Biblical plagues really happened, claim scientists

[_sockmonk_]

Comments

[shuraiya]

I've seen a few documentaries on this topic, and I can see why it would disappoint people from a religious standpoint. I mean, the whole point of the plagues being so miraculous and incredible is the fact that God is said to have done them. But then again, let's remember that Biblical history is not the same as actual history so therefore, these things probably DID happen by natural causes and people had to come up with a cut-and-dry explanation for them and given the time period the Jewish Bible was written, it makes perfect sense to use God as the reason for all this.

/religious studies major

[running_farmer]

good comment. my mom is a united methodist elder and she hates TV shows that do stuff like this but i think it's really neat to look at the bible in a historical and scientific context.

[shuraiya]

Thanks! :)

[forevernew]

As a religious person, it doesn't disappoint me at all! I mean, I'm not a literalist/fundamentalist, so I just get happy when I see things like this because it reminds me that things weren't made up wholesale. It's like the astronomical explanation for the Star of Bethlehem, you know? It happened, and people decided it was holy, and maybe it was or maybe it wasn't, but either way there's proof people weren't just writing fiction. (About that part, at least.)

[shuraiya]

Hey, that's a great way to see it! :D I like that a lot.

[pyro_ike]

On the other hand, I'd think something like this could be encouraging from a religious standpoint. The idea of all of these happening within a similar time period seems like too much coincidence for ordinary happenstance.

Maybe I'm just more keen on the 'divine watchmaker' approach than most folk, but I figure if God were to put all that effort into an intricately designed world, he wouldn't want to go breaking the rules on a whim. It would be much easier to engage proper timing of events within the system to bring the right outcome, rather than warping reality to fit your people's needs.

[shuraiya]

If you like that sort of thing and science fiction for that matter, might I suggest a novel called "Calculating God" by Robert J. Sawyer? You might enjoy it, if you like the divine clockmaker concept. :)