The Earth is Flat and the Heaven supported above us?

There is a misconception that the bible states the world is a sphere.  There is no evidence for this misconception.  However, some interpret Isiah 40:22 to mean the bible says the Earth is a sphere, but that scripture does not say this.  In fact, that scripture makes other false statements about the nature of our world and the Universe.

From the King James Version:

"It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:"

First, a circle is not a sphere.  Second, it makes reference to the heavens as being a curtain stretched over the Earth as a tent.  This is actually in line with the beliefs at the time.  The surface of the Earth was viewed as flat, and the heavens were assumed to be stretched out over it, like a bowl turned over being placed on top a support, or like a tent covering. Many scriptures refer to the heavens in this manner. Check out Genesis 1:8, 2:4, 11:4, 28:12, just for starters.

In fact, some translations of the first creation account in Genesis 1:8 describes god as calling into existence the firmament of the heaven.  A firmament is a support or pillar.  To extend the simile of Isiah 40:22, it is the tent pole upon which heaven is held up above the Earth.  This is intended as literal, not poetic.  This was the literal belief about the nature of heaven used throughout the Bible's Old Testament.  It is a holdover from Egyptian mythology which stated that a large mountain was arisen from the sea to support the heaven.^[1]

To further the bowl reference, this word firmament is an interesting derivative.  In the Hebrew, the word used for firmament is raqiya which means an extended solid surface or flat expanse.  Raqiya is derived from the Hebrew word raqa, which means beaten out or to spread material by beating, hammering, or stamping.  This is a reference to the process of making a metal bowl by hammering metal flat.  Thus in Job 37:18 we read about Elihu asking Job "Can you beat out [raqa] the vault of the skies, as he does, hard as a mirror of cast metal." (From the Kings James Version: "Hast thou with him spread out the sky which is strong, and as a molten looking-glass?")  Additionally, Job 22:14 makes reference to the "vault of heaven", sometimes translated as "vault of the sky" or "arch of heaven" in the context of discussing where god resides.^{[2][3][4][4 backup link]}

To get back to the idea of the Earth being flat, many scriptures make references to the Earth being built upon a foundation. Note Job 38:4, Zechariah 12:1, Hebrews 1:10, Revelations 13:8 and Revelations 17:8.  The Earth is also described as being fixed in place in scriptures such as 1 Chronicles 16:30.

All of these promote the idea that the ancients had false concepts about the nature of Earth being flat and heaven being placed over the Earth and supported somehow so that is does not fall.  It shows that the writers of the bible showed an acceptance and believed in these false concepts.

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Though not used as a resource for this article, I also recommend reading The Three-Story Universe (backup link).

Evolution of Mammal Traits

Sometimes I am just fascinated by how mammals became, well, mammals. It is wild to think that the incredible variety of mammals we see today, from the smallest mouse to the biggest whale, all came from just a handful of ancient species. And a lot of what makes us mammals is not what people typically image.

Take our hearing, for instance. Most people do not realize its unique composition. We have three tiny bones in our inner ear, the malleus, incus, and stapes, that work together to give us our amazing hearing. The first two actually evolved from bones that other animals use for their jaws! This is a huge difference from most other animals. And, of course, there is the one thing everyone knows: we feed our young milk. This is such a complex process that it is no wonder some people find it easier to believe we were just "made" this way. But the evidence for evolution is out there, and it is not all in the fossil record.

A Living Look at Evolution

The platypus is probably the most primitive mammal alive today, and it shows us a lot. It still lays eggs, a very reptilian trait. But, it also feeds its young a kind of milk, though not from nipples. Instead, it secretes a milk-like substance from a hairy patch on its belly. This secretion does not just feed the babies; it also has antibacterial properties that might help protect the egg and the young after they hatch.

From there, we can look at the echidna. This little guy represents a step toward marsupials. It lays eggs too, but it places them into a pouch on its body. This must be what a primitive marsupial looked like before egg-laying was replaced with embryo birth.

Marsupials have their own unique advantages. Because their young leave the womb so early, there are fewer complications from the mother's immune system attacking the embryo.

But then you have us, placental mammals. The placenta is a complete game-changer. It allows the fetus to develop for much longer and in a more protected environment inside the mother. The fact that placental mammals are now the most dominant form of mammals shows this is an advantageous trait.

Even with all our advanced development, mammals have not been around for very long. We have far fewer varieties of species than reptiles, for example. Given how far we have come, I am excited to see what future classes of animals will evolve on our planet.

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I will tell everyone about your new episodes of Futurama. All are ordered to watch them on Comedy Central and to buy the DVD.

My Restaurant Reviews

I've been reviewing items online almost as long as I've been on the internet. I've started leaving reviews of restaurants in Silicon Valley now. Check them out here:

My Restaurant Reviews

Currently, I have reviews for Straits, Pizza Antica and Thea. So far, my reviews are centered around Santana Row, but it will expand.

Home schooling does not mean Parent schooling

In recent news here in California, there is a case in the courts now that is reinforcing California state law which basically says "persons between the ages of six and eighteen" are to be in "public full-time day school," or a "private full-time day school" or "instructed by a tutor who holds a valid state teaching credential for the grade being taught". This has been state law for a very very long time. Yet now, we have scofflaws that claim they have a right to teach their own children whatever they want. Homeschooling is legal in California, as long as it is conducted per state mandated curriculum and by a licensed instructor. The excuse used by the scofflaws? "Parents should not have to attend a four-year college education program just to teach their own children." It's the old argument, "Oh my god, this is too hard to do right, so I'm just going to do it wrong and be happy!" Lazy, lazy, lazy. Oh and cheap too! You don't care enough about your child's education to pay for it yourself (since you don't want the state to do it)! Mr and Mrs Long, in my opinion, you are lazy, selfish, and cheap jerks who obviously don't do enough reading into anything to know what is the truth. You have no business trying to pass on your ignorance to anyone's children! That said, it is important for parents to teach their children about their own experiences, beliefs, hertitage, etc. Parental schooling does not mean home schooling. It is not a replacement for a formal education. It is something that should be done in conjuction with a formal education. Home schooling is just a place to do it if the law is followed. Parental schooling is not the same thing. If you don't agree with something taught in the classroom, then discuss it with your children. It is as simple as that.

Weeklong birthday

This has been a weeklong birthday of sorts. Monday, Allie took me out to Red Lobster. I had something with two lobster tales. It was fairly good, but at it made me miss Legal Seafood in New England. Yesterday, Ronie and Fern had a small a BBQ for me at their place. They got a super rich chocolate cake. We took home the remainder of the cake, but I'm not sure how I'm going to eat it all. Tonight, Allie and I invited her parents to join us for dinner at Cascal in downtown Mountain View. They ended up paying for it it with the excuse that it was still my birthday.