Title:
Please do not be so quick to criticise and post...
I think you have mis-understood or mis-read the intentions of the authors:
they are trying to show scientifically that a human being may have been able
to walk across the lake (on ice) that Jesus was reported to have performed
the miracle of walking on water upon, and thus that it was not actually a
miracle. I have only read their abstract, but I believe that it clearly explains
their views and reasons (see highlighted quotes below)
Obviously (as myself) you are not religious, but you have to consider
whether you believe the Bible is entirely ficticious, or based upon actual
events and historical figures, tales of whom have been exaggerated and
elaborated upon to produce the religious tome recognised today.
I believe the authors of the paper, and the editors, were right to include this
for publication: they are, in fact, providing evidence AGAINST creationsim
and ID! Impartial, accurate, scientific evidence is all we can provide in the
ID/creationsim 'debate', and they appear to have done this, so I
wholeheartedly agree with the publication of this work.
The conclusion of their abstract reads (with relevant points highlighted):
'On this basis, it is proposed that the unusual local freezing process
might have provided an origin to the story that Christ walked on
water. Since the springs ice is relatively small, a person standing or
walking on it may appear to an observer situated some distance away
to be ‘walking on water’. This is particularly true if it rained after the
ice was formed (because rain smoothes out the ice’s surface).
Whether this happened or not is an issue for religion scholars,
archeologists, anthropologists, and believers to decide on.
As natural scientists, we merely point out that unique freezing
processes probably happened in that region several times during the
last 12,000 years.'
Best regards to all,
Tony
(p.s. I swore I would never enter the ID debate on Paleonet......now where
did I put that hair shirt......?!!) ;o)
___________________________________
Dr Anthony Butcher
S.E.E.S.
University of Portsmouth
Burnaby Building
Burnaby Road
Portsmouth
PO1 3QL
United kingdom
Tel: (+44) 23 9284 2258
Fax: (+44) 23 9284 2244
anthony.butcher@port.ac.uk
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