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Hi Alex, Doug
Does that make me more normal if I'm not considered as a fundamentalist? I bascially see the science and faith debate today as the Church reaping what it sowed when it persecuted scientists. Copernicus was a man of God, a Canon in the church, yet he would have been tortured and burnt at a stake if he had voiced his findings. I've read the Bible at least twice over, using several translations and cannot find a verse anywhere that says "And the Lord God made the Sun go round the Earth". Most of Jesus's rebukes were against the so called religious leaders of His day, for taking the letter of the law instead of the spirit of it. I dare say He would have the same to say of the Church in the Middle Ages and now.
The Geneisis account is strikingly similar to the modern day scientific account, which makes it all the more remarkable, considering Moses had no modern sciences like we do. Neither does Genesis rule out Macro Evolution, Aquatic Ape, Explosive Evolution etc or any combination of these as the process used. Genesis does state that man was made from something that already existed. I once came across a literal translation 'man was made in the clay'. I don't rule Macro Evolution out because it's only been going for about 150 years or so, whereas astronomy today is the culmination of several millenia of ideas/discoveries across diverse cultures. Even now, when we all look at the same universe we draw conficting conclusions. Some are convinced we live in a closed universe, others are equaly convinced it is an open universe.
ArgoNavis looks like you are right about the 'Star' of Bethlehem, as no star or comet seems to account for the phenomena. The comet idea lost ground when it was discovered that some planetary conjunctions took place around the time. I don't know about a Supernova, as I would have thought someone would have detected the remnants of it. The Conjunctions and Occultations, whilst not being astronomically spectacular (although one was), would certainly have been astrologically spectacular. The word 'Magi' translated as 'wise men' can mean 'Astronomer/Astrologer'.
Rob I understand most people's reservations about a book written after the events. There are less than 25 years between the crucification and Paul's letter to the Thessalonian church written around 51 AD. The gospels were written between 60 AD and 70 AD, although some recent studies that suggest they may be even ealier. The earliest surviving part of the New Testament is a fragment of John's gospel AKA the John Rylands Papyri, written in Coptic and dated between 110 AD to 140 AD, which at most is only 70 years after the original. Of the 11 remaining disciples, only John died of old age, the rest were executed/martyred. As the leaders of the church faced growing persecution from the Roman empire, the need to write eye witnesses accounts intensified.
I am wholly indebted to the scientists who discover these documents, painstakingly restore them and preserve them before we can translate them. I therefore have no issue with science and faith, but appreciate that others do.
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