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brycelaliberte
Guest
So, how would I explain this to a friend who brought this up? It certainly looks like God is affirming that humans, in their works, can reach God. But of course, that’s not true. So what then?
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rwoehmke
Guest
I think what this quote is saying is that when a people are so filled with pride that they think they can reach God by building a tower, they will not be able to recognize that there are some things that they as humans are just not capable of doing. Having no concept of their limitations, they in their pride will hatch all kinds of “hare brained” schemes.
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brycelaliberte
Guest
Well ya, but I mean, God said “They will be able to do anything they set forth to do.”
Hyperbole? Do people then just deceive themselves into believing they’ve done something? Seems likeliest explanation…
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Claire_from_DE
Guest
In some of the old testament stories God is portrayed talking like a man but we know this is part of the narrative. Like the book of Job has God making a wager with Satan. This moves the story along but need not be taken literally.
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Tim_Kirchoff
Guest
There is a saying:
If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.
If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.
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joseph_virgen
Guest
sadly, the majority of the populace attibute their successes to themselves, not God. they are gods unto themselves.
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Mintaka
Guest
I think that God’s referring to people doing wicked things. “If everybody spoke the same language and belonged the same country, they’d be killing and oppressing people left and right, not to mention ruining the environment and starving their people with these silly tower projects.”
Of course, it’s possible that the Babel story is about an early space elevator or space beanstalk project, but this is probably not likely.
Of course, it’s possible that the Babel story is about an early space elevator or space beanstalk project, but this is probably not likely.
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Filius99993
Guest
Maybe it’s because God wanted people unified by a common cause such as Him, and not some language or tower. Besides, they abused a gift he gave them, so He revoked it. Plus, He demonstrates how it is impossible to be perfect… we can try to be perfect, but only He can be.
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strngrnrth
Guest
I think He meant morally able to justify anything they wanted to do, as in the common English expression “capable of” in the sense of “not likely to stop at”.
The tower was probably a ziggurat built for the purpose of gaining forbidden knowledge and as a center for a power structure in a cirrupt society. God scattered the people to prevent the development of a centralized government based in a corrupt society that could have controlled the whole world soon.
The tower was probably a ziggurat built for the purpose of gaining forbidden knowledge and as a center for a power structure in a cirrupt society. God scattered the people to prevent the development of a centralized government based in a corrupt society that could have controlled the whole world soon.
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