Growing Earth Theory

[Tallen]

Here is a very interesting video. It explains a lot of questions that I have had. I believe it is worth a look.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kL7qDeI05U

Longer Version


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJfBSc6e7QQ&feature=related

[tking]

Very cool. I only watched the short version, but it seems probable. I wonder if there is any significance theologically speaking?

[Tallen]

Well, I think it helps to explain the flood and how the earth accomadated all of that water.

[tking]

Would it infringe on God's "resting"? Or is the assumption that this was the plan FOR the accommodation, therefore included in the original formation of land? Or is it merely considered a natural event like the cosmic events we experience all the time?

[Tallen]

I listen to a presentation of this. The idea, which has quite a bit of plausibility IMO, is that the universe was created in such a manner that it is constantly adding new material to itself. It is propogating itself and expanding. This is opposed to the idea that all material came from a singularity smaller than an atom and has been expanding for billions of years without so much as one atom of new material.

Maybe you can find the program on YouTube if you are interested. I think it is in twelve parts about 10 minutes each.

[tking]

Hmm...I've wondered for years about the by-product of waste that earth itself makes, and I've always wondered how the earth could constantly be absorbing, for lack of a better word, that waste especially when added to the waste of all that is on the earth. Granted, there are natural waste disposal creatures, but at the end of the road, something HAS to be happening. Kind of a different aspect, I guess, but it would make sense that the earth IS growing and that is how it handles all the natural-occurring events that produce "extra" stuff. Boy howdy that's rambling, but do you get what I'm saying?...lol.

[Tallen]

Yeah, I got it. If you can afford the time check out this series.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-ylrPfLxFI&feature=related

There is twelve posts in the series.

[Yodas_Prodigy]

Cool video

[TigerBunny]

Would it infringe on God's "resting"? Or is the assumption that this was the plan FOR the accommodation, therefore included in the original formation of land? Or is it merely considered a natural event like the cosmic events we experience all the time?

I've always considered the "resting" of God to be curious. I get the sneaking suspicion that our understanding of it may be somewhat faulty along some lines. Be that as it may there is certainly enough "stuff" in creation that we know and don't know about for *us* tiny little temporal creatures to get confused about.

Watching the video caused me to go back and read through the Genesis account again. I don't think the Earth expanding or contracting affects the story at all so...I vote this is fun stuff. :)

[Tallen]

Fun, for sure.

[tking]

I've always considered the "resting" of God to be curious. I get the sneaking suspicion that our understanding of it may be somewhat faulty along some lines. Be that as it may there is certainly enough "stuff" in creation that we know and don't know about for *us* tiny little temporal creatures to get confused about.

Yeah, I kinda have my own ideas about "resting" as well. I'm not sure "done" is exactly what it means, buuuuuuut like you say, there's more than enough to confuse our wee little minds...lol.


Watching the video caused me to go back and read through the Genesis account again. I don't think the Earth expanding or contracting affects the story at all so...I vote this is fun stuff. :)

Definitely fun and really, really interesting!

[TigerBunny]

Well...let's think about this for a moment or two. Maybe Tallen and the rest here can help out.

Here are the verses that have, as I understand it, have caused the contention:

Genesis 2
1. Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts.
2. By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.
3. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

So here the Lord completed His work of creating the heavens, earth, and all their hosts. Not a real stretch...it's what the Word says. It's also the basis of the Sabbath.

Exodus 35
2. "For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a holy day, a sabbath of complete rest to the LORD; whoever does any work on it shall be put to death.

However...

Later on we see interesting stuff like...

Mark 2:
27. Jesus said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.
28. "So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

So all else aside there seems to be a distinction being made about "work". All sorts of interesting conversation to go through on the subject. It would seem to me that humans were bound by the rules of the Sabbath but not God as far as work was concerned ( even more interesting conversations as what was "outside" this commandment for humans for example Matthew 12:5 ) But what about the work of creation? Here again we seem to see a general cessation of "work" but there are exceptions. Men cannot "create" in a literal sense but God certainly can and does:

2 Corinthians 5
17. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

So again, in my mind, we come to a limitation of our understanding. Greater minds then mine have tried and failed in hashing all of this out. Personally I think we humans have too much of a morbid fascination with rules which the Lord came to free us from. This is not to say that we are to be "rule less" for we certainly have a King or "law less" but that our focus is so easily derailed from Christ and our freedom *in* him.

[tking]

What's always sort of made me ponder it is the fact that we know the "work" of the Triune God has never ceased. We have the work of the Holy Spirit, and the work of Jesus Christ. I have a problem trying to separate it all out without it leaning toward a "three-God" scenario. And since Jesus Christ is our "rest," as well, there's a whole other facet to it. Granted, scripture is pretty specific about the creation of the heavens, the earth, and the hosts. So then we come to the pre-ordained side of it all. If everything was completed, then we're left with it unfolding, for lack of a better word, according to the plan but having been already created. Theeeeeeen we get into a conversation about God and time and the relativity of all that.

It's way too deep a subject for my li'l pea brain. And I particularly like your statement:


Personally I think we humans have too much of a morbid fascination with rules which the Lord came to free us from. This is not to say that we are to be "rule less" for we certainly have a King or "law less" but that our focus is so easily derailed from Christ and our freedom *in* him.

Amen.

[Tallen]

Well...let's think about this for a moment or two. Maybe Tallen and the rest here can help out.

Maybe some others can help Tallen as well. Personally I don't think that creation being complete means that there won't be more of creation revealed and come together, future of that event. I think that it means that everything that was needed for the plan of YHWH to come to complete fruition was complete. For instance, not every human being existed on that first sabbath, but every single human existed in Adam, and the potential for all humanity did exist. YHWH did not need to "create" any more people, because the potential for all humanity existed in Adam, and we were all propagated from him. The Creator rested from His creative acts, but creation continues on according to His purpose and under the rules and conditions He place within it.

[JBaker45]

If the diameter of the Earth is increasing, then the density would be decreasing. We should be able to detect this in the ice cores because this would effect the density of the surrounding atmosphere as well (I think).

[TigerBunny]

If the diameter of the Earth is increasing, then the density would be decreasing. We should be able to detect this in the ice cores because this would effect the density of the surrounding atmosphere as well (I think).

True unless there is new material being created ( which I think is what started some of the conversation ) or if the earth is expanding due to it's internal temperature rising. The latter would be, I would think, noticeable and catastrophic.

[TigerBunny]

For what it's worth:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expanding_Earth

[JBaker45]

Ahh.. spontaneous generation theory? :)

(But we seem to be unable to see that in the lab - Maybe we're not supposed to??)

[TigerBunny]

Ahh.. spontaneous generation theory? :)

(But we seem to be unable to see that in the lab - Maybe we're not supposed to??)

Color me clueless brother. It's fun to noodle on though.

[Tallen]

Ahh.. spontaneous generation theory? :)

(But we seem to be unable to see that in the lab - Maybe we're not supposed to??)

I think it has been shown otherwise if you listen to the series by the guy.

[Tallen]

I am of the opinion that they really don't know very much about this and it is probably a combination of many things that would have to be known to explain the earth in it's current condition. It is a matter of pride for many who are working in these areas and have signed onto a theory. Their time is spent looking to confirm the theory rather than to confirm truth. If they can confirm the theory then they are confirming their own belief system and justifying what they believe. You know what I mean.

In any event, I find it truly "man like" to make these theories and present them as though they are the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

[Tallen]

I am of the opinion that they really don't know very much about this and it is probably a combination of many things that would have to be known to explain the earth in it's current condition. It is a matter of pride for many who are working in these areas and have signed onto a theory. Their time is spent looking to confirm the theory rather than to confirm truth. If they can confirm the theory then they are confirming their own belief system and justifying what they believe. You know what I mean.

In any event, I find it truly "man like" to make these theories and present them as though they are the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

[JBaker45]

It is fun bro :)