Jon writes:
3) Where, then, is the tower?
You do not see the YECist focusing on the reality or existence of the tower. You see well funded expeditions mounted to look for shards of the Ark, but few go looking for the foundations of the tower. Why is that?
The tower story I believe is somewhat of an embarrassment to the fundamental literalist because the literal reading presents several problems:
1) God evidently does not exhaustively know the future (omnipotent). In the story God is found to be surprised during an inspection to earth of the industrialness and achievements of his subjects. Interesting, considering that these subjects are beings of his own creation that were created in his own image.
2) The story reveals a primitive notion of cosmology. We read the story today and we immediately start looking for metaphors since it is obvious to us that you cannot build a tower to heaven. Reading the story several thousand years ago and the reader might the accept the story as plausible.
3) God apparently is threatened by man's capabilities - this is again a smallish view of God that was prevalent at the time. I know some try to twist the words to convey that God was upset because of man's arrogance but that is not what the story literally says and such inspired readings are extrapolations.
4) Contradicts the latter scripture "God is not the author of confusion". Here God is portrayed as the direct divine inventor of languages that create confusion and disharmony between all members of humanity.
5) God is referred to as plural. Perhaps revealing the original source of the story?
Edited by iceage, : No reason given.
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