As we all know, rainbows appear when light passes through water, and the water slows down the light, making it appear as the different color spectrums, with the light slowing more the futher it travels through the water. But the bible says that God gave us rainbows as a covenant after Noah's flood (see Genesis 9:8-17). And most Christians act as if this is some special gift to us from God.
But is it possible that, all other physical reactions being the same, God could have NOT created rainbows? Would light somehow pass through water at the same speed it does in air? How could that be? Would this also happen in the ocean, making the whole thing bright as daylight even at the bottom?
I'm not suggesting that God didn't create the earth. I'm just saying that rainbows are clearly not a special gift, but a natural feature that would have been very difficult to prevent. Explain otherwise, and try to be specific. And if you don't understand rainbows, you probably shouldn't bother.
2006-07-16 11:39:20 · 10 answers · asked by Doctor Biobrain 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
God was how we explained rainbows BEFORE we knew about light refraction.
It's just anotehr example of science shining a bright light into one of religion's dark corners and rendering another myth impotent.
2006-07-16 11:43:49 · answer #1 · answered by ratboy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Before Noah and the ark the earth was a very different place. It had never rained before and so nobody had seen a rainbow in the sky. God did create the rainbow when He created the phenomenon of light passing through water causing us to see the prism called the rainbow. The Bible says that the rainbow was God's promise to the earth that He would never again flood the whole earth.
2006-07-16 11:51:12 · answer #2 · answered by fat old fart 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, I don't have an end-all answer to your question, but just thinking about it - perhaps God "explained" this covenant at the time because the rainbow had never been seen before. I do believe that God operates in the spirit - but He also operates in the natural law and each has its own course. He knew as 'humans' with limited minds, but ever increasing, would find
natural answers to some of his creations. Those spiritual and natural laws must work together. I am glad for the rainbow - promise or not. It is a very beautiful spectrum of lights and is a wonderful thing of beauty when you see one - especially across the sky right after the rain.
2006-07-16 11:46:40 · answer #3 · answered by THE SINGER 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God is God. We tend to think that , because there is a scientific explination then it counts God out of the equation. But, If God created everything, then He also created the laws of nature. and The only reason the scientific equations work is because that's how God created it to work. Rainbows are a special gift from god. He developed a way for there to be a rainbow throught light and water, or however the scientific way it works. He could have done it different, but that's just the way He did it
2006-07-16 11:53:23 · answer #4 · answered by Lucy D 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As I understand it there was a canopy surrounding the earth and so it never rained (creating a greenhouse effect and almost worldwide tropical climate). There was probably little unobscured vision of direct sun so the rainbow never had the correct condition to occur. Once this canopy was pierced (Like by a huge number of meteors) it allowed rain to occur and then the conditions were prime for rainbows.
Scientists cannot really explain why the land at the south pole (under the ice) was a tropical climate. I belive this does explain why.
Personal belief is this is when the dinosaur died out. All the rain created all the mud and thus burried the dinsaurs and created a worlwide condition prime for the preservation/ creation of fossils.
2006-07-16 11:46:57 · answer #5 · answered by billybetters2 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He did create the world without rainbows. Rainbows didn't appear until after the flood. God told Noah, He would never let such a flood happen again and promised a rainbow after every rain storm, showing He has Kept His promise
2006-07-16 11:45:31 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is thought that there was no clouds in the atmosphere before the flood so when God reviled the rainbow to Noah, it was speicial, because it was the first one and a promise from God never to flood the earth again.
2006-07-16 11:44:06 · answer #7 · answered by noachian 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Perhaps one explanation MIGHT be that the sun, in the time of Noah, exhibited different patterns or radiation of light than it does today. Maybe the sun changed at that precise moment to create rainbows.
2006-07-16 11:53:41 · answer #8 · answered by Marginality 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He who can speak light into existence, can make rainbows go away. Yes God can make it any way He desires. Anything out there that you think can be explained through physical science god can evaporate.
2006-07-16 11:45:04 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you believe in the word of the Bible, why would you question something that is clearly explained there?
If you don't believe, then you have your scientific explanation.
2006-07-16 11:48:20 · answer #10 · answered by wolfmusic 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋