I was listening to a recent speech that Matt Dillahunty gave in Australia (listen here if you’re interested), and in part of it he brought up the story of the Tower of Babel, found in Genesis 11. It’s a story I’ve thought about several times since leaving Christianity. I don’t recall everything Matt said about it, though I know I’ll be making some of the same points he did. I haven’t been a Christian for about 5 years now, and it’s sometimes hard to imagine that I ever believed stories like this one, though I definitely did. And a number of other conservative Christians do as well.
A few days ago, I asked my wife if she remembered what God was angry about in this story, and she gave the same reason that I thought: God was angry because people were being prideful. In case you’ve forgotten, the crux of the story is that several generations after the flood, mankind was growing numerous, and they all had one common language. They decided to build a tower that would reach Heaven (see how prideful?), so God put a stop to it by confusing their language. This caused the various groups to split up, each person going along with whomever could understand him or her.
However, after looking at the details a bit more, it turns out that my recollection was a bit off. First, the people weren’t actually being prideful at all. Instead of trying to build a tower to Heaven — God’s abode — they were just trying to build a tall one to make it easier to stay in one geographic area:
Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”
— Genesis 11:1-4
The phrase “in the heavens” is just talking about the sky, not the realm of God. For just a moment though, let’s pretend that they really had been trying to reach God with their tower. Why would that be such a bad thing? Doesn’t the Bible repeatedly tell us to seek after God? Furthermore, would they have succeeded? On September 12, 2013, Voyager 1 actually left our solar system. In all those miles, it didn’t bump into Heaven. No earth-based tower would ever run the risk of reaching God’s home. So not only were the people not attempting that, even if they had been it wouldn’t have succeeded, and it actually would have been flattering toward God.
So if God wasn’t angry at them for being prideful, why did he confuse their language and force them apart? The next few verses give us the answer:
And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. 6 And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.
— Genesis 11:5-9
Essentially, God was just being a jerk. He was like a kid stirring up an anthill. I mean, God forbid (literally) that people advance technologically, right? Wouldn’t want them discovering things like the germ theory of disease, after all. And why prevent wars by keeping people within the same culture? Much better, I guess, to create different cultures so mistrust and bigotry can form. Furthermore, if this was such a problem at the time, why hasn’t he stopped us again? We’ve figured out ways to overcome language and culture barriers now. We’ve done so much more than just “build a tall tower.” God’s motivation in this story simply makes no sense at all.
However, if you step back for a moment and stop trying to view this as literal history with an actual god, things become clearer. Imagine living thousands of years ago and trying to make sense of the world around you. You think the world is flat and that the sun revolves around it. You don’t understand the cause of thunder storms, earthquakes, or volcanoes. You can’t imagine how animals and humans got here without some kind of creator. And if there’s a creator, why didn’t he make life easier? Why does he allow disease and starvation? There are so many difficult questions that just have no answer. And so people began to formulate answers as best they could. It’s easy to see that one of those questions may have been “why didn’t God (the gods) give us all the same language?” And so they came up with an answer.
Looking at it from that perspective, it’s much easier to understand how a story like this came to be. These people were dealing with the world as they saw it — and to them, the only reason they could think of for God not wanting everyone to have the same language, is that they would accomplish too much. They had no idea that humanity would one day find a way around that problem, rendering their explanation invalid.
Speaking as someone who grew up believing that stories like this were actual history, I know how easy it is to just go along under that assumption without question, especially if those around us believe as we do. It’s not stupidity; it’s either isolation and ignorance, or it’s stubbornness. We can help the isolated and ignorant by just being available to discuss these things when they come up. And with the Bible, there are plenty of examples to be found.
Finding Truth 
“We see you Europe and raise you china. Might as well fold laddie. You are losing.”
Mike, I especially liked her closing remarks in the link you provided !
“If everyone in China believed in Jesus then we would have no more need for police stations. There would be no more bad people and therefore no more crime,” she added.”
Another pipe dream by a naive Christian. Let’s see how that’s working for them in 20 years.
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Christians like to use the “ultimate causation in an infinite reality” as proof of God. The problem is that most skeptics, including myself, don’t contest the assertion of the existence of a Creator. For most us, the issue is not “is there a Creator God” but is the Creator God, whoever he, she, or it is, Yahweh/Jesus?
THAT is what Christians need to prove.
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“Another pipe dream by a naive Christian. Let’s see how that’s working for them in 20 years.
”
and where does she say that everyone will believe in Jesus in the next 20 years?
Just another pipe strawman by an atheist. 😉
and yes if you define believe in Jesus as obeying his word s then you would have almost no crime. the hypothetical holds mostly valid but your strawman is that the condition is expected to be a reality in 20 years
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Sorry, trying to prepare dinner – meant to say, “…not written by Paul.”
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“but your strawman is that the condition is expected to be a reality in 20 years”
That’s not what I said Mike. You can’t read very well. I was merely using 20 years as an observation point as to their progress.
“Just another pipe strawman by an atheist. ;)”
I am a Deist. You have made a wrong assumption again but it is what you wanted to believe. Something you have accused others here of doing. Naughty Naughty !
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“Matthew has no such passage because dead people do not roam even in Matthew. You have watched too much “walking Dead” episodes ;). what Matthew has is people who would be almost entirely unnoticed except by loved ones because they were very much alive and of course clothed although they had been dead. No zombie nonsense like you claim. These would be people who looked like anyone else on the street.”
Mike , this is the dumbest statement you have made to date. You need to go read about Jewish Burial Rites BC and AD.
They would most assuredly stick out from the crowd. Do you really believe what you write ? 🙂
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“Christians like to use the “ultimate causation in an infinite reality” as proof of God. The problem is that most skeptics, including myself, don’t contest the assertion of the existence of a Creator. For most us, the issue is not “is there a Creator God” but is the Creator God, whoever he, she, or it is, Yahweh/Jesus?
THAT is what Christians need to prove.”
Au contraire. You are on a blog populated by a number of atheists and there are many atheists who contend that we need to offer proof of a creator’s existence. NO need to accomodate ourselves only for you. Besides rationally the options for The creator are not very diverse. Unless you believe God would hide himself in some cult ineffectively reaching the world then you really have only three options of which Christianity is the most logical conclusion (at least for non Jews).
Yes I have read some of your banter against the NT but it only holds up well for the likes of Nate and bitter alleged ex Christians. Most of the Christian world is not too troubled by it. i’ve taken apart several of Nate’s sure contradictions in my previous excursions here. ho hum
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“Unless you believe God would hide himself in some cult ineffectively reaching the world then you really have only three options of which Christianity is the most logical conclusion”
OK, I was wrong. This statement is your absolute dumbest !
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Mike, before you give any more answers, you might want use one of your lifelines , to call a friend. Kathy comes to mind. 🙂
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“That’s not what I said Mike. You can’t read very well. I was merely using 20 years as an observation point as to their progress”
you stated you would see how it goes 20 years from now but the woman stated a hypothetical not a reality so it was a nonsense observation on your part. Sorry i call them like they are stated.
“I am a Deist. You have made a wrong assumption again but it is what you wanted to believe”
Yawn in several respects many deists have no practical difference from atheists. You would have to declare what kind of deist you are for me to withdraw the association
“Mike , this is the dumbest statement you have made to date. You need to go read about Jewish Burial Rites BC and AD.”
i am not even tempted to say that is the silliest blurt you have ever made because my memory serves me well and i realize you have such a rich well of dumb statements you have made I could draw from
Jewish burial rites have no bearing on resurrected non dead people. Jewish burial rites are laws that govern how to handle dead bodies not live people. what none of you geniuses can figure out is that a resurrected person is an ALIVE Person that looks like any other alive person. You cannot walk very far in traditional burial “garb” (apparently kk needs to go read up on burial practices but there no surprise on that ).
Nothing in Matthew has zombies or mummies walking in the streets. You all watch too much TV …excuse me a moment ….ROFL. Thats not Matthew’s fault. Matthew says some of them at some point after the resuurection (how long after is not stated) came into the city and showed themselves – apparently to people who could identify they were formerly dead (there would be no other way unless you expected them to consult the morgue for DNA samples).
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“Mike, before you give any more answers, you might want use one of your lifelines , to call a friend. Kathy comes to mind. ”
Given the lame 8 year old quality of that retort you mind is in need of a lifeline.
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I give it another hundred years, Gary, before Yahweh takes his rightful place in the graveyard of dead gods.
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Mike, I was hoping you would have some new material after being gone awhile. Yawn …….
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“OK, I was wrong. This statement is your absolute dumbest !
”
🙂 you always remind me of a kid that is told for the first time where babies come from.
“No way. Thats just stupid that would make the mom throw up. Everyone knows its storks . ”
lol..ah sweet memories of your inanity
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“what none of you geniuses can figure out is that a resurrected person is an ALIVE Person that looks like any other alive person”
“Matthew says some of them at some point after the resuurection (how long after is not stated) came into the city and showed themselves – apparently to people who could identify they were formerly dead (there would be no other way unless you expected them to consult the morgue for DNA samples).”
Nice job Mike, now you’re rewriting the Bible. You’re making a lot of insinuations here .
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Making the Bible read what you believe . Nice !
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“How can we naturalists have a coherent conversation with people whose worldview is based on the whims of invisible ghosts and ghouls?”
That amazes me too, Gary – Mike doesn’t strike me as a totally unintelligent person, regardless of how caustic and abrasive he may be, and so I’m astonished that he can buy into a bunch of Bronze and Iron Age superstitions. Whatever his mental issues might be, I find trying to discuss anything with him to be a grand waste of time. Whatever anyone says, he finds ways to twist it to his advantage. I have more to do in my life than play his word games.
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“Nice job Mike, now you’re rewriting the Bible. You’re making a lot of insinuations here .”
Poor baby another one of his key claims evaporates under the revelation of his own faulty assumptions so he goes for the refrain that the christian is rewriting scripture. Go ahead knock yourself out and show where anything is said about what manner of dress they wore into Jerusalem or how fast they entered the city
Young’s Literal Translation
“and having come forth out of the tombs after his rising, they went into the holy city, and appeared to many.”
King James Bible
And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
See anything about them bouncing like bunnies in burial garments (let e guess You still haven;t looked up burial practices) or looking like zombies or extras from the “Walking Dead”? Nope just that they had risen after the resurrection of Christ and had gone into the city. not a single mention of how fast or what they wore. Passage doesn’t even say they appeared to all in the city
another epic fail on your part.
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” I have more to do in my life than play his word games.”
unfortunately your copious amount of posts even in my abscence day in and day out betrays you lack for no free time
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“Young’s Literal Translation
“and having come forth out of the tombs after his rising, they went into the holy city, and appeared to many.”
“King James Bible
And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.”
Oh Wow ! This settles it ! NOT !
I’m done conversing with a Putts.
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“I’m done conversing with a Putts.”
LOL has not grown up a day in my absence. still stomps his feet like a little kid and is off in a puff with a pout when he can’t back his points up.
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Mature adults should be able to debate, disagree…even vigorously, and yet still maintain a degree of civility. Trying to have a conversation with someone who repeatedly challenges his opponents’ intelligence is tiresome and childish.
I suggest we discourage this behavior by ceasing to respond to the provocations.
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“Mature adults should be able to debate, disagree…even vigorously, and yet still maintain a degree of civility. Trying to have a conversation with someone who repeatedly challenges his opponents’ intelligence is tiresome and childish.
”
I agree you should stop that practice. I’ve read your posts . You do a great deal of slamming of people’s intelligence who believe in Christ. You like a number of people here are only outraged when you get better than you can give.
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WAY ahead of you!
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There is a big difference between calling a belief silly and calling a person silly or stupid. Most Christians on the internet with whom I engage in debate are very intelligent people, for example UnkleE. What baffles me is how such intelligent people can believe such silly superstitions.
The only person whose intelligence I have questioned on this blog is yours and that is only because you were being such a prick. Unless you can be a little more civil, I too am done conversing with you.
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