The Bible and the shape of the earth
The following is pushback I wrote in response to flat earth propaganda I encountered on social media.[1] The propaganda was loaded with logical fallacies, including the reasoning that since the Bible presents flat earth, so flat earth must be true. Most disturbing was their claim that God only loves us if the earth is flat. My response:
The Bible writers were not astronomers or geologists. They did not know about Australia or Antarctica for instance, nor did they know about galaxies.The key-word there is accommodation. God allows us the opportunity to make discoveries on our own. Accommodation is also the best way to teach, to reach the heart of your audience. Jesus did this in Matthew 13:31-32 and Mark 4:30-32, calling the mustard seed the tiniest because that is what his audience thought.
Thus, even if the Bible assumes flat earth, it is accommodating their beliefs at the time. It does not affect our modern cosmology based on our astronomy and geology centuries in the making.[2]
Lastly, the Bible does not insist on a flat earth, and neither should we.
For instance, no Bible writer knew about plate tectonics and continental drift or that marsupials migrated to Australia through Antarctica when it was a green continent connected to the other continents at the time. Nor did they know about antipodal volcanism and S- and P-Waves that we know about today. (Those are Secondary and Primary shockwaves from earthquakes that travel to the other side of the globe.)[3]
Jehovah created life on a globe because He loves us.
In closing, the human race has learned a lot about astronomy and geology since the Bible was completed, including confirmation that we live on a globe.
Footnotes:
[1]
For the record, I have asked this person if she thinks the earth is flat or if she knows that her message teaches earth is flat. She chose not to answer. However, she later removed this propaganda. But since she inexcusably chose to ignore my clear, direct and pressing questions, this citation remains for future reference.
[2] Use these scriptures with care
jimspace3000.blogspot.com/2021/09/use-these-scriptures-with-care.html In other words, even if scriptures like Isaiah 40:22, circle of the earth, and Job 26:7, hanging earth upon nothing, do not really describe a globe but are consistent with flat earth, then those scriptures are also accommodating their beliefs at the time, and do not affect our modern cosmology based on our astronomy and geology centuries in the making.
[3] Regarding Recent Flat Earth Heckling
techspace3000.blogspot.com/2019/10/regarding-recent-flat-earth-heckling.html
Antipodal Volcanism and the K-T Extinction Event
jimspace3000.blogspot.com/2015/10/antipodal-volcanism-and-k-t-extinction.html