I am not religious… but out of this entire thread, this was the single most judgmental post I read. (And there was stiff competition)
[quote=
Whatever I say or believe, I hope and pray that I have the decency and courtesy share this in a gentle kind caring manner. Otherwise, no matter what I say, I’m wrong.
Amen.
[/quote]
That was well said. :yes:
[QUOTE=J Swan;1942465]
As good an explanation as any. That and the dog treat one works for me.
Besides - everyone know that the world is supported on the back of a turtle. And for those naysayers who ask what the turtle is standing on - well - it’s turtles all the way down, of course.
sheesh.[/QUOTE]
Jswan…have you not read of Discworld? The world is not on a line of turtles, but instead, is a big flat round disc, which rests on the backs of four gigundomundo elephants, which in turn stand on the shell of a giganticus turtle, which, of course, floats lazily through space for all eternity.
Jeez.
Look, I even found a picture!
See, I told ya’ll it was real!
http://www.fictionalworlds.com/FICWRLDS/Discworld/Discworld-world1.jpg
horses are a sign of the apocalypse
I’m no biblical scholar, but googled “horse bible” and found this:http://www.keyway.ca/htm2002/horses.htm
So, the Egyptians had horses, as did the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. But not much in the way of horses in between.
What to make of that?
Depends if you’re a literalist or not.
Hey Mtn Trails - pass me a margarita and some popcorn.
I haven’t evolved away from my salt-lick craving yet…or my inability to just look away…
:lol:
[QUOTE=Phaxxton;1942933]
I am not religious… but out of this entire thread, this was the single most judgmental post I read. (And there was stiff competition)[/QUOTE]
Phaxxton, I agree, though my posts on this thread are maybe provocative. But still, I’m asking questions, while the post that you commented on seems like an essay from someone who just came out of Psych 101.
I like this thread: horse chestnuts as a test of faith and/or the scientific method. Who wudda thunk it?
I’m not sure what the correlation to horses and the Bible are, but I found this and horses are mentioned quite a few times:
http://bible.christiansunite.com/Torreys_Topical_Textbook/ttt289.shtml
[QUOTE=dizzywriter;1942443]
But Einstein was wrong. God does play dice with the universe. It’s called quantum mechanics.[/QUOTE]
This should be a bumper sticker or a T-shirt.
[QUOTE=zagafi;1942995]
Depends if you’re a literalist or not. :D[/QUOTE]
A literalist would say horses aren’t holy. They are the enemy and/or signs of the Antichrist.
[QUOTE=arabhorse2;1943001]
I’m not sure what the correlation to horses and the Bible are, but I found this and horses are mentioned quite a few times:
http://bible.christiansunite.com/Torreys_Topical_Textbook/ttt289.shtml[/QUOTE]
Thanks for that arabhose. I"m not doing serious research on the subject. Just a quick google for fun. The responses, if there are any, will be interesting to read.
[QUOTE=Calena;1942390]
I can say with some confidence that the subject of horse chestnuts and ergots isn’t addressed in the Bible. God apparently had other priorities.
Whatever I say or believe, I hope and pray that I have the decency and courtesy share this in a gentle kind caring manner. Otherwise, no matter what I say, I’m wrong.[/QUOTE]
Amen.
[QUOTE=Duramax;1941609]
As an instructor who has many up-down kiddies and a few adult beginners on the lesson schedule, inevitably parents or adult newbies will eventually ask me what “those things on the horse’s legs are.” I used to go through the whole spiel of how they are remnants of toes from when the horse was a five-toed critter. I would explain how the modern day horse is essentially walking on his middle toe, and I would tell them about the two splint bones, the ergot at the back of the fetlock, and the chestnut, thus accounting for all five toes.
But after having one parent flat out say “You actually believe that?” and laugh at me I have altered my answer a bit. :rolleyes: I now preface my spiel by saying “If you believe in evolution then blah blah blah blah blah… If not, then I don’t know why they are there, but every horse has them.”
I don’t have a particularly strong opinion on the subject of evolution but I certainly never thought I would get into a debate about it at the barn, and I am now wondering if I should just shrug and say I have no idea why they are there. 
And to steal Jsalem’s wording from an earlier thread because I am feeling unoriginal at the moment, COTH’ers Discuss… :)[/QUOTE]
I was raised better than to laugh at someone’s faith or creationist ideas.
This person was not raised right if they “laughed” at evolution. This person was rude. I suspect in this case, I would say you have your belief, I have my science. But you are being rude. Do you understand how to behave in a way that is not rude? If so, do so, and we can continue talking. Make sure they are clear that your objection is to their rudeness, not their beliefs. Man, I hope it is not in your job description that you have to get a consensus on things like this - not gonna happen:)
Beyond that, I would explain chestnuts as you believe to be accurate. Like anything else, who cares if a person believes you or not? Doesn’t change the facts as you know them to be, so just answer the question, request rudeness stop, move on.
As to cyberbays post - I don’t find it judgmental in the slightest. Faith is a strange concept to people of no faith - I find no fault in anyone who tries to come up with an understanding of why religious people behave as they do. It is a possible explanation, amongst many many possible explanations for a belief in a mythical being. Please remember, that is how I see it. I do not expect others to see it this way if they do not wish to. Neither do I care if they agree with me, pity me or pray for me.
Actually Dizzy, if you look at the website I found, like many things in the Bible the mention of horses is both good and bad. Contradictory, even.
But the whole Book is full of contradictions, as well as some major differences between the gospels of Christ’s disciples.
I’m a Christian, but far from a literalist. The Bible’s been translated far too many times, with too many of the translators’ prejudices and personal beliefs thrown in for me to believe it’s a literal translation of the word of God.
There are many things in it that I believe, and yet other things that make me go hmmmm…
Just for a little clarification…a person cannot just pick up the Bible and start reading and understand it; especially if they are predisposed to being skeptical. It was not designed that way…it was designed as a communication between God and his people which means it’s two-way…if you’re not reading it in the Spirit…you won’t get it.
No - it’s turtles all the way down. The voices in my head told me so.
For the OP - you could always say, "Your diety or entity of choice put the chestnuts there - you’ll have to ask him/her/it why. " People can be so touchy…
[QUOTE=CrouchingCheese;1942967]
See, I told ya’ll it was real!
http://www.fictionalworlds.com/FICWRLDS/Discworld/Discworld-world1.jpg[/QUOTE]
Who do you believe “designed” the Bible? I’m extremely curious.
I would have thought they would be harder to explain from a creationist point of view. “Well, I guess God just thought they were pretty”??
God of course. I do happen to believe that the “word of God” is God breathed…meaning it was written by his instruction through whom he chose.
