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Have I mentioned lately that I'm actually getting quite a bit out of this thread? I don't just mean in a sense of psychology/sociology/criminology, but in a sense of Christian learning. The whole process, with people contributing, has hit on some pretty deep stuff here and there, and some pretty fundamental stuff here and there, and had some interesting things to say about both. I think the dialogue has had some really beneficial posts in them. Of course, I don't speak for everyone, but I'd expect most of us are getting SOMETHING from the process.

Yes Pax, but I want your opinion. Not Wiki's :) I do apologize if I spoke hastily. So, I will tell you this: I do not believe the Bible is a History Book. I do not believe the Bible is a Science book. If I want to know about creation, evolution, geology - I go to those sites - and there are many on the net, or read some great books. It is fascinating to see the first fauna and flora - when they died out, follow the story through the geologic rock formations, and then the cambrian "big bang explosion" as science calls it, stored in rock, when all life as we know it today pretty much came at once, out of nowhere - kind of like the big bang theory. I've always loved the stars from childhood when I stood outside in any type weather and found all the constellations. I find Astronomy fascinating - and the things they know today - who could have dreamed? To me, science comes first if I want to know about certain things. If the Bible happens to fit, good - if not, good too. There are some chapters that deal with some fascinating geology and weather - i.e., Job. Interesting too. But, when it comes to hard science - science is the way to go. So, if I don't believe the Bible is a history, science or whatever book people want to call it, nor do I believe its one big allegory we can dreamily wax poetic about - too much of that turns it into nothing - fluffy - sounds good, means, well, whatever your imagination would like it to mean. Then, what do I believe it is? I simply believe it is a book of prophecy. We are told how things were, prefection, destruction, restoration and fall, and what will be - new heaven/new earth - which will not run by the laws we know now. Outside of time and space - light, requiring new bodies to dwell within the light whether in the new heavenlies or on the new earth. A prophecy of what will be, and why we need a redeemer to redeem the fallen (yes, I do believe mankind is a "fallen" race) and take us there. Prophecy - what was, what is now, what shall be. Simple. Everything else is nice, but incidental.

Whether one takes the Bible literally or not, I like hearing all opinions and will not insult someone's spiritual beliefs by saying what they believe about the Bible is wrong. If you believe so be it, if you don't so be it. Let's discuss, not chill, discourse. So, I will continue the discourse. I have actually thought it interesting the remarkable persistence of the biblical name Noah in totally unrelated peoples and cultures all over the world. This is particularly amazing when you consider the language differences between peoples, and the local distortions which developed in flood legends. Yet the name has survived virtually unchanged in such isolated places as Hawaii (where he was called Nu-u), the Sudan (Nuh), China (Nu-Wah), the Amazon region (Noa), Phrygia (Noe) and among the Hottentots (Noh and Hiagnoh). Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not. I think there are things that went on and that people knew about back then that have been lost to us today. I think we would be astounded. If you think a flood did happen, you are in good company with cultures all over the world that have written about it. It would explain the lack of genetic diversity in people today. If you knew the reason for a flood (Gen 6:4) concerning Nephilim, DNA, Book of Enoch, etc., the flood makes perfect sense if it were sent by God as a judgment for the horrors that were going on at the time. It would explain why God calls Noah "genetically" perfect. There's that pesky, but important DNA thing again. If Noah's DNA had also been corrupted like the rest of humanity, there would not have been able to be a Savior (you can probably figure out why). After the flood, mankind stayed together for almost 100-200 years before tongues were confused and people scattered. Then you would have a reason why his name is eerily similar throughout the world. But, if you don't believe this is all bunk :)