what if the bible was proven true?

[owlofcreamcheese]

how would the world change if it turned out the bible was undenyably a factual document?

like say for example tommarow scientists invented a “time window” useing wormholes or superstrings or something that could view past events of a location on a television screen… and with a little survaying it turned out that more or less the bible was about as accurate as a newspaper would be. and then used telescopes and found heaven, and used seismic waves mesurements to find hell in the core of the earth.

say… 90% accurate with no outright lies… and like… genesis being more true than not… with humans suddenly appearing 6000 years ago… (with the universe being older… but with ‘periods’ of diffrent amounts of times that definitly go along with the days of the bible… so that science wouldn’t have to be TOTALLY thrown out for this hypothetical)

say that 100 years from now the bible being correct was roughly as well accepted by people and science as say… the idea that the earth goes around the sun. it basicly turned out that was how the world was… with books of verifyable repeatable scientific evidance.

how would the world change in that case? would there still be diffrent religions? would there be athiests? would people turn faith for a megagod… one that created and governs the god that was now in the relm of science for existing? how would this effect crime? and greif about death? and laws? and tolerance? and science? ect

[Zebra]

Umm are you just talking about Genisis or about the entire bible. Like we somehow had video of Jesus rising from the dead.

Also are going to prove we have the nice forgiving God of the NT or the wrathful, vengful one from the prequel?
Basically I don’t think much would change. Many people don’t base their lives in facts so having some ‘new’ facts probably wouldn’t change much.

[hansel]

I’m not sure it would change much. You say ‘assume the bible is proven as true as any other scientific truth’; there are still people who don’t know the science, who don’t accept a heliocentric solar system, who believe in all sorts of things that aren’t evident in our day and age. Evolution is as well accepted as a heliocentric solar system, scientifically, and yet we’re still fighting about it in our school system.

There’s probably be a significant uptake in Christianity in nations that already have significant Christian populations. But since the Christians we already have aren’t perfect, and seem to suffer the same flaws and defects as the rest of us, I can’t see much changing sociologically–no more than changes whenever a religious fervor sweeps a nation.

[Shaolinrabbit]

I think it would provide a rather significant change, providing I’m reading the hypothetical correctly. If indeed God were proven and Christ were additionally proven(That’s how I read the OP), there would probably be a strong uprising in Christianity, and also a more serious approach to traditional Christianity(i.e. some church goers would be a lot more serious about their faith.)

I think the changes may be so immense as to be inestimable, something akin to first contact with an alien race. Science itself might change focus, as well as medicine. Finding ‘sin centers’ in the brain or whatever.

To the best of my knowledge it would be like nothing that has occured in the history of mankind because it would carry weight in so many different areas. The absolute knowledge of the existance of God might prove uneventful, or horrifying, depending on what sources you use for analysis.

[Lobsang]

That is the most amusing spelling of ‘Tomorrow’ I have ever seen.

[C_K_Dexter_Haven]

Well, you’ll be pleased to know that Egyptologists have found the bones of seven cows, from Pharoah’s dream that was interpreted by Joseph. They don’t know if they were the seven fat cows or the seven skinny cows.

[ShoNuff]

If Christianity was scientifically proven to be 100% true, I’d convert “tommarow.”

This does destroy the whole point of faith, doesn’t it?

If Christianity (or any religion) could be absolutely proven to be true, it’s not really a religion any more, is it? It would be a cold hard fact, and the whole issue of faith would go out the window.

Better said in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy:

"I refuse to prove that I exist," says God, "for proof denies faith, and without faith I am nothing."
"But," say Man, "the Babel fish is a dead giveaway, isn't it? It could not have evolved by chance. It proves you exist, and so therefore, by your own arguments, you don't. QED."
"Oh dear," says God, "I hadn't though of that" and promply vanishes in a puff of logic.

[John_Mace]

If the bible were proven to be true, I’d be in church tomorrow. Or maybe I’d wait until tommarow.

Of course, if pigs were proven to be capable of flight, that would change a lot of things, too.

[ShoNuff]

John Mace,
You wouldn’t even have to go to church, just the lab!

[John_Mace]

Seriously, though, there have been some remarkable archeological discoveries that validate the Bible as an historical document. Just as the discovery of Troy surprised a lot of people. The trick is to sift thru the history and seperate it from the allegory.

[Lissa]

*Originally posted by John Mace *
**Seriously, though, there have been some remarkable archeological discoveries that validate the Bible as an historical document. Just as the discovery of Troy surprised a lot of people. The trick is to sift thru the history and seperate it from the allegory. **

Yes, to some extent.

For example, we have found cities which were mentioned in the Bible, such as Jerhico. (However, archaeological evidence suggest that it was destroyed by earthquake long before Joshua and his trumpeters ever arrived on the scene.) Recently, IIRC, we found the tomb of Ciaphas (sp?) high priest mentioned in the New Testament.

For certain historical figures mentioned in the Bible we have secular evidence: Herrod, for instance, and, of course, Ceasar.

Oustide of that, there’s not much archaeology can do to prove the religious aspects, other than provide some alternative explanations for seemingly miraculous events, such as the Ten Plagues. (Grain mold, insect infestations, etc.)

[t-keela]

*Originally posted by C K Dexter Haven *
**Well, you’ll be pleased to know that Egyptologists have found the bones of seven cows, from Pharoah’s dream that was interpreted by Joseph. They don’t know if they were the seven fat cows or the seven skinny cows. **

The seven skinny cows ate the seven fat cows therefore the skeletons found were most likely of the skinny cows. Which were probably not skinny afterwards.

BTW: I hate a damned liar…if GOD (were the real thing, as described by most religions) if you were in GOD’s presence, you standing before him…HE all powerful, omnipotent, etc.

IF this did happen…it wouldn’t change YOU! freakin liars :rolleyes: it would affect everyone on the planet

I say in HIS presence as proof BECAUSE that is the only thing most doubters and nonbelievers would take as proof, correct?

[Mangetout]

*Originally posted by t-keela *
The seven skinny cows ate the seven fat cows therefore the skeletons found were most likely of the skinny cows. Which were probably not skinny afterwards.

Au Contraire…

Well the thin cows ate the fat cows which I
Thought would do them good, uh-huh
But it didn’t make them fatter like such
A monster supper should
Well the thin cows were as thin
As they had ever, ever, ever been
Well this dream has got me baffled
Hey, Joseph, won’t you tell me what it means?

or if you prefer to take it from the Bible:

Genesis 41: 17-21
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds. After them, seven other cows came up-scrawny and very ugly and lean. I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt.
The lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first. But even after they ate them, no one could tell that they had done so; they looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up.

But perhaps the point is moot; when I dream about eating smoked mackerel, there are no bones on my pillow in the morning.

I did, though, once dream about eating a pillow and when I awoke my giant marshmallow was gone.

[Verminous]

Even if the bible were proven true, I have no doubts that a fair majority of people would still cling to their respective religions. Unless it is proven that the other religions are 100% wrong in the process. (though, i’m sure the bible has some sections saying that all other religions are not real, therefore if the bible is completely true, this covers it)

[rumraisin]

I don’t think it would make any diff; as Jesus says in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus:

29"Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
30" ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31"He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ "

[Urban_Ranger]

*Originally posted by owlofcreamcheese *
how would the world change if it turned out the bible was undenyably a factual document?

It won’t, because the earth is not flat, and pi is not 3, and the earth is not the center of the universe, and the age of earth is very, very, old, and this, and that, etc.

[Mangetout]

A bigger problem than the discrepancy between the Bible and various external phenomena would (I think) be problems with discrepancies between one part of the Bible and another.

[Shaolinrabbit]

C’mon guys, it’s make believe remember? At least take OOCC’s assertion at face value. I don’t think this was intended to be a relevency of the bible thread.

[Mangetout]

No, seriously, Science would have to adopt new logical systems that can cope with A=A not always being true, plus it would have to throw out a considerable proportion of its current tools and methods. That’s a pretty fundamental change for the world.

[blowero]

I think God would have some 'splainin to do.