In Genesis the plants were created before the sun moon and stars

[bilby]

Clearly the text is open to many interpretations.

Clearly you don't grasp that that renders it valueless as a source of information about reality.

 

[Lion IRC]

^The link that I provided indicates that the days of creation are to be understood as symbolic.

Partly symbolic.

 

[No Robots]

^The link that I provided indicates that the days of creation are to be understood as symbolic.

Partly symbolic.

Here is Harry Waton on this subject:

[F]rom beginning to end, the Bible, in addition to its plain literal language, also speaks a symbolic language, Since the plain stories recorded in the Bible are only symbols of perceptions, concepts and ideas, and to understand these perceptions, concepts and ideas we must decipher and interpret the symbols, it follows that the symbolic language of the Bible is infinitely more significant to us than its plain literal language. And yet while infinite labor and thought was bestowed upon the study of the plain and literal language of the Bible, the symbolic language of the Bible was entirely neglected by the scholars.

 

[RIS]

Creationist nonsense. There are four Hebrew words in the first chapter of Genesis which dispels most of that stuff. Bara (perfect state), asah (imperfect) ohr (general light) and maohr (light source).

The Hebrew verb consists of two different states. The perfect state indicates an action which is complete, whereas the imperfect state indicates a continuous or incomplete action. At Genesis 1:1 the word bara, translated as created, is in the perfect state, which means that at this point the creation of the heavens and the Earth were completed. Later, as in Genesis 1:16 the Hebrew word asah, translated as made, is used, which is in the imperfect state, indicating continuous action. The heavens and Earth were created in verse 1 and an indeterminate time later they were being prepared for habitation, much the same as a bed is manufactured (complete) and made (continuous) afterwards.

The light in verse 14 is different from that in verse 3. In verse 3 the Hebrew word ohr is used, meaning the light from the source. Light in a general sense, whereas the light in verse 14 the Hebrew word maohr is used, signifying the source of the light is now visible.

Though the sun and moon as part of the heavens were complete, at this point light had not penetrated to the surface of the Earth. Job 38:4, 9 refers to a "swaddling band" around the Earth in the early stages of creation. It was likely there was a cosmic dust cloud of vapor and debris which prevented the light from the sun from being visible on the surface of the earth.

Then we could go into the Hebrew word translated day, yohm, which means any period of time from a few hours to indeterminate time, possibly of great length. The Bible doesn't give or imply the age of the universe, nor say it was created in six literal days.

 

[Elixir]

The Bible doesn't give or imply the age of the universe, nor say it was created in six literal days.

It also doesn’t mention abortion afaik, but look at how convinced Evangelicals are that they know god’s will on the matter.

Whether the Bible is magic book is irrelevant, given that people can make up their own “truth” about what “God Says” therein.