Does the Moon have its own light source?

Question

Or does the sun reflect it's ray's off of the surface of the moon?

This is a little poll to see how literal some people take the bible.

Here comes the follow-up.

If not all of this is taken literally in the Bible, then why do people assume that some parts are literal, like the miracles of Jesus or the Great Flood?

Answer 1

Stop drinking the swamp water.

Answer 2

Scientifically, no the moon is a dead rock. But then neither can you say that the sun reflect it's rays off the moon, it just shines. The moon is responsible for the reflection. Back to the primary question:
Emotionally for us, the moon is a source of great inspiration and beauty. It is our source of light in our nights.
How does this answer affect your little poll?

The religious issue is about meaning, rather than the how of mechanics or physics. The religious or spirituality question is to ask, is there a reason for the moon being there to reflect the sun's rays? Would the world be different if we did not have a moon to shine in the darkness. If the night sky was complete darkness, not even a star, would we feel less secure, would we be more black and white in our thinking? Do we benefit from an experience of Grey, variations, differences in intensity.

What does it say about our world that their is so much to ponder? Is there reason, purpose and values or are we all just things under the influence of random unthinking processes?

Answer 3

I would not take the Bible that literally at all! My oh my! The Bible is not a scientific text, it is a spiritual text, and I think people trying to turn it into some sort of textbook are not just practicing bad science but bad religion as well. The sun reflects rays off the moon's surface.

Answer 4

No, it is reflected light.
Not every verse in the Bible is literal, some verses are figurative and poetic.

Would it have made any sense to people of that day if God had explained optical physics to them - "OK, shepherds and farmers: photons are given off as the sun undergoes nuclear fission. These photons are emitted as light. Light waves travel over 93 million miles to the moon where some are reflected off the lunar surface..."?

No, He told in a way they'd understand using metaphor and images that made sense. The Bible is not a science textbook, it's a book on the relationships of God and of His people.
Sheesh!

Answer 5

One of the great properties of cheese is it's reflectivity, so I'm gonna have to go with the sun's rays on this one. Yup, lock it in, sun's rays.

Edit: Shibboleth, the moon doesn't have its own light source, it has a shared light source - petty breeds petty. What you meant to say the questioner meant to ask was "does the moon generate light?"

If you're gonna try for the smart *** answer every time, aren't you in danger of committing several serious sins? Sorry, forgiven, right?

Answer 6

The moon does reflect the light of the sun. Now is the sun the only source of light and could the sun produce light if light did not exist?

Answer 7

The moon is a giant rock. Rocks don't have their own light source, so the answer is that it reflects the sun's rays.

Answer 8

The moon is lit by light from the sun, and also light reflected from the Earth.

Answer 9

"The moon to light the night", is that what you mean? Any fool knows that the moon reflects the light of the sun.

Answer 10

The moon has its own light. Can t you see that? There is no,sun ray, (light beams) when the moon appears in the sky. Can t you see that? Millions of miles my foot.

Answer 11

In the first book of the Bible we read of the creation of the moon:

God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate day from night; they shall serve as signs for the set times--the days and the years; and they shall serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth." And it was so. God made the two great lights, the greater light to dominate the day and the lesser light to dominate the night, and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth, to dominate the day and night, and to separate the light from darkness. And God saw that this was good. Genesis 1:14-18

The moon said to God: ‘Sovereign of the Universe, can two kings share a single crown?’ God replied: ‘Go and make yourself smaller.’ ‘Sovereign of the Universe,’ she said to him, 'because I made a proper claim before you, amI to make myself smaller?’ He said to her, 'Go, and you will rule over both the day and the night.' She said 'What good is a lamp in broad daylight?' He said, 'Go! Israel shall use you to count the days and the years.' (The moon went on complaining).... On seeing that the moon would not be consoled, the Holy One of Blessing said 'Bring an atonement for me for making the moon smaller.' (Hence the sin-offering of the new moon was offered in the Temple.) (Babylonian Talmud, Chullin 60b)