well, in a little over an hour of pleasant exchanges and sharing, it came to the verge of personal attack and insult. At this point of observation, I made a general statement to end the discussion and walked away.
How is it that individuals can agree, and share time in so many areas of life, and gravitate to this ultimate outcome? This most recent event of yesterday may as well be a topic of intrigue the morning after.
Overview; an articulate senior in their mid-70s. Someone that carried on a general conversation as though we had been a long-term friendship. This was a mutually enjoyable in-the-moment time. What happened?
I had shifted the latter part of our conversation towards the achievement of our species over the last half of this decade. Space exploration, new knowledge about biological function including the genetics, a previously unknown to our recent ancestors. How the fifteen hundred foot walls of the Grand Canyon represent layers of history. That in some parts of our continent, we conclude natural process adds approximately one inch of new material during a period of about one thousand years. W have found in sediment of the Mediterranean shore, the remains of a ship from centuries past. The cargo was uncovered, which comprised about three tons of metal ingots. This find concluded that there must have been, perhaps many centuries, of commerce in both directions across the Mediterranean waters. This discovery suggests a sophisticated network of trade between the two continents. In passing during this sharing of discovery, related that translations of ancient Egyptian writings are missing any record of the Jewish people as slaves in Egypt. How could this be? With such interaction between the continents, you would expect a passing mention of the person with special human powers that performed miracles. But no, we find that what is translated becomes simply the daily events of their time. People living day to day, just as we do now. Therefore, possibly the central character of this sacred book perhaps never existed? How could the Egyptians have failed to document such historical events just across the water, on a busy trade route?
Shared that decades ago, the Hubble telescope aimed at the darkest part of the night sky. If you held your arm out in front of you with your thumb pointing upwards, the part of the night sky photographed would be represented by your thumbnail. The results of a three-day time exposure revealed more galaxies of various sizes and shapes that are previously known anywhere in our night sky. We have also observed the coming into existence of three stars, on average, per earth day. Incredible! Objects millions of light years away, formed by process we don’t understand. Our own sun is a medium-sized star which probably came into existence the same way? How then can the Genisis story explain our own star? How can there be a personal relationship with a “creator of the universe”, that is busy creating new stars, planets, complete galaxies far off in space millions of light years away? Really?
They responded with the statement that begins this reflection. “God can do anything!”
I turned and walked away, stating regret for having this random discussion.
~The End~
How can people be so cocooned in their daily lives they cannot see the natural world around them? Knowledge that to our ancestors could not have conceived in their wildest imagination.
