Volcanic Explosion Parted the Sea?

[Jim Raynor]

I'm debating this fundie idiot who's trying to explain the plagues in Exodus as being caused by a massive volcanic eruption on a Greek island 500 miles away. He's also arguing that the Israelites didn't cross the Red Sea, but the Reed Sea, a relatively shallow marshland north of the Red Sea (Red Sea being a translation error). According to him, the force of the volcanic explosion created huge tsunamis that drained the waters of the marshland and made them stand erect so that the Israelites could pass. Now, this all sounds pretty ridiculous and I'm sure it's pure bunk. However, I don't have much scientific knowledge on these kinds of things. Can someone who does help me out by pointing out the specific errors in this stupid theory so I can shoot him down hard?

[paladin]

I've heard before about the translation of REED sea as Red Sea. The part about the volcano does not sound familiar. I would be impressed by the Fundie admitting that the Bible has a mistake. Let alone, trying to defend the actual parting of the Red Sea.

[Darth Wong]

The most obvious error in this theory is that an explosion of such force and tsunami of such magnitude would easily kill the people waiting at the shore to cross. You don't stand in the path of a monster tsunami and live, so Moses and his band would have been washed away.

Besides, you'd think they would have mentioned this monster explosion since it would literally darken the sky and kill everyone ... oh wait, that's why it couldn't happen in the first place

[lgot]

I know from where it come from, 2 years ago , a Discovery Documentary. Beware (eh, even if the Reed sea stuff seems to be correct and I really saw that in more than one place}
The funny thing is: A fundie ? but all arguments there is to show that there was nothing supernatural there and Moses was just some smart dude taking advantage of the situation and creating myths…sounds so odd…Why would one fundie argue in defense of a documentary that defends there is no god behind the miracles…

Besides, you'd think they would have mentioned this monster explosion since it would literally darken the sky and kill everyone ... oh wait, that's why it couldn't happen in the first place

Perhaps the geologist explaining that would have done better if was not a discovery documentary…but even so the explanation gave there is the israelists moved after the tsunami , when the water would lower because it was moved to create the tsunamie and the soooo unlucky Egyptians crossed the sea (a actually much smaller body of water) when the water returned. They also reduce the number of people, etc but still sound as a rather dim chance they took…but yeah, they say that darken sky was the explaination of one the last plagues (the sky got dark and fire burned there, etc)…
Like I said, would be interesting to see this debate outside discovery’s documentaries…and it is really odd this fundie to defend such documentary. I mean, He aint not fundie then…

[Darth Wong]

Like I said, would be interesting to see this debate outside discovery’s documentaries…and it is really odd this fundie to defend such documentary. I mean, He aint not fundie then…

It's not odd at all. Fundies always take scientific research, cherry-pick through it for pieces of information which can be distorted and exaggeated, and ignore the overall conclusions of said research. They've been known to take quotes out of context from prominent biologists who support evolution theory in order to make it look as if they oppose evolution theory, and then perversely appeal to that authority.

A fundie, of course, would not have the option of accepting the theory you describe at face value, since it implies that the dramatic event was monstrously exaggerated and the riverbed was simply dry when they reached it, hence a non-miraculous event. Since Moses supposedly called down a miracle and the river parted, this means that it had to happen very violently, with the Israelites standing on the shore.

[SyntaxVorlon]

I'm debating this fundie idiot who's trying to explain the plagues in Exodus as being caused by a massive volcanic eruption on a Greek island 500 miles away. He's also arguing that the Israelites didn't cross the Red Sea, but the Reed Sea, a relatively shallow marshland north of the Red Sea (Red Sea being a translation error). According to him, the force of the volcanic explosion created huge tsunamis that drained the waters of the marshland and made them stand erect so that the Israelites could pass. Now, this all sounds pretty ridiculous and I'm sure it's pure bunk. However, I don't have much scientific knowledge on these kinds of things. Can someone who does help me out by pointing out the specific errors in this stupid theory so I can shoot him down hard?

The standing water bit is crap.
The docu said that the large geological event caused the sky to darken, and a few plagues to appear. Volcanic ash caused an outbreak of anthrax, kills fish, too many flys, too many frogs, then the flys and frogs die, then some cows start dying. The anthrax gives everybody boils.