Serious question but could person from the say 600 AD's be expected to understand Caluculus today?

Question

We Christians beleive that God is far superior to us, much more than this analogy, perhaps as an ant to a human as far as minds go. Would you expect the ant to undertand the humans thinking? Or the person from 600 AD to understand our modern ideas? Have you ever tried to explain to a two year old why they must permit the doctor to give them a shot? How can we be expected to understand God's ways?

Try the average illeterate person. I doubt they would grasp it easily or try a baby or a toddler.

I stand corrected, perhaps I should have used computers programming as an example instead.

Answer 1

Right - God's ways are higher than our ways. He sees the complete picture and we only see in part. So very true. Thanks so much for the post.

Answer 2

I love the question. I have had a theory about this actually. I supposed that if you could bring a child, in utero, even from 10,000 years ago (right before the establishment of civilizations, as I understand it) that they would, given a normalized environment, develop a normalized intelligence.

Here is my reasoning: As human thought has evolved, so has our influence on our environment. The development of literature, music, and other forms of social transmission are critical examples. Prior to these things, it was possible for knowledge to be lost indefinately if the knowledgable person died before properly transmitting all their knowledge to the next "wise man".

Next, we suspect, through science, that the human brain continues to develop even after birth. Since the environment directly reflects the evolution of the intellect of the people inhabiting it (how can you have a Shakespearian play without a Shakespear?), a new born child raised in the present will be immersed in experiences that were previously unavailable to children from 600 AD.

Therefore, I suggest that the environment (nurture) actually plays a role in determining the development of the brain (nature). We know this to be the case with language. If a child is raised in a poor environment where they have little exposure to language, it (so far as we know) permanently damages their ability to acquire language skills.

In regards to how this might shed light on our ability to understand God... Well that is infinitely more complicated, isn't it? We can still relate our understanding of God to the idea of evolution, however. Consider that Monotheism (One god) in general is actually a newer type of worship. I would suggest that it developed out of necessity because the older belief systems like Animism (the world is animated by spirits) became incompatible with the world around us.

Even monotheistic belief systems have evolved over time. Look at the emergence of Christianity itself. What began as the worship of a very jealous, very condemning, very strict God figure evolved into the worship of a much more generous, forgiving, and tolerant God figure.

Why? Because the old ways only work for so long, then someone comes along and shows everyone a better way to do things. Is it really God changing or is it only our understanding of God that shifts? I think the latter. While we can't completely understand God's ways in any one moment, over the course of human history, God's ways are being slowly revealed and incorporated into human thought and action.

Answer 3

[could person from the say 600 AD's be expected to understand Caluculus today?]
i would yes 1400ys is not that long
"2000-1400=600AD"
maybe 100000 or 1/2 million yrs maybe

what wrong with you
QUOTE
[Try the average illeterate person. I doubt they would grasp it easily or try a baby or a toddler.]
the only problem "the average illeterate person" has is
they they wern't being taught!
god
you make sound like the average illeterate person cant learn
DO YOU KNOW CALUCULUS???????

Answer 4

I didn't read the answers yet but I did read your edit about being illeterate-I'm not sure what you were saying but I'm definitely not illiterate but couldn't begin to grasp some of the scientific and mathmaical theories of the pagans. I've seen shows and read sometimes about how complicated the math systems 'the pagans' used were. For instance, did you know the pyramids are mathmatically more accurate in their design than most engineers of today can accomplish? And Stonehenge is aligned with the Winter Solstice exactly (I guess that's more architecture but it did involve a lot of math) And, the pyramid at Ichi Chitza (?-actually, I can't remember the exact name but it's pretty famous Mayan temple) is perfectly aligned to the Summer Soltice to create a shadow design of a snake? The Greeks had amazing scientists, doctors and mathmeticians. I'm reading this book called 'The Jesus Mysteries' and it shows how a lot of math was intermixed with all religions. I.E.-Remember the story of when Jesus first goes to two of the disciples while they were still fisherman? They complain about not catching anything and he tells them to throw their net back in and the Bible quotes they caught 157 fish. That number actually has a symbolic reference which involves the circumference of circles. It's a complicated math thing that is the numerical equivalent of the fish design Xians use. I think it's a great book and would definitely recommend it to you. The title is misleading, in my opinion. To me, it sounds like it's trying to be insulting but I would think it's more describing a religious philosophy that Christianity used in their beginning.

Answer 5

mostly, if all inventions was invented before, they must be using cars and airplanes, people before understand mathematical equations, like for example the pyramid, how they make architectural buildings that was properly and amazingly built and calculated? We have common sense and thats we learned from the experience and the way the nature works. We know the good from the bad. We trust our doctors, if we don't have them who will treat us? So many question still we don't know the answer but why bother with all this? enjoy life, eat moderately, hang out with friends. Spend time with family or eat dinner with them at dinner table or play board games with them, do something good each day, make one person smile each day, by simple"hello". Pray whatever religion you have. Ants have thier own job and purpose in life and so are we, be glad that you are not them coz its hard to be small and be step-on. Be happy! use sunscreen.

Answer 6

If you raised a child from 600 CE and it grew up learning calculus there is no reason it would not understand it. It might be harder to teach an adult from that era.

Just like telling a child about god every day and if it doesn't behave it will burn in hell. That will sink in too, but it is harder to convince an adult.

Answer 7

True. Better question for everyone on this site is: Why is yahoo answers so slow today? Has anyone else seen that the same questions are on the screen for a number of minutes and nothing else seems to be coming through?

Answer 8

I actually think some humans from the dark ages would understand Calculus. Look at how advanced Leonardo Da Vinci was for his.. There are always extremely intelligent individuals around no matter the time period.

Answer 9

I do think a person from 600 AD could understand calculus. Have you heard of the Pythagoreans? They predate Socrates.

Answer 10

Debra, Calculus was "invented" by Aristotle, a greek philosopher who lived many years before Christ...

Computers I understand, I believe that if a higher power exists then it's nature would be completely incomprehenisble to us.

Answer 11

Calculus? There is only ONE formula.

Formula for Personal Growth
James 1:22-25
God was gracious enough to provide us a sure formula for personal spiritual growth: Instruction plus involvement equals spiritual growth.
James tells us that the first step is to be an effective, involved listener of the Word. If we just read the Bible or listen to a sermon and do not concentrate on the material, or if we allow ourselves to be distracted, then we are not absorbing the instruction God intends for us. There are two kinds of listeners, one who is careless and one who is intent and attentive.
However, instruction alone does not grow the Christian. Unfortunately, many believers mistakenly assume that more factual knowledge of the Bible equals more intimate knowledge of God and His ways.
The only way to grow spiritually is to make the truth you learn your very own, to grasp it and apply it to your life. You are to become a doer of the Word.
Jesus involved Himself in the lives of people, from the "elite" to the most despised and rejected sinners. We are to use Him as our model as we love others (the Great Commandment), witness to others (the Great Commission), and serve others (the Great Commitment).
All believers have the life of Christ living within them through the Holy Spirit. And remember, Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

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