Re: the tradition that Abraham engaged in astronomical studies

From: Howard J. Van Till (hvantill@chartermi.net)
Date: Wed Jun 25 2003 - 20:35:08 EDT

  • Next message: RFaussette@aol.com: "Re: the tradition that Abraham engaged in astronomical studies"

    > RFaussette@aol.com quoted:

    >> "When he was three years old Abraham came out of the cave. He
    >> reflected: who created heaven and earth and myself? And all through the day
    he
    >> prayed to the sun. But in the evening the sun set in the west and the moon
    rose
    >> in the east. when he saw the moon surrounded by stars, he said to himself,
    >> here is the creator of heaven and earth and myself and these stars are his
    >> ministers and servants. And all through the night he prayed to the moon. In
    the
    >> morning the moon set in the west and the sun rose in the east. He said these
    two
    >> are powerless. They have one master, it is to Him that I shall pray, before
    >> him that I shall prostrate myself."

    When Abraham was THREE YEARS OLD???

    In the words of John Stossel, "Give me a break!"

    > gmurphy@raex.com commented:

    > It is just one more fallacy of
    > belief in the efficacy of independent natural theology.

    I don't see this story as an example of natural theology at all, but rather
    an example of the way in which fictional (and flattering) legends come to be
    associated with a person that a community wishes to be bigger than life.

    Howard Van Till

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