From: Chris Russo (extropy@russo.org)
Date: Sun Dec 03 2000 - 21:14:15 MST
>From: "Michael M. Butler" <butler@comp-lib.org>
>
>> "J. R. Molloy" wrote:
>
>> > I saw a documentary on PBS about the Amish. They don't let their kids go
>> > beyond the eighth grade, because it might tempt them to discard literal
>> > belief in the Bible. (They believe the Earth is flat, because the Bible
>> > mentions "the four corners of the Earth").
>
>I recall something about the "4 winds" but don't recall ever reading
>anything about 4 corners (at least not in the KJV), and I think something
>like that would have stuck with me. Anybody know whether there is really
>such a ref in the good book?
The earth's having four corners is just one of many scientific errors
in the "good" book that Biblical literalists tend to ignore.
A quick look at the Biblical Errancy web site mentions a whole slew
of them (for the curious) <http://members.aol.com/ckbloomfld/>. The
four corners is item "o".
(a) the bat is a bird (Lev. 11:19, Deut. 14:11, 18);
(b) Some fowls are four-footed (Lev. 11:20-21);
(c) Some creeping insects have four legs. (Lev. 11:22-23);
(d) Hares chew the cud (Lev. 11:6);
(e) Conies chew the cud (Lev. 11:5);
(f) Camels don't divide the hoof (Lev. 11:4);
(g) The earth was formed out of and by means of water (2 Peter 3:5 RSV);
(h) The earth rest on pillars (1 Sam. 2:8);
(i) The earth won't be moved (1Chron. 16:30);
(j) A hare does not divide the hoof (Deut. 14:7);
(k) The rainbow is not as old as rain and sunshine (Gen. 9:13);
(l) A mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds and grows into the
greatest of all shrubs (Matt. 13:31-32 RSV);
(m) Turtles have voices (Song of Sol. 2:12);
(n) The earth has ends or edges (Job 37:3);
(o) The earth has four corners (Isa. 11:12, Rev. 7:1);
(p) Some 4-legged animals fly (Lev. 11:21);
(q) The world's language didn't evolve but appeared suddenly (Gen. 11:6-9; and
(r) A fetus can understand speech (Luke 1:44).
Regards,
Chris Russo
--
"If anyone can show me, and prove to me, that I am wrong in thought
or deed, I will gladly change. I seek the truth, which never yet
hurt anybody. It is only persistence in self-delusion and ignorance
which does harm."
-- Marcus Aurelius, MEDITATIONS, VI, 21
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