Is the bible still relevant today?

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Why would I? I've never once in my life believed that the Earth is flat or has four corners.

It was definitely never used as a metaphorical term for anything to do with the Earth throughout any geography lesson that I had.

It's not a geographical term either! It's a figure of speech!

Have you honestly never heard or read (oooh, maybe not, you fall asleep don't you) anyone refer to the four corners of the earth? Never? Not once?

I don't believe you.
 
It's not a geographical term either! It's a figure of speech!

Have you honestly never heard or read (oooh, maybe not, you fall asleep don't you) anyone refer to the four corners of the earth? Never? Not once?

I don't believe you.

No I havnt. Never until I looked up quotes from the bible saying that the Earth has 4 corners and assuming that it meant flat and square.

We arent all raised in fundamentalist Christian backgrounds you know.

Are you trying to tell me that this phrase 'Four corners of the earth' is commonly used in education to mean its metaphorical term?
 
We arent all raised in fundamentalist Christian backgrounds you know.

It's not an exclusively Christian phrase :rolleyes:

I wish Google could search the wealth of printed text so I could show you the countless times this phrase is used.

Here's the best I can manage...

A search at wikiquote for "four corners of the earth" turns up a handful

bhavv said:
Are you trying to tell me that this phrase 'Four corners of the earth' is commonly used in education to mean its metaphorical term?

No!!! What makes you think I'm saying it's used in education? It may be, as a metaphorical term, but where have I ever said that it is "commonly used in education"?

I'm going to have to stop arguing before I end up using words I shouldn't.
 
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Are you really that dense, or just being purposefully obtuse? I know where my money lies. The wording in question in the bible isn't a geography lesson, it's a turn of phrase talking about a completely different point.

Just like when trolls talk rubbish on threads... I rise above them, but it doesn't mean I float and defy mavity. See? Same principle.

It's not a geographical term either! It's a figure of speech!

Have you honestly never heard or read (oooh, maybe not, you fall asleep don't you) anyone refer to the four corners of the earth? Never? Not once?

I don't believe you.

No I havnt. Never until I looked up quotes from the bible saying that the Earth has 4 corners and assuming that it meant flat and square.

We arent all raised in fundamentalist Christian backgrounds you know.

Now I really am laughing. My parents were the biggest atheists you could imagine. My dad is militantly so. Funny that I still knew what the metaphor 'four corners of the earth' meant since I was about... four.

It has nothing to do with religion, it's a common every-day English phrase.
 
Are you serious? Four means every in a metaphorical term?

I strongly doubt that any child would understand that, stop talking such nonsense.

How exactly do you know that such words meant something else metaphorically 2000-3000+ years ago when the Bible was actually written?

Such quotes from the bible hardly sound metaphorical or in any kind of poetical form to me. Yes there is poetry in the bible, but the four corners of the Earth stuff is not an example of that.

Well I asked my 12 year old, "what does coming from the four corners of the Earth mean?", his answer (after looking at me strangely) was "coming from everywhere."

so yes a child can understand the figure of speech perfectly.

Also you need to consider that "The four corners of the Earth" often refer to the cardinal points North, South, East and West and can also refer to the furthest points on a Map. (Maps are rectangular as a rule, if you were not aware of that).

Stating it is proof that the Bible says the Earth is Flat is a nonsense interpretation.
 
It's not an exclusively Christian phrase :rolleyes:

I wish Google could search the wealth of printed text so I could show you the countless times this phrase is used.

Countless? You mean more like 0?

The phrase is NEVER used as well as I am aware of. Quit lying and making things up.
 
Well I asked my 12 year old, "what does coming from the four corners of the Earth mean?", his answer (after looking at me strangely) was "coming from everywhere."

so yes a child can understand the figure of speech perfectly.

Also you need to consider that "The four corners of the Earth" often refer to the cardinal points North, South, East and West and can also refer to the furthest points on a Map. (Maps are rectangular as a rule, if you were not aware of that).

Stating is is proof that the Bible says the Earth is Flat is a nonsense interpretation.

Then again with you as a parent, I have no doubt that you have already taught this kind of stuff to your kid.
 
I've edited my post - the idea has been around, and some civilisations have believed it, but it's not nearly as popular as people like to think. It had certainly fallen out of vogue long before Columbus, or whoever you have in mind.

No not columbus, I was thinking nearer to pre history, that is where myths tend to report from. I can see the symbolism being passed down..

Just like Atlas propping up the world..

All I'm saying is I can see a correlation or connection, wrongly or rightly I don't know, between the old ocean edge myth and the use of four corners of the earth today.



Wikipedia says that people first figured out the circumference of the earth in about 300BC, for example.

But as you well know enlightenment isn't always shared equally across the globe, not today and certainly not through history.

I'll go read though.

In any case, and I'm going to appear like I'm backtracking here, but hey ho... It's not in the least bit relevant what scientific misconceptions the ancient Hebrews had, as that is not the crux of the Biblical text.

No I don't think it is at all and I don't want to be seen to stepping in that debate, just the potential Etymology for the phrase.
 
No I havnt. Never until I looked up quotes from the bible saying that the Earth has 4 corners and assuming that it meant flat and square.

We arent all raised in fundamentalist Christian backgrounds you know.

:rolleyes: it's a common phrase and you are fully aware what it means. You don't to be religious. But perhaps if you actually did a bit of studying rather than going for the stereotype, you might actually learn what the bible says and not make a 1001 mistakes like you have in this thread. Or take aboard points from people who have.

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/142625.html
 
Four corners of the earth is a reference to the world as a whole as viewed on a map isn't it?

I've heard it used many times.

Ah but you're lying, didn't you know? So am I. So's von. So's Castiel. ;)

Countless? You mean more like 0?

The phrase is NEVER used as well as I am aware of. Quit lying and making things up.

As for this:

Then again with you as a parent, I have no doubt that you have already taught this kind of stuff to your kid.

I'd be very careful walking that line you're on my friend.
 
Then again with you as a parent, I have no doubt that you have already taught this kind of stuff to your kid.

Yes, I have helped to teach him how to speak and comprehend English, as any parent in this country would. I prefer not to interpret your post as a personal attack as I know you have just returned from a ban for similar behaviour.

My wife is actually laughing out loud when I told her why I was asking my Son that question.:D
 
Good for you.

My family arent English.

I'm sorry. Does OcUK have a universal translator now? I didn't realise you didn't speak English and weren't in the UK. Grow up. "Oh but I'm not from an English family" doesn't wash. You're well enough versed in the language to pour out hundreds of posts calling BS on people throwing evidence under your nose. If you really hadn't heard of such a common every-day phrase perhaps you fell asleep reading one too many books. Don't blame us or say we're making it all up to spite you lol :D :p
 
When I was 12 I was sat with my Geosafari everyday, learning and memorizing the name and locations of every single country in the world, and reading about every single disease and medical condition in a doctors book that my parents had, yet I never once heard the term 'Four corners of the Earth'.
 
Yes, I have helped to teach him how to speak and comprehend English, as any parent in this country would.

My wife is actually laughing out loud when I told her why I was asking my Son that question.:D

Our household suffered a similar outbreak of lolage, but I take your 12 year old and raise you a 10 year old who also thought it was a very strange question. :)
 
Yes, I have helped to teach him how to speak and comprehend English, as any parent in this country would. I prefer not to interpret your post as a personal attack as I know you have just returned from a ban for similar behaviour.

Neither of my parents were born in this country and dont understand English very well, nor are they fluent at it, and English is also my second language thanks.
 
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