Sydney Smith 
Denysha Taylor “Whatever can be thought or spoken of must exist at all times. Consequently there can be no change, since change consists in things coming into existence or ceasing to be.” Parmenides believed that there was only one reality. That is was stable and unchanging. He proved this because he thought that humans could not think of something that is not already in existence. Our minds are not capable of creating new things. To me this view of life and creation can make sense for a few reasons.
The first one is that when people die they do cease to exist in the physical world. Animals have become extinct also. We can know them, but not in the true capacity since we could not experience them for ourselves. However, because they cease to exist doesn’t mean they never existed. How about the soul? If one believes in a soul then they do not really die. Memories are said to kee However I don’t completely think he was talking about human specifically. He would argue that in general humans have existed from the beginning and so have animals. Genesis 1 God has made them both. they exist in many forms and shapes and sizes with different languages and patterns. Bottom line they still exist, yet we are still discovering new species today.
Secondly, Ecclesiastes 1:9 states
That which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done,
And there is nothing new under the sun.”
This supports that what was there in the beginning will always be there in the end. We can say that with nature and emotions and maybe even problems such as poverty and world hunger. I believe the verse was also talking about the behavior of people. We experience the same emotions and the same tragedies whether it’s the death of a loved one or the joy of falling in love or even getting your heart broken. Also we make the same mistakes too. We have all lied to someone we loved or been scared of the dark or bugs or clowns! Maybe this is where he was getting at. Our reaction to life is always the same. We are born, we work, fall in love, and die. Many different things happen in between, but there is someone somewhere who has experienced maybe something similar to you. For example, if you are a believer then the most of the people at your church have arrived that they need Jesus and that He is real. How y’all arrived at that may be different, but nonetheless you claim to have a relationship with Christ or want one.
Nothing is new, but we are made aware of new things all the time. We realize new truths to help us deal with the unpredictability of life. Humans are predictable most of the time. We handle life pretty similarly. What was in the beginning will also be in the end, depending on who or what you believe. This view is opposite of what Heraclitus believed. that the world was always changing and moving. I believe the world is always moving and sometimes we pick up on the way and the direction they are going on what it is, but sometimes it takes a few sways of the universe.
Jennifer Valenzuela
3:05 pm, 09.08.13
I really like your take on this. I had never looked at creation that way before. Great perspective!
Matt McMahon
3:47 pm, 09.08.13
I thought this was a very interesting and well thought post. It also brought up some questions though. Are things such as poverty eternal? Or are they simply symptoms of the things that are eternal such as people? And if they are not eternal does that go Parmenides’ theory?
Savannah Wesley
9:23 am, 09.09.13
I enjoyed your perspective on this theory mainly because you use a biblical verse to contribute to your argument. It does make me think however, that if all scientific theory can be argued with Biblical verses, what does that do to science?
Kami Earle
5:29 pm, 09.09.13
I really liked your Biblical application to this, Irene! I think that adding that verse really brings it into perspective.It is hard for me to think that there is nothing new, but that could perhaps mean that there is just nothing new being created, and that we only discover things that already exist, as you pointed out.
Irene Anderson
10:18 pm, 09.09.13
Thanks guys for your psoitive feedback and questions. I really enjoyed this!
Matt–I don’t think poverty is because your soul doesn’t need the same things your body does. I guess one could be poor in spirit; the Bible does talk about that, but I think in the spiritual world money is of little value. I think poverty is more a syptom of man’s fall.
Savannah–I don’t think it should do anything to science. Jesus created science and knew that people were going to eventually figure out how things work and how numbers work. I think God is a very logical being. So i think it could enhance science and show that these two things don’t always have to be at war with each other. Maybe they don’t really clash as much as we think they do. I am in Astronomy and somehow we end up talking about God all the time. If anything because of science we can realize how big and grande and unimaginably smart and creative God is.
Sydney Smith
10:21 pm, 09.09.13
Great perspective Irene. I really enjoyed your post, very well thought out. It leads me to think about Greeks view on happiness:”The soul contemplating what is eternal, beautiful and good.”
Haley Conaway
11:25 pm, 09.09.13
I love this Irene! I do think it is interesting when Ecclesiastes says that there is nothing new under the sun. I love that only God can create new things. His mercies are NEW each morning, and he makes us into NEW creations. That is beautiful to me.