# The Book of Genesis vs. modern science

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-book-of-genesis-vs-modern-science/243487>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [May 4, 2004, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-book-of-genesis-vs-modern-science/243487 "2004-05-04T16:52:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-book-of-genesis-vs-modern-science/243487/21 "2004-05-05T14:45:10Z")

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> [@Gary T](#):
>
> This is headed right for Great Debates, I’m sure, but I’ll say this: the Bible is spiritual truth. It is not scientific truth as we understand it.

I’d venture to say that it is christian spiritual truth – not spiritual truth in general. It only counts for those who choose to believe in it.

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**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-book-of-genesis-vs-modern-science/243487/22 "2004-05-05T16:58:29Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> the Bible is spiritual truth. It is not scientific truth as we understand it.

But there aren’t any versions of the truth.

> [@](#):
>
> I’d venture to say that it is christian spiritual truth – not spiritual truth in general. It only counts for those who choose to believe in it.

If it’s the truth, it’ the truth for everybody, or else it’s not the truth.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-book-of-genesis-vs-modern-science/243487/23 "2004-05-05T22:23:54Z")

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That depends on what you mean by ‘truth’ - I don’t consider it to mean the same thing as ‘fact’ (although there is considerable overlap). Insofar as nobody knows everything about anything, there can be different versions of ‘the truth’ that consist of a subset of elements of ‘The Whole Truth’. [Insert elephant/blind men parable here]

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