Leviticus 11:19 states that bats are birds. Which is correct, Leviticus...which is purported to be the word..

Question

of "god", or modern scientific knowledge, which states, as we all know, that bats are mammals? Only one can be correct. Fundies, please lend your expertise.

Answer 1

Verse 20 states "'All flying insects that walk on all fours are to be detestable to you." What about the insects that walk on all 6 of their legs?

Answer 2

For the uninitiated, the bible verse in question states that some fowl are foul and should not be eaten (typically, predatory and carrion-eating birds). For future questions, please include such details (it didn't take more than a sentence, right? And it makes you look like a better "asker").

First, bravo for keeping an open mind!

Second, if your religious conviction is strong, then there is no reason not to accept both explanations: one is older and didn't have the benefit of modern knowledge, but it does not lessen its validity.

Third, for all we know, way back then, a "bat" was a kind of bird that has either been renamed over time or is now extinct.

Fourth, does your question have anything to do with the fact that it's almost Halloween?

Fifth, I presume that "Fundies" is a person on Yahoo Answers, and not some kind of religious or other kind of cult! Regardless, you demean others' answers by asking for a specific person's (or group's, as the case may be) advice, especially in a question for which there is no single, "correct" answer. Besides, if folks think that you're going to give the best answer to that individual, they might not bother to answer, and, thus, you won't get as many answers as you might have! Sounds "batty", doesn't it? ;)

Answer 3

Rattler - don't look now, but your ignorance is showing.

First off, Leviticus is one of the Five Books of Moses, also called the Torah.

Secondly, Torah was inspired by God (Adonai, or יהוה) and actually is a very good reference point on how we should and should not live our lives.

Thirdly, Leviticus deals with rules and regulations...that particular chapter deals with clean and unclean animals (suitable for eating).

Now, I'm only guessing here, but about the time Leviticus was written, the Hebrews might not have bothered to distinguish between mammals (of which a bat is in that family) and aves (birds).

Or, perhaps, to save space (let's face it, they didn't have printing presses back then), it was easier to lump all flying creatures into a simple "bird" category.

Oh, yeah, I'm not a "Fundies"...I'm Jewish and I follow the laws of kashrut.

So tell me, would YOU eat a bat?

Answer 4

Their standard answer is that because the word "and" appears before bat, it means god knew the bat was not a bird. Even though the word "and" appears before every other bird mentioned (And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, etc).

It's a flimsy straw but it's really all that they have to grasp at.

Answer 5

Bats are birds, pal. I'm a creationist scientist so I should know.

Plus I actually spoke to a talking snake once - not far from Bush's Texas ranch. The snake told me bats are mammals so there's your proof. If only Eve were as smart as I am, she might not have eaten the apple.

Answer 6

Thanks for sharing your ignorance but Lev with written in Heb. The translating "bird" is only a rough translation. More accurately is "flying creatures"

So according to modern scientific knowledge are bats flying creatures?

Answer 7

I think the answer is incredibly obvious, if you search your heart.

The only acceptable answer is that bats really are birds. Anyone who tells you differently is obviously some evil atheist who is part of the vast conspiracy to discredit the Bible. If there's anything that evolution has taught us, it's that all scientists everywhere are hardcore atheists intent on destroying faith by making up things like Archaeopteryx, characterization of organisms by shared characteristics, and genetic similarities.

Oh yeah, and Leviticus says that insects have four legs. So anyone who tells you they have six is obviously a filthy, atheist liar.

Answer 8

By the Biblical classification, they are "fowl", by modern classification system, they are called mammals. There is no contradiction here.

It is the same as converting cubits into feet and inches. They are just different classification methods.

Consider Pluto- up until recently it was classified as a planet.
Now it isn't. Did Pluto change in nature or essence simply because we now put it in a different category?

Answer 9

That is a great question. And if there is any doubt as to how fundies "think", this question removes all doubt. Reading their reponses is truly astonishing. How is this possible in the year 2007?

Answer 10

Obviously science is wrong on this one. Bats are clearly birds because God does not lie.