RE: [asa] Vernon's other bible code (was: The Challenge (was Advice for conversing with YECs))

On Mon, 17 Nov 2008, Dehler, Bernie wrote:

> Hi Vernon-
>
> Everything about the Bible has to be taken on faith. We aren't even sure who wrote Genesis or when. The oldest manuscript I think is in the neighborhood of 200-300 BC. Moses was around 1200 BC. I'm not sure of the accuracy, but the point is there are hundreds of years in-between when it was claimed to be written and the oldest manuscript we have (maybe as much as 900 years- consider that the USA is only 200 years old for reference). Not good or bad- just the way it is, and the place of faith enters. It is possible it was written 300 BC, as far as science and logic can make out, and your claim of math is appealing to science and logic. Therefore the math and logic does nothing to prove God's divine intervention, scientifically or mathematically or logically. In order to prove that, you'd have to have the originals.
>

Bernie,

Although I think that Vernon makes too much out of his calculations, I
feel that I should partially defend him against some of the criticisms he
receives. I don't think the time of writing of Genesis is relevant unless
it was so late that the numerical value system already existed so that a
human author could have chosen the wording to give these numerical
patterns. However the Genesis 1:1 wording looks pretty staightforward and
natural. As to your argument that the originals might not be much earlier
than the earliest known manuscripts, imagine the results that you would
get if you applied that reasoning to other ancient classical writings. In
many cases I think that the earliest known manuscripts are many centuries
later than the estimated date of writing.

Gordon Brown (ASA member)

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Received on Mon Nov 17 21:53:38 2008