Freethought & Rationalism Archive

American Agnostic · 05-01-2003, 10:08 PM

From KJV:
11:1
And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.

11:2
And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.

11:3
And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.

11:4
And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

11:5
And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.

11:6
And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

11:7
Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

11:8
So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.

11:9
Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth

So what was god so affraid of? Was it fear of progress; that if humans continued to progress they wouldn't need god anymore? Is this an indication of religion's need for backwardness?

mike_decock · 05-02-2003, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by American Agnostic
11:4
And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

According to Zechariah Sitchin, the Hebrew word translated to name was shem is derived from the Akkadian word shamu which derived from the Sumerian word shumu which is derived from mu which means rocket.

So really this is a tale about the Gods being mad at mankind for trying to build a launch tower and rocket and confounding their language to prevent them from reaching the "Heavens".

-Mike...

philechat · 05-02-2003, 02:38 PM

Sad. I think the universe is, like, 1.5 x 10^10 light years in radius? Even if your rocket travels light speed, it would take 1.5 x 10^10 years to reach the kingdom of God?

Biff the unclean · 05-02-2003, 02:46 PM

In those days the firament wasn't that far from the ground. We didn't have a sky then, like we do now.

...now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do Hey!!??? What happened to"free will?"

mike_decock · 05-02-2003, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Biff the unclean
...now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do Hey!!??? What happened to"free will?" [/B]

Good point. Every time man tries to gain knowledge (eating forbidden fruit) or reach the Heavens (Babel), God interferes with their free will. He's jus keepin' da Man down!

-Mike...

my dog earl · 05-02-2003, 03:38 PM

So if God intended us not to be able to communicate with each other are we not sinning by learning new languages?

sakrilege · 05-02-2003, 03:45 PM

What about the computer translators?? They're not so good now but in a few years they should be fairly reliable especially as computers get faster and algoritms smarter. Is this a sign that the end of the world is near??

Godless Dave · 05-02-2003, 05:23 PM

I think God was afraid of having to read Transformational-Generative Grammar by Noam Chomsky. Frankly I don't blame Him.

Llyricist · 05-02-2003, 05:45 PM

Dang who reads Chomsky for linguistics????

Infidelettante · 05-02-2003, 05:48 PM

God is afraid of just what he says, that we can do whatever we want and there is nothing he can do about it. Notice he didn't say this would be changed be his actions. Our ability to create and produce has not changed and God has no way to change that.

This is a fault in their omnipotent God the theists can't face. Their God can't stop humanity from doing what it imagines which is to overthrow and replace him as gods ourselves.

JT

05-01-2003, 10:08 PM	#1
American Agnostic Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: CA, USA Posts: 56	The Tower of Babel: What's god so affaid of? From KJV: 11:1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. 11:2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. 11:3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. 11:4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. 11:5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. 11:6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. 11:7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. 11:8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. 11:9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth So what was god so affraid of? Was it fear of progress; that if humans continued to progress they wouldn't need god anymore? Is this an indication of religion's need for backwardness?

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05-02-2003, 02:38 PM	#3
philechat Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Mind of the Other Posts: 886	Sad. I think the universe is, like, 1.5 x 10^10 light years in radius? Even if your rocket travels light speed, it would take 1.5 x 10^10 years to reach the kingdom of God?

05-02-2003, 02:46 PM	#4
Biff the unclean Banned Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: an inaccessible island fortress Posts: 10,638	In those days the firament wasn't that far from the ground. We didn't have a sky then, like we do now. ...now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do Hey!!??? What happened to"free will?"

05-02-2003, 03:38 PM	#6
my dog earl Regular Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Canada Posts: 149	So if God intended us not to be able to communicate with each other are we not sinning by learning new languages?

05-02-2003, 03:45 PM	#7
sakrilege Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Cleveland, OH, USA Folding@Home Godless Team Posts: 6,211	What about the computer translators?? They're not so good now but in a few years they should be fairly reliable especially as computers get faster and algoritms smarter. Is this a sign that the end of the world is near??

05-02-2003, 05:23 PM	#8
Godless Dave Contributor Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: With 10,000 lakes who needs a coast? Posts: 10,762	I think God was afraid of having to read Transformational-Generative Grammar by Noam Chomsky. Frankly I don't blame Him.

05-02-2003, 05:45 PM	#9
Llyricist Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Fort Lauderale, FL Posts: 5,390	Dang who reads Chomsky for linguistics????

05-02-2003, 05:48 PM	#10
Infidelettante Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: The Deep South Posts: 889	God is afraid of just what he says, that we can do whatever we want and there is nothing he can do about it. Notice he didn't say this would be changed be his actions. Our ability to create and produce has not changed and God has no way to change that. This is a fault in their omnipotent God the theists can't face. Their God can't stop humanity from doing what it imagines which is to overthrow and replace him as gods ourselves. JT

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