Is the story of Noah's Ark a Myth or Truth?

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   CriticalMessageposted 11 years ago

   Is the story of Noah's Ark a Myth or Truth?
   
   Think about that logically and rationally, not emotionall or spiritually.. Is the story of Noah's Ark a Myth? Can you imagine how big that boat had to be in order to house 2 each of Gods creatures? Who informed the Penguins that there was a flood coming?... How did the penguins get transported to Mesopotamia in time to get on the Ark before the floods? Stories in religion often have not credible scientific ability to be true... Which means the religions credibility is questionable at best.

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   sradieposted 11 years ago

   It depends on if you view the story literally or figuratively or some combination of both. For Bible believers, the application of God's supernatural activity allows for many things the scientific world can't accept. Conversely, many of the hypothesis of the scientific community do not, without exception, validate what many scientists accept as truth. We simply have no way at some time along the path to enlightenment if you  will, to determine a great many things with absolute certainty. Both the spiritual and the scientific community, in their belief systems concerning life issues like where did we come from, what is the beginning of life on earth, where did the planet come from and so on, must accept on faith what they believe.

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   Mazzy Boleroposted 11 years ago

   It is a myth, but in so many religions there is a mention of a great flood. This may well have been the result of the thawing of icebergs at the end of the ice-age and stories of it passed down through the oral tradition. No one actually wrote it down at the time; there weren't any newspapers then. Events ended up being recorded in a mythical way and meanings ascribed to them according to the beliefs of the writers and their cultures. So, to me, it's both: it's a myth based around a real historical event.

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   whonunuwhoposted 11 years ago

   There have been many stories of an arc and how all living beings were saved aboard it and when the waters subsided, they came off to re-birth those populations once again. There were accounts of such a mass flood in ancient Sumeria, thousands of years before the Revelations account in the Bible. It was similarly told and some even think that it may have been a form of a story that human kind could interpret in meaning coming from another world(planet), and populating the earth after a massive calamity destroyed their earlier planet. There have been several accounts of the arc being seen on a mountain by astronauts and pilots who flew over the same area that was to have been in that of the Biblical scriptures. Yes, that many creatures would have been hard to handle, yet, it may have been a real event and interpreted as it was meant to be. Some creatures that were used to water and cold,etc., may have had no problem surviving the flood and the ones that were land born, would have had to be saved. Many people try to say that if a thing from the scriptures does not fit their definitions of truth, then it must be false. You have got to remember that men wrote the scriptures from even the most ancient of times and these were divinely inspired by their creator. There are some things that were not meant to be known fully, I believe this may be one. We do have faith to rely upon, and that is what makes all the difference, as believers.

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      sradieposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      If we believe God caused the great flood and Noah filled the ark with with two of every living creature, we have accepted God's supernatural abilities. Then it is not difficult to believe that He also provided the means for them to survive. I do.

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   calynbanaposted 11 years ago

   I am not going to give my personal opinion on the story, but I will tell you some ways that I have heard it explained. First the arks measurements are in the Bible, it was a little over half the size of titanic. Second two of each of God's creatures did not make it onto the ark. The Bible says two of each kind, and seven of each clean animal. What these kinds are we don't know, that would be up for speculation. In the creation story animals were also referred to by their kinds, and told to populate the world. This would mean that the animals would repopulate the world, and gradually evolve into many different types of animals within the same kind. Perhaps a couple of the birds Noah kept on the ark are ancestors of penguins. If he was to save a couple of each kind this would mean there would be a significantly smaller amount of animals aboard than if he literally had two of every animal.
   
   The Bible describes how the animals came to be on the ark, so I would recommend reading the story of the flood.

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      CriticalMessageposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      And how about those 4.5 billion people who really do not recognize of even know that a Bible exists... Are they wrong, less human to believe otherwise?... Is the Christian way to believe, the only right way to believe? A HUGE majority say NO !

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      SidKempposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      The Bible is only one story of the flood & the ark. There are others, some more ancient., such as the Epic of Gilgamesh. Also, many Christians, Jews and Muslims, (all of whom accept the Hebrew Bible as scripture do not take the story to be histor

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      calynbanaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Critical message...I am not sure why you have commented. I did not say that the Christian way is the only way, nor did I say that anybody is less human for not knowing of the Bible's existence. That is not even implied. I didn't even state my beliefs

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   Larry Wallposted 11 years ago

   It is probably a little bit of both. The flood did occur. Noah may have been assigned to build the Ark but I do not think his family would be the only family saved and two of all the animals appears to be more fable than fact. The Noah's Ark story shows what God can do and why he might do something similar again. It is unlikely that any polar bears were on the Ark, and equally unlikely that all of the poisonous snakes managed to slither aboard. What is important about the story that what God has created, he can destroy or change. The lesson is real. The event probably did not happened as people usually think it did.

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   Garifaliaposted 11 years ago

   According to a documentary it is true since they have found evidence of such. The myth may be that it was God's wrath. Other than that it has been determined by examining the scriptures and the areas mentioned that there was such a flood and there was an arc. The rest seems to be man's creation.
   
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAkfA_fw … page#t=32s

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      CriticalMessageposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Does one documentary that was produced with the money of believers, make it true ?

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      Garifaliaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Everything we know today involving science and history is based on what people who have done research tell us. If the above people are researchers and involve facts they've gathered over the years and put together, we can take it as fact or leave it.

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   SidKempposted 11 years ago

   Clearly, the Noah's Ark legend is a myth - one that appears across many cultures.
   
   But a myth is a type of truth.
   
   I think what you meant to ask was, "Is the story of Noah's Ark a Myth or Fact?" Fact and Myth are both types of truth.
   
   As for the factuality of the story of Noah's Ark, which version? The Biblical version, or any of dozens of others, or the efforts at historical/archeological restoration of an original event. The short answer is that we have no way of knowing what original event, if any, was a seed for the story.
   
   But I doubt it involved penguins!

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      CriticalMessageposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I wonder what Buddhists think about this great flood... I believe that all faiths have a difficult time in recognizing other faiths existence... Do Buddhists believe in such an ark?... Or does not 1.5 billion people matter to the other 1.5 billion?

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      SidKempposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      As a Buddhist teacher, I can reply. The original teachings of Buddha discourage all concern w/ the creation or end of the world, or historical events. We focus on the elimination of suffering, here & now. Legends in Buddhism come  from other sour

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      CriticalMessageposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Sid ?, Does that Buddhist belief you have shared blind Christianity to the point of their being other philosophies in this world that should be respected and not made out to be inferior simply because they do not believe as a Christian believes ?

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      SidKempposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Some Xtians (including my wife, thank goodness) deeply respect and appreciate Buddhist beliefs & practices. Centering Prayer is an adaptation of Zen Buddhist meditation by & for Christians. Others, though, cling to Biblical Literalism or supe

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   CriticalMessageposted 11 years ago

   One mans fact is another mans Myth.
   Religions tend to beat up on each other with their way to believe being the only right way to believe... and then associate erroneous claims as their facts of reason to believe... It all becomes a rather hypocritical competition now doesn't it?

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      CriticalMessageposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I would still love to hear from some of the other 4.5 Billion People ( A HUGE majority) who do not believe in Christianity or have even heard of the story of Noahs Ark. Because too many Christians believe that they are the only worthy game in town.

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      calynbanaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Criticalmessage...I have noticed that you have been beating up on Christianity a little but. and making some unfair assumptions and generalizations. Have you realized this?

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      CriticalMessageposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      If you choose to percieve me as beating up on Christianity?... It is your perception that of which I can not, nor intend on dictate... A defensive reaction I do expect from Christians... Yet the same arrogance can be seen in fanatic Muslims as well..

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      calynbanaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      That wasn't meant to be defensive. I do not actually care. I was just wondering about your motives in asking this question. You have seemed hostile towards answers that do not agree with your view. Did you ask this question looking for validity?

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    HLKeeleyposted 11 years ago

    I think for the animals they felt that weather change. How do birds know to fly south and back north? How do animals know it is going to rain? I think instinct played a big part. As for the ark, in a scientific point of view, would be impossible, but i think that is the point for spiritual believers. God can make the impossible, possible.

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       CriticalMessageposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Only if one believes in God I guess... It really isn't logical now is it ?

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    vashttii1posted 11 years ago

    Lets look at it scientificly, starting with the animals. The encyclopedia americana indicates that their are upwards of 1,300,000 species of animals. (1977 vol 1 pp859-873) However, over 60 percent are insects. Braking these figures down further, of the 24,000 amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals, 10,000 are birds, 9000 are reptiles and amphibians, many of which could have survived out side of the ark. And only 5000 are mammals, including whales and porpoises which would have also remained out side of the ark.  Also other researchers estimated that their are only 290 species of land mammals larger than sheep and 1,360 smaller than rats. (The deluge story in stone by B.C. Nelson)and ( The flood in the light of the bible, geology, and archaeology by A.M Rehwinkle) The ark was 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide an 30 cubits high so the animals had room. Penguins where quite possibly swimming... Also, look at the effect a flood had on the earth,  prior to the flood the waters above the expanse sheilded out some of the harmful radiation and that with the waters gone cosmic radiation geneticly harmful to man increased. Any change in radiation would have altered the rate of formation of radioactive carbon-14 to such an extent as to invalidate all radiocarbon dates prior to the flood. And take the earths crust, its relatively thin right, so if you added weight in water there was likely a grate shift in the earths crust, which could account for many geologic phenomena such as the raising of old coast lines to new heights. Consider the remains of mammoths and rhinoceroses. Some where found with food undigested in their stomincs or still unchewed in their teeth, indicating that they dieds suddenly. Also fossil remains of other animals like lions, tigers, bears, and elk have been found in comon strata, which can indicate that all these were destroyed simultaneously.  Also consider the flood stories that have been discovered all around the world. Not everyone knows thats in the bible, infact many who believe in the flood are not interested in vindicating the bible. Ancient accounts were written by people who were very much in opposition to the hebrew-christian traditions. So then how did they hear about the flood. Imagine you live through a catastrophy, you would tell your family and they would tell there children ect...  Hope that helps!

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    VeronicaInspiresposted 11 years ago

    The story of Noah's Ark is real. Some people have such a hard time believing those stories actually happened because we weren't around to see it. . .
    
    But I ask you. . .If a tree falls in the woods, and you weren't there to see it, does it mean that the     tree didn't fall?

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    Stephen Frasierposted 11 years ago

    Noah’s ark & global flood are teaching stories, not historical or scientific fact...
    
    The Genesis story of Noah’s ark saving animals from a global flood is one of many great examples serving to demonstrate that much of the Bible was not meant be taken literally. This Old Testament account is one of my all-time favorite Bible stories due to the relevant issues and difficult questions it raises – and my own history of wondering how it could possibly have happened. (It couldn’t have happened as reported.)
    
    NEW: Please be sure to participate in our poll: Do you believe this Bible story is literally true?
    
    Questions of realistic, proper, and above all, truthful interpretation of such stories found in the Bible represented some of my earliest conundrums as a young tween Christian fundamentalist. This applies not only to stories found in the modern Christian Bible but also to accounts found in all the other revealed religious texts that were supposedly given by God to humankind (e.g., the Pentateuch, the Mormon scriptures, the Koran, etc.).
    
    Noah's ark, global flood - only a myth, too many problems with realityThe truth is, not everyone is capable of being intellectually honest when it comes to consideration or discussion of these matters. Most religious fundamentalists, due to their upbringing and fear of a punishing God, are unwilling or unable to conduct objective research or apply critical thought to their literally translated religious beliefs. There’s an almost insurmountable level of fear: Fear of what other church members might think, fear of God’s judgment of their doubt, fear of being sent to Hell, fear of being wrong, fear that their personal religious beliefs are false, and on and on the list of fundamentalist fears goes.
    
    Continue reading this detailed article at Search for Truth:
    Noah’s ark & global flood are teaching stories, not historical or scientific fact
    http://www.allisnow.com/blog/bible/old- … t-literal/

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    LoisRyan13903posted 10 years ago

    The truth.   Since some people provided very good answers, I don't need to say any more

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