Do atheists not know that the phrase "four corners of the earth" is an English idiom?

Question

Now I realize that atheists often argue with logical fallacies, but I thought for sure they would never try to argue theology with semantics.

Shows are naive I was!

Answer 1

For a time the Catholic Church misread the Bible and insisted that Earth was the center of the universe since humans were the most important thing on earth. They persecuted scientists of the day, including Catholic priest scientists, because they were human and fallible, and had too much power. Much of our language comes from those older beliefs that are of course proven wrong.

To the people who cut and paste from atheist sites--can you apply your own reasoning and find other sources and compare, in the way a debate would be handled? Your one-sided views show an element of ignorance.

Answer 2

The level of hostility (from Christians other theists) towards these 4 fellows tends to run, in order of decreasing intensity -- 1. (most hostility) Dawkins 2. Harris 3. Hitchens (less than 1 and 2 only because Hitch's book came out in May 2007 4. Dennett (least hostility) Dennett, the only professional philosopher in the bunch, goes out of his way to adopt an avuncular, reasonable tone in his writing and his lectures. He is also much more concerned than the other three with the careful study of religions (as social systems that won't go away anytime soon) using the tools of neuroscience and social science. He gets lumped in with the other three but I suspect that many of the people who criticize the Four and their various books haven't really read the books -- they have read the reviews, which are in bountiful supply. I think it's good that they are outspoken and rising in popularity. I think that some of Dawkins's statements, while certainly justified on the evidence, have been tactically unwise. Harris can come across as much less strident and "extreme" than Dawkins, even though the content of what he says and writes about religion is much the same. Harris's three biggest tactical errors have been (1) describing radical Islam in terms that suggest it's embraced by a majority of Muslims, when it is not; (2) advocating or at least not ruling out the use of torture on suspected terrorists; and (3) being excessively apologetic for or sanguine about the possibility of some genuine survival of immaterial human consciousness independent of the brain and body.

Answer 3

Oh, we don't need the four corners phrase to show that the writers of the Bible were unaware of the physical reality of the earth.

The Earth is stable:

1 Chronicles 16:30 Fear before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved.

The Sky is a solid thing, spread over the Earth

Job 37:18 Hast thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass?

The Earth is on a foundation and doesn't move:

Hebrews 1:10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:

Suggestive of a flat Earth:

Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him,

Answer 4

I find it amazing how SOOOO many people believe in the LITERAL truth of the Bible. The early Christians FOR CENTURIES believed that the earth was flat, based on this and OTHER Bible quotes. And when it is eventually proved false, THEN it becomes an idiom or a metaphor. Who knows what in the Bible will next be disproved and come to be known as another metaphor or idiom?

It is thinking like THIS and your apparent lack of knowledge of how things came about that lead many people to believe that Christians tend to be unthinking 'sheep' who cannot figure out anything for themselves. (not all, not even a majority. But a high enough percentage to be statistically valid, in my opinion!)

Answer 5

Super! Now can you please explain the idiom for this?

Satan takes Christ to a "very high mountain" where he shows Christ "all the kingdoms of the world" which at the time would have included the Shang Dynasty (China), Mound Builders (North America), Mayan (South America).

Can you explain how that doesn't imply they're working with the idea of a flat earth?

For bonus points: Since the bible is so clear about a round earth, why did Christians get it wrong for hundreds of years and torture people who said otherwise?

Thanks!

Answer 6

Where do you think the English language got it from?

Biblical cosmology says the Earth is flat and the sky is a solid dome over it (the firmament). It is set on "pillars" but it's not clear what the pillars stand on. Stars are very small and are set in the sky like tacks on a bulletin board. The sun moves around the earth, and it can stop if God wants it to.

Answer 7

Apparently

Answer 8

The earth is a disc carried by four elephants that stand on the back of a giant turtle... What's your point?

Answer 9

See the turtle of enormous girth

On his shell he holds the earth

His thought is slow but always kind

He holds us all within his mind.

Answer 10

It's not an English idiom, it's from Christian mythology. It's an idiom in many languages, including Latin.