I don't believe we are yet in the days of Noah, and hears why: "every thought of their hearts were only evil continually." We still have many righteous people. But I don't think that verse will apply to everyone in the last days, so I'm just guessing. Another thing, the world is actually becoming more Christian statistically. We don't see it where we are, but it's happening in Latin America and India, China, etc.

Correct Keith, I just figured that Gilgamesh would be more likely the one to haunt lol, after all, Utnapishtim was immortal. And what about the Atra-Hasis and even before that, Ziusudra. One could argue that Genesis was creatively plagiarized, from other predated stories.

Yes, Genesis just combined earlier people's beliefs and stories.

Keith

Or the other stories copied parts of Genesis.

It's impossible to copy something that was made later. The older stories and beliefs incorporated into Genesis were definitely copied, but more from a shared heritage, than from an attempt to plagiarize.

Keith

Genesis starts with creation. It happened first. Just because it may have been written later, doesn't mean it was copied from the others.

Where was the copyright office in those days?

I have no problem reading Babylonian history and such. We have it engrained in our thoughts and beliefs. I mean every time you look at a clock with 60 seconds or 60 minutes it came from there as their numbering system was set up on 60's instead of tens. A bunch of our algerbra came from there. Even Phi was thought to have originated there. While the Hebrews were busy running their ancesters blood lines the Babylonians were making medicines. Another thing is they thought the sun went around the earth, actually they thought the earth had a tunnel thru it and the sun would take a shortcut thru it. So some stuff stuck and some didn't.
The Gilgamesh story is not that bad til you get to to part where Ishtar had a crush on 'ole Gilgamesh and he rejected her advances and she sicked Taurus the Bull on Enkidu and he slung him into the heavens where he is today,lol. I'm married to one of those bulls.
Now this is where things really get iffy. Ishtars main squeeze was Tammuz. She was the Goddess of love and war, of sex and fertility. Now Tammuz died one fall when things were no longer green, Ishtar went to the underworld to retrieve him and had to do a 7 step strip tease to appease the spirits. Finally when spring came everything was green again. Baal was the offsett of Tammuz.
What is so appealing about a woman Goddess? Is it because it is just so sophisticated? I really dont think Jehovah likes being in second place to a Goddess Sophia let alone a pole dancer called Ishtar.

I'm pre tribulation rapture guy. But yes,. We are in the final minutes of this worlds existence!

I'm an eternal being passing through a battle zone in a war that has already been won.

And I'm gonna take as many of you with me as I can before and after I leave!!

Ecclesiastes 9:3 KJVS
This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

So did Enuma Elish, which predates the bible.

There are many books. The Enuma Elish has had no effect on my life.

We live in a society that has thrived, in part, with the inspiration in the bible for its laws. Look at other nations that don't have that. What has their religions done for them?

As our nation rejects guidance of God, the bible, we will continue to reap the fruits of that.

So I should buy green bananas or not.

Buy some over ripe and some green ones. Always keep a hedge. No guarantee you will make it from the grocery store to home. Keep one eye on the Eastern sky and one on your work on earth.

Rufus

I was told the end times will be a real bad time to live in. Right now I can leave the house and not worry about being killed by anyone. I can send my kids to school and not worry about them being killed. I can let my wife go shopping alone and not worry about her being killed.

Don’t think we are anywhere near the end times. If you still have hobbies and something to look forward to, you’re not even close to the end!

Believe what you will amspoker, with your kittie on your lap lol. I'm sure it doesn't have any effect on your life like many. But may your god be the god lol. A good story should not go to waste.....

We know the big bang happened because we can still see the light from it, we can literally see the big bang, no matter how hard ive looked ive yet to see God. Life is chemicals, the right combination of chemicals and you have life, a billion years of various chemicals mixing under various temps and conditions and you get single cell life.

That's so inspiring. Wait around a billion years and you get mush. No wonder many people think they're just POS and they and what they do matter nothing. How do you get out of bed in the morning being such a meaningless fleck in eons of dullness...?

What does a kitty on my lap have to do with anything?
.
Your book is irrelevant. Kind of like paganism. It would teach you to worship said cat. That's the knowledge false religion has for you.

Just my thoughts on the 3 most common possibilities.

Heaven: A wonderful place where true believers go for eternity. (This is me)

Lake of Fire: A place where true believers believe sinners and atheists go for eternity. (Again me)

Nothing after death: You die and that is the end of everything that is you.

Based on the first 2 scenarios of what becomes of you, do you really want to take a chance?