Anyone believe in the story of the tower of Babel? Was there a hidden meaning? Or did God just not like tall buildings?
2006-08-11 15:48:59 · 25 answers · asked by the enlighten one 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
How does that relate to us building really tall skyscrapers today? Would God frown on it?
2006-08-11 15:54:57 · update #1
Do you believe God was responsible for our confusion and different languages?
2006-08-11 16:08:27 · update #2
Let me translate this into a modern context.
The people gathered from all around the world and said let us build a great city of knowledge and in its center a tower that reaches to the heavens to cover all things and explain everything. Let us make a great name for each of us - giving proper attribution in our notes. Let us do this without any mention of God for why would we need a god when we have the theory of everything.
God looked down and smiled and without lifting a finger to tumble the tower - the tower began to fall because the people would dispute and argue with each other - stating this is the truth no this is the truth until it was difficult to distinguish which was right from what was wrong. Soon each had a reputation and position to defend, funding sources to protect, and families to feed. Supposedly "Science" would allow them to level an objective plain upon which to build the tower. But instead they would dispute and expell those who would disagree - who in turn would form their own journal and continue in their separate way. Eventually all were talking a different language even though they appeared to be using the same words. Yet they continue to build the tower ... to be continued.
If you need any further proof that the tower of Babel myth is true to this day - just look at the exchanges in this section of Yahoo! Answers where the concept of consensus has been banished and we all rush to accumulate points.
Why did God not like it? This might express His point of view IMHO:
"All knowledge is but a single point and the fools multiply it." Babi Proverb
2006-08-11 16:39:39 · answer #1 · answered by Timothy K 2 · 3⤊ 2⤋
Yes I believe it, yes there was a hidden meaning. It wasn't that God just didn't like tall buildings. Man tried to wage war with God, but couldn't reach God in the heavens. So they decided to build a tower to reach God. To stand on the same level, to be where He is. God didn't like this. If you'll remember in Genesis, after the fall, God said so man wants to be as we are. That's why he blocked the way to the tree of life, with thorns.So man would no longer live forever.
So when they built the tower, God didn't like it, and He destroyed it and confused their tongues, so that no one could understand the other. This is why we speak different languages.
2006-08-11 15:59:56 · answer #2 · answered by classyjazzcreations 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is a tower where the people thought they could outsmart God and build a tall tower to reach heaven. It was mass confusion/ They were thinking they could outsmart the creator of the universe. The tower fell and when it did the people were given a variety of languages to speak, and those people banned together and wandered off with their own kind. Thats how one people on the earth became many people.
This is ancient history
Don't you see the meaning..man and woman can't build anything to get up to the spiritual world. Also that sort of mass movement to overcome God was not doable. In a way the tower falling represents man kinds futal ways of reaching God.
2006-08-11 15:59:51 · answer #3 · answered by clcalifornia 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It's just one of the Bible's many mythology (and yes it is mainly mythology and not the literal truth).
The tower of babel was built to try to reach the heavens and put humanity in an equal footing as God. God wasn't happy about it so he made men talk different languages so they couldn't cooperate anymore and the project was abandoned. It's used to explain why there are so many languages in the world (I wonder if creationist believe in this one literally also?).
2006-08-11 15:57:55 · answer #4 · answered by Epicarus 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
you got the whole story wrong god didn't like it cause the people were trying to build it to reach heaven and god didnt' want that the only reason its called the tower of babel is because god made everyone speak a different language. thats the meaning of the story havent' you ever heard of noahs ark after the eight people got off they wanted to praise god by building a tower that reached all the way to heaven.
2006-08-11 15:58:31 · answer #5 · answered by superklutsonaskateboard 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The people built the tower in order to storm heaven and get there in their own way. God figured they might even manage to do it someday, if he let them keep trying, so he confused their languages and the project quickly came to an end.
Now the only place everyone speaks different languages and can't get anything done is the United Nations Building in New York.
There's no prohibition against modern skyscrapers, because there's no sinful intent there.
2006-08-12 06:42:04 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Tower of Babel was attempted so that man could make a name for themselves and try to reach God. It was arrogant of man to attempt to be like God, so God scattered them to the winds and gave them all sorts of different languages so they couldn't communicate or finish the tower.
There are different kinds of Christians, some who interpret the Bible literally and others who interpret it figuratively. I have always interpreted this particular story figuratively - you have to think it would be easier to tell the story of "why is everyone so different looking, why do we all speak different languages, why are we living in so many different areas on the earth," to ancient people in figurative, not scientific language. In the last 500 years alone we have made so many scientific discoveries that it doesn't make sense to say anyone back then would know about the development of a language, or migration, or shifting tectonic plates, or any other of the numerous reasons for the diverse people on this earth. So, I think this story, as in many others in the Bible, was written to explain a very complex history in terms that could be understood. And God punishing people is nothing new in the Old Testament.
2006-08-11 16:20:18 · answer #7 · answered by Jessica 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The Tower of Babel was a tower built by a united humanity to reach the heavens. Because man had it in his heart to be like God, God stopped this project by confusing their languages so that each spoke a different language.
As a result, they could no longer communicate with one another and the work was halted. The builders were then scattered to different parts of Earth. This story explains the existence of many different languages and races.
See Genesis in the Bible.
(and yes, I believe this.)
2006-08-11 15:54:53 · answer #8 · answered by curiouschick18 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I recommend that you go to the Word and in the Book of Genesis you will find the truth to this fantastic story.
To give some highlights, Babel means confusion, so that is going to tell you something right away.
Nothing is hidden that will not be reveled. A.S.K. Ask, Seek, Knock. Get back as soon as you can so I'll know you found out the true meaning to the story. I'll just bet others reading this want to hear from you as well.><>
2006-08-11 15:56:06 · answer #9 · answered by CEM 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The tower of Babel was being built so that the people could reach into Heaven. God was angry by this because they were in there own way trying to reach Heaven by works rather than by the method God had told them.
2006-08-11 15:54:42 · answer #10 · answered by neverland_mom 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋