Blue-grass blade., 1894-11-11

in which man who is evidently cul-
man, and very familiar with the
Bible, says he has calculated the mean
ing of the Bible prophecies, and that the
world will come to an end in A. ID. 1900.
You claim to believe the New Testament
that tells you the world is going to be
brought to an end, in such language that
you are warranted in believing that this
may take place tomorrow, but will you
take pains even to inquire about the |
book of the learned Christian? Certainly |
not.
There was then no reason why any
body should have believed the preaching |
of Noah, and God knew that, and knew |
they would not believe him, and he
simply made Noah spend one hundred
and twenty years of his life in preaching
when he knew he would not make one
convert.
Noah's Ark was much the largest boat
ever built. Noah and his three sons
could not have built it, and nobody would
help any man to build such a boat as
that. If they were a 40 years in
building it, the first timbers would have
rotted before the last ones could have
been put in place.
Iron or metal of some kind must have
been used in the construction of such a
boat Nobody has ever found any metal
remains of the ark. Such boat. if it re-
manned after the flood any time, must
have been very wonderful thing to
those who saw it and knew about it, and
it would have been preserved. There are
not even any traditions about relics from
the ark having been preserved.
1t would have been impossible for
water to be higher than the mountains
all over the earth, because at the poles it
would have been changed into ice.
There would have been no reason to
| take the amphibious animals into the
ark, because the flood could not have hurt
them.
There are remains of animals now
found in the earth that are supposed to
have been there for 1000 years. If the
water in the deluge was thirty feet high
er than the highest mountain the bodies
of whales, dead or alive, would in some
instances, have drifted from over the
bed of the sea, and have been left on the
land when the water subsidized. No such
remains of a whale have ever been
| found.
Men have written all kind of lies, both
for amusement and for profit. All intel
ligent people admit that many of the
most unreasonable lies have been writ
ten about all religions except their own
religion. The Greeks have story about
Ducalion and Pyrra that is very similar
to the one about Noah's Ark. Some of
these religious stories are probably
older than the Bible, and some not so
old
1t is not possible that anybody now
can know who wrote that story about
Noah's Ark. 1t is simply a tradition
among the Jews that Moses did it.
Jesus Christ did not seem to have much
regard for Jewish traditions, and just in
the ratio that the Jews become intelligent
do they quit believing the stories of the
Bible?
These are simply the most natural diff
fculties that are in the way of my belief
in the story of the deluge. There are
many others that could be suggested.
The writers of the New Testament ac-
cept the story of the deluge as true
one, and the belief in this story is there
fore closely related to belief in the
Christian religion.
/ do not think you can, as fair and
honest man, occupying the position that
you do, afford to ignore my request to
answer these questions. 1t will not do
for you simply to assert your belief that
these things occurred just as they are
written in the Bible. 1t is impossible
for you really to belive the story oi
Noah,s Ark without having. with thai
story. some opifsion as to facts and Incl
dents connected with the story, and ]
want to hear your opinion on this sub
| tsr1r OF ole
stances, and especially under existing
circumstances / have a right to expect
that you will give us your opinion on
this subject.
In fact, while do not propose to force
, you into a reply to this article, marked
copy of which will be sent you, 1 think
, it will be fair to conclude that You are
, either afraid to attempt defence of this
story of the ark, if indeed you believe il
at all, or that you are Indifferent to the
; claims of your religion, if you do not re
ply to this communication.
do not even know that YOU claim to
believe this story once said to you
in d private conversation, that did moi
. think you believed the story of Balaam':
ass.
You only laughed and made no reply
, do not see how you can believe it, moi
will believe that you do believe it unit
, l have your declaration to that effect
There is much interest now being fell
!. about these matters. and more than evel
, before, in the history of this country
, are men asking information on these
! subjects.
hope that you will answer this, ant
that in your answer you will grant me
the privilege of reviewing your answer
y believe would do it fairly and candid
, ly and believe that this world be the gen
r eral impression about me.
, Hoping that may speedily hear from
you, am fraternally yours,
+ CHARLES c. MOORE.