Dear list,
As Noah and his ark is already an issue it is
appropriate to put out a question that has its
background in a discussion I had with my brother in
law yesterday. He is not a Christian, but he is still
intelligent (sic).
The discussion was about the genesis of the rainbow in
the context of Gen. 9, 12-17, especially verse 13.
Was this the first appearance of the rainbow, i.e. did
God create the rainbow (or rather the natural
phenomenon rainbow) at this moment ? Or did the
rainbow show up for natural reasons (i.e. light
breaking in water), and then God used the occasion to
make a covenant with Noah? With the last alternative
it is implied that this was not the first time a
rainbow showed in the sky.
My intelligent brother in law inferred the
consequences of God creating the rainbow at that
moment to be (probably) that the natural incident of
light breaking in water never had occurred before,
which he finds improbable. At least if it ever had
rained before the time of Noah, which is highly
probable.
I suggested a reading of verse 13 which concords with
alternative two above; the rainbow appearing (either
by divine intervention, or for natural reasons), but
not for the first time. My brother in law did not
agree with me.
Any theologians, physicists or other good people out
there with a justified opinion?
Bjorn Moller
student of philosophy
Copenhagen University, Denmark
e-mail: dj_mic20@yahoo.com
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