How? Who? What? When? Where? Why? Most people learn these basic question words early on in life, a time when we are quite curious about the intricate and mysterious workings of the world around us but also a time when we had previously had no way of verbally expressing this inquisitive nature. However, once we gain the ability to question what we might otherwise have been forced to accept at face value, utilizing this handy skill becomes a habit of sorts. Many of us might start out asking simple questions like "what?" while pointing and following the path of a small, furry, brown thing scurrying across the lawn. A more or less ecstatic parental figure answers, "Squirrel! That's a squirrel! Honey, look, she's curious!" This enthusiastic response from mom or dad often helps to condition a young questioner's mind into viewing his or her own inquiries as very good things that should be expressed to the rest of the world. Yet, somehow, in the case of Bible studies, many people have stopped asking questions, becoming complacent with the stories they are told without even attempting to satisfy the apparent inconsistencies within those stories. On the other end of the spectrum, many people may ask too many questions of the Bible, when, instead, they should accept the word of God as truth without a fight. Specifically, the story of Noah's ark, also known as the flood myth, is the source of one of the largest controversies between scientists and Christians. The Book of Genesis, in chapters 6-9, tells how God sends a great flood to destroy the earth because of man's wickedness and because of the earth's corruption. God tells Noah, the righteous man in his generation, to build a large vessel to save his family and a representation of the world's animals. God gives detailed instructions for the Ark and, after its completion, sends the animals to Noah. God then sends the Flood, which rises until all the mountains are covered and most living things died, except the fish. Then "God remembered Noah," the waters abate, and dry land reappears. Noah, his family, and the animals leave the Ark, and God vowed to never again send a flood to destroy the Earth (Sewell). Many conservative Christians tend to feel that this story is the word of God and, therefore, totally true, while skeptical scientists tend to think the story is bogus, with too many physical impossibilities to be an accurate account of an actual event. Both sides of the argument on Noah's ark have come up with different ways to discredit the other, using logical, scientific facts, and the inherent truth, or lack thereof, within the pages of the Book of Genesis and the entire Bible itself.1. Do the Numbers Add Up?Usually, simple mathematical mistakes do not avalanche into earth-shattering blunders. However, there are a few real-world examples through which we can deduce that a multiplication, division, addition, subtraction, or other numerical mess-up can have some calamitous results, much more devastating...
