# What IF Noah's Ark was found? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 13, 2000, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-noahs-ark-was-found/17821 "2000-03-13T19:14:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![dramatoig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e0b2c6/32.png) [@dramatoig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dramatoig)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2000, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-noahs-ark-was-found/17821/221 "2000-03-18T06:27:00Z")
I’m “enjoying” this thread with the same sort of sick fascination I might take at watching someone bang their head repeatedly against a sturdy brick wall. However, I am struck with this thought regarding the relative “floodworthiness” of an ark: since a scale model can’t really establish whether or not it would float, why doesn’t some ardent fundie pull a Heyerdahl and just build a full scale one and see if it floats? I mean, if it works for Kon-tiki, why not for Moses? * * * “But may I ask, at heart, are you an optimist or a pessimist? Those seem to be the only fashionable religions left to us nowadays.” –Oscar Wilde ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2000, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-noahs-ark-was-found/17821/222 "2000-03-18T06:35:00Z")
The most likely reason they’re not recreating “The Ark” is they’re scared to death that they’ll prove the damn thing couldn’t work! Maybe, just maybe, prior to my death, those fundied folk will realize it’s a story to teach a lesson in morality; IT’S NOT SCIENCE! ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2000, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-noahs-ark-was-found/17821/223 "2000-03-19T21:06:00Z")
Hey PASH!! Man gets a lot of pack animals. Man has no place to keep pack animals. Man loads pack animals with wood. Man leads pack animals ,loaded with wood, _up_ mountain. Man unloads animals, dumps wood on ground. Man _uses wood_; builds large barn. Man puts pack animals, used in hauling wood up mountain, inside barn. Animals fill barn with sh_t. Dunce comes along; points at barn; asks:“What’s that?” Man , frustrated, snarls: “It’s a boat, Dummy!” :rolleyes: Dunce says “A miracle!!!” :eek: Dunce picks up sh_t; takes it home; venerates it as a Holy Relic. And that’s how Pash was born!! [http://www.beginbids.com/ubb/smilies/icon25.gif](http://www.beginbids.com/ubb/smilies/icon25.gif) * * * You should tell the truth, expose the lies and live in the moment."-Bill Hicks “You should tell the lies, live the truth and expose yourself.” - Bill Clinton ---
**Author:** ![JUSTUS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b2d939/32.png) [@JUSTUS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JUSTUS)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2000, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-noahs-ark-was-found/17821/224 "2000-03-20T04:20:00Z")
## pashley Member Posts: 170 Registered: Sep 1999 Ok, here I find myself in the firing squad again… IF, and I said “IF”, and this is the preposition you are to work on, … How would you anti-religious zealots deal with this? I’d love to hear what you’d have to say. Don’t be cheap and say “It could’nt ever/hasn’t happened.” Just assume, for the sake of argument, it DID. Where and how you land is greatly affected by where you stood before you jumped. This pertains to Leaps of Faith… I have a counter What If scenario ( be patient this is rather long) What if you were a juror and the defense had four witness whose testimony about a particular day and events agreed only in general with significant variations? … What if it was revealed (and admitted) that none of the four were really there but they were simply repeating in composite form general testimony by the actual witness. Further that they could not appear in court but only submitted documents attesting to those events. Wait there are more conditions to this What IF … What if the defense could not produce the actual documents or even a detail verifiable trail of when, where and how the copies were produced. Further the existing form was translated and edited and existed only as part of a collected work I believe in neither the Religion of Science or the Science of Religion Your questions is best answered by a post from a related debate concerning Creation vs Evolution batgirl Member Posts: 92 Registered: Jan 2000 I don’t know why God would create dinosaurs just to destroy them; I don’t know why God does a lot of things. And God doesn’t owe me any explanations. By evidence, if you mean anything other than what’s written in the Bible, I haven’t looked for any, because I believe what’s written in the Bible, so why look for other evidence? BATGIRL is to be commended for her honesty while pashley is guilty of … YOU CAN FILL IN THE BLANKS … HOWEVER YOU CHOOSE ---
**Author:** ![Gremeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8baadc/32.png) [@Gremeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gremeth)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2000, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-noahs-ark-was-found/17821/225 "2000-03-21T06:51:00Z")
The large “ship” may not actually have been a ship. It could have been a dwelling that was inhabited over many years by different things years. Perhaps some crazed hermit (who just so happened to write a long fiction novel that later became a religion)thought “god” was going to make the lands flood. And the whole “IF” thing, “IF” there is an omnipotent being. Why does he let you suffer? “IF” he can create the Earth and everything else in a week, Why can he not destroy Satan? ---
**Author:** ![pashley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e0b2c6/32.png) [@pashley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pashley)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2000, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-noahs-ark-was-found/17821/226 "2000-03-21T23:15:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor: > \*\*Hey PASH!! > > Man gets a lot of pack animals. > Man has no place to keep pack animals. > Man loads pack animals with wood. > Man leads pack animals ,loaded with wood, _up_ mountain. > Man unloads animals, dumps wood on ground. > Man _uses wood_; builds large barn. > Man puts pack animals, used in hauling wood up mountain, inside barn. > Animals fill barn with sh_t. > Dunce comes along; points at barn; asks:“What’s that?” > Man , frustrated, snarls: “It’s a boat, Dummy!” :rolleyes: > Dunce says “A miracle!!!” :eek: > Dunce picks up sh_t; takes it home; venerates it as a Holy Relic. > > And that’s how Pash was born!! > > [http://www.beginbids.com/ubb/smilies/icon25.gif](http://www.beginbids.com/ubb/smilies/icon25.gif) > > \*\* Wow, you are a smart guy. And they let you drive? ---
**Author:** ![pashley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e0b2c6/32.png) [@pashley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pashley)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2000, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-noahs-ark-was-found/17821/227 "2000-03-21T23:22:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Gremeth: > **The large “ship” may not actually have been a ship. It could have been a dwelling that was inhabited over many years by different things years. Perhaps some crazed hermit (who just so happened to write a long fiction novel that later became a religion)thought “god” was going to make the lands flood. And the whole “IF” thing, “IF” there is an omnipotent being. Why does he let you suffer? “IF” he can create the Earth and everything else in a week, Why can he not destroy Satan?** Yeah, that makes sense. A hermit builds something 450’x50’x40’ (Why did i bother answering this?) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2000, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-noahs-ark-was-found/17821/228 "2000-03-22T01:04:00Z")
Yeah, it makes a LOT more sense to build a large boat for the purpose of collecting two of every animal, because voices in your head told you to. Damn, Pash. When it comes thinking logically, you sure have us all beat, yeseree! * * * Eagles may soar free and proud, but weasels never get sucked into jet engines. ---
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2000, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-noahs-ark-was-found/17821/229 "2000-03-22T01:27:00Z")
[Moderator Hat: ON] Pashley, I asked you this once before. **Please only quote that which is necessary for your reply.** Don’t quote the whole of somebody’s message just so you can give a one- or two-line retort. I don’t want to have to ask you this again. * * * David B, SDMB Great Debates Moderator [Moderator Hat: OFF] ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2000, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-noahs-ark-was-found/17821/230 "2000-03-22T14:43:00Z")
Pashley, just give it up. I think we’ve reasonably proven to you that, in your mind, we’re a bunch of godless ignorant Atheists. Isn’t that what you wanted anyway? Esprix * * * [Ask the Gay Guy!](http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum7/HTML/001376.html) ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2000, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-noahs-ark-was-found/17821/231 "2000-03-25T20:47:00Z")
Bump. How did animals get from Ararat in Turkey to Australia? Jjjuuuuussssssstttt asking. 😃 * * * You should tell the truth, expose the lies and live in the moment."-Bill Hicks “You should tell the lies, live the truth and expose yourself.” - Bill Clinton ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2000, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-noahs-ark-was-found/17821/232 "2000-03-26T00:09:00Z")
Riding on the back of Nessie, of course! 🙂 * * * Eagles may soar free and proud, but weasels never get sucked into jet engines. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2000, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-noahs-ark-was-found/17821/233 "2000-03-26T06:11:00Z")
I noticed that Pashley decided to ignore my ever-so-logical and direct response to his question. So, for the reading impaired, I’ll sum it up again: Why couldn’t it have been a holy relic built by some ardent worshippers say, 500 years after the supposed flood? There are plenty of examples of replicas of supposed holy objects being made in the past by ardent followers. Such a replica would pass every test you want to throw at it: It’d be the same size and shape as the Ark in the bible (they built it from the same spec), it would be in the right place, and it could be carbon-14 dated to that era. Pashley, you were trying to claim that finding such an Ark would be PROOF that the flood happened. I gave you a very logical counter to that. Your comments? ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2000, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-noahs-ark-was-found/17821/234 "2000-03-26T13:07:00Z")
PASHLEY. What if they found an _ark_ on the top of another mountain which conformed exactly to that described by another faith (and I don’t even have to make one up-there are so many) Would you then give up your faith in the face of evidence you yourself would accept as being validation? Or would you ,as I suspect,try to be objective using the very same methods as the godless heathens surruonding you on this thread? Just how would you cope if Hinduism or any other religion provided incontrovertable proof.After all this time believing one thing, how would it be to find you were condemned to eternal death just for backing the wrong horse? ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-noahs-ark-was-found/17821/235 "2000-03-27T15:51:00Z")
You guys should go check out the “what if a guy claming to be Jesus” thread - that’s dealing with some similar “what if you’re wrong” posits there. And I, too, am wondering where Pashley disappeared to. Esprix * * * [Ask the Gay Guy!](http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum7/HTML/001376.html) ---
**Author:** ![Quisling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e47c2d/32.png) [@Quisling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quisling)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2000, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-noahs-ark-was-found/17821/236 "2000-10-03T06:58:32Z")
hmmmm… I guess the only way to prove it to some people is to have God himself walk right up to them and say HEY!!! You there I exist and then I still think they would doubt it. course I suppose they would be dead at that point to then I also suppose it would be solved just as easily as they looked ahead at their eternity. Another thing… just suppose that YOU and all of your huge incredible knowledge of all things are wrong and there IS an everlasting and eternal hell??? You prepared for that buddy? Me thinks not. ---
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2000, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-noahs-ark-was-found/17821/237 "2000-10-03T11:25:12Z")
Wow, that post was sure worth dragging up a months-old thread for… ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2000, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-noahs-ark-was-found/17821/238 "2000-10-03T11:28:29Z")
Wow, haven’t seen this thread for a while. I was but a wee inexperienced newbie on my fourth day or so of posting here. Now I’m an established reg with over a thousand posts to my name. I stand by what I said then, though. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2000, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-noahs-ark-was-found/17821/239 "2000-10-03T12:36:37Z")
We ask for “some” evidence. Creationists claim that we are asking for “absolute and total” evidence. And the dance continues… ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2000, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-noahs-ark-was-found/17821/240 "2000-10-03T12:54:19Z")
Nah, it’s a hijack: good evidence of zombies, well-known for their sea-faring abilities in many cultures. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-noahs-ark-was-found/17821.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-noahs-ark-was-found/17821.md?page=13)