Why Dont Christians Accept the Book of Mormon as Valid? (Jesus, Earth)

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Originally Posted by SoyLeche

It doesn't change the fact that not finding other examples of ships able to cross the ocean is not evidence against the BoM though.

So... a segment of ancient Israelites were shown by God how to make and navigate super-duper ships that were light years ahead of anything else they knew of, built just enough ships to get over to North America, and then stopped, never built a similar ship ever again, and forgot what they knew about navigation... why?

[SoyLeche]

Originally Posted by 9-10ths_Penguin

So... a segment of ancient Israelites were shown by God how to make and navigate super-duper ships that were light years ahead of anything else they knew of, built just enough ships to get over to North America, and then stopped, never built a similar ship ever again, and forgot what they knew about navigation... why?

My guess - they didn't need to know about it.

We're talking about a group of probably less than 30 people, traveling a route that has been shown can be traversed using just ocean currents, so the ship didn't really have to be much more then a raft for the trip to be possible - and they only built one. When they got here they likely joined up with (most likely began to rule over) other people who were native to the area. From that point survival was more important than navigation. They had no reason, and probably no ability, to return to where they came from, and no reason to do any further exploring. Seeing as only one of these people even knew how to build the ship it isn't surprising that the knowledge of how to do it died with him.

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Originally Posted by SoyLeche

My guess - they didn't need to know about it.

We're talking about a group of probably less than 30 people, traveling a route that has been shown can be traversed using just ocean currents, so the ship didn't really have to be much more then a raft for the trip to be possible - and they only built one.

Only one that was, apparently, Godly in nature and design... this wasn't worth saving, copying, or at least writing about?

Originally Posted by SoyLeche

When they got here they likely joined up with (most likely began to rule over) other people who were native to the area.

Hang on... I thought modern Native Americans were supposed to have descended from the Lamanites. What happened to the people who were here before the Israelites arrived?

[SoyLeche]

Originally Posted by 9-10ths_Penguin

Only one that was, apparently, Godly in nature and design... this wasn't worth saving, copying, or at least writing about?

No idea. And it was written about - in the BoM

Hang on... I thought modern Native Americans were supposed to have descended from the Lamanites. What happened to the people who were here before the Israelites arrived?

A lot of people believe that. I don't think that the text supports that belief though. Many native americans (probably less native North americans or native South americans, but most definitely native Central americans) would have at least some ancestral connection to Lehi, but it would probably be pretty small at this point.

[SoyLeche]

Basic history once they got here:

(Note, the terms "Lamanite" and "Nephite" have a couple different meanings. It can refer to actual descendants of Laman and Nephi, it can refer to the ruling class, or it can refer to the people being ruled by that particular ruling class. Sometimes it isn't clear which definition is being used, and very different interpretations can be made based on which definition you choose to believe)

Arived on the west coast, probably in Guatemala. Lived there a few years. Lehi died. Laman and Lemuel get upset with Nephi. Nephi and his group take off to get away from Laman and his group. Nephites move inland - probably to the highlands of Guatemala. A couple hundred years pass. The Lamanites come close to destroying the Nephites. Mosiah and a group of Nephites escape to southern Mexico. They meet up with another civilization, and Mosiah is made their king. Most of the book comes after this point.

Unless the Nephites were somehow able to bring a ship up into the highlands of Guatemala, the ship must have remained behind in the hands of Laman and Lemuel. Given that they hated Nephi, it isn't unreasonable to believe that they destroyed the ship that Nephi built.

[Melissa G]

You keep on shooting yourself in the foot, but I really am done with this thread...all supposition and no substance.

~M

[SoyLeche]

Originally Posted by Melissa G

You keep on shooting yourself in the foot, but I really am done with this thread...all supposition and no substance.

~M

Care to point out where? You have brought nothing to the thread anyway, so it isn't much of a loss.

[Melissa G]

" Arived on the west coast, probably in Guatemala. Lived there a few years. Lehi died. Laman and Lemuel get upset with Nephi. Nephi and his group take off to get away from Laman and his group. Nephites move inland - probably to the highlands of Guatemala. A couple hundred years pass. The Lamanites come close to destroying the Nephites. Mosiah and a group of Nephites escape to southern Mexico. They meet up with another civilization, and Mosiah is made their king. Most of the book comes after this point.

Unless the Nephites were somehow able to bring a ship up into the highlands of Guatemala, the ship must have remained behind in the hands of Laman and Lemuel. Given that they hated Nephi, it isn't unreasonable to believe that they destroyed the ship that Nephi built.
__________________

Speaks for itself, your just repeating what's in the LDS book, with a few hearsays thrown in, such as ' not unreasonable', ' probably' ect. Which means your guessing. There's nothing wrong with you believing in your book, as long as you admit it cannot be backed up by any evidence which can be subjected to scientific peer review/
~M