[reasonisfaith]

Naturalists, in their zeal to replace logic with naturalism, forget the fact that if the existence of God the Creator is ontologically true, then the events of the story of Noah are logically possible.

The point here is that the only way to discount the story of Noah and his ark is to first establish that God doesn’t exist.

[tacticalogic]

The point here is that the only way to discount the story of Noah and his ark is to first establish that God doesn’t exist.

Do you discount the creation stories from other religions?

[BroJoeK]

reasonisfaith: "Naturalists, in their zeal to replace logic with naturalism, forget the fact that if the existence of God the Creator is ontologically true, then the events of the story of Noah are logically possible."

Events of the story of Noah are logically possible on a number of grounds:

1. Geological evidence shows many floods in the past, and the Noah story could describe one of those.

2. Boat building and sea-trade are as old as (perhaps older than) civilization itself, though Noah's ark does seem a bit oversized for its era.
   Still, transporting animals in boats doubtless began very early.

3. Theologically speaking, the Noah story could be precisely true (as translated), but then we would have to ask some difficult questions.
   For example: why is there geological evidence of many floods at different times, but no such evidence of one Great Flood every-where at the same time?
   Or, to put it another way: if God made the Flood exactly as described, then why did he destroy all the physical evidence?

4. The key point of the Noah story is to illustrate a great disaster which utterly changed the world, and destroyed most of what had been before.
   The Noah story tells us that God brought this disaster as punishment for mankind's corruption and violence, but promised not to do it again -- thus the rainbow.
   The story tells us that God could, but He won't.
   I'd say: that's good to know.

reasonisfaith: "The point here is that the only way to discount the story of Noah and his ark is to first establish that God doesn’t exist."

I don't think anyone needs to discount God's promise, which is the reason for the Noah story.
The Promise remains, regardless of how confirmable the story's details may or may not be:

"I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth...

So God said to Noah, 'This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.' "