'Galileo Was Wrong,' claims geocentrist writer

The Sun Herald ^ | Tue, Mar. 28, 2006 | DRU SEFTON

[orionblamblam]

Bible proves Earth is center of universe, author argues The Earth is at the center of Robert Sungenis' universe. Literally.

Yours too, he says.

Sungenis is a geocentrist. He contends the sun orbits the Earth instead of vice versa. He says physics and the Bible show that the vastness of space revolves around us; that we're at the center of everything, on a planet that does not rotate.

He has just completed a 1,000-page tome, "Galileo Was Wrong," the first in a pair of books he hopes will persuade readers to "give Scripture its due place, and show that science is not all it's cracked up to be."

...

For several years the Web site of his Catholic Apologetics International (www.catholicintl.com) offered a $1,000 reward to anyone who could disprove geocentrism and prove heliocentrism (a sun-centered solar system).

There were numerous attempts, Sungenis said, "some serious, some caustic," but no one did it to his satisfaction. "Most admitted it can't be proven." There's also no proof that the Earth rotates, he said. But what about Foucault's famous pendulum? Its plane of oscillation revolves every 24 hours, showing the rotation of the planet. If the Earth didn't rotate, it wouldn't oscillate.

Nope, Sungenis said: There just may be some other force propelling it, such as the pull of stars.

[Right Wing Professor]

I'm not familiar with Mathematica.

It does symbolic algebra. It's a marvelous program, just very, very expensive.

Check out www.wolfram.com

[js1138]

Aside from the Simpsons, I don't believe this is well documented.

[Drago]

Get his book!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1579180558/002-9079146-7382406?v=glance&n=283155
(Beware Protestants, he is dissing you).

[js1138]

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_161

[non-anonymous]

How high do you have to be before you get caught up in the spinning of the universe?

[MeanWestTexan]

While technically true, in reality, it's actually a bit of a myth, I believe, as the forces are too weak.

(I saw it on snopes.)

Rotation has a lot more to do with drain design than anything.

That said, their tropical storms DO spin in the opposite direction. (I think!)

[Elpasser]

I come into this discussion as one fully persuaded of the conventional view. I leave it intrigued as to other possibilities...

[orionblamblam]

> a staunch atheist such as yourself

ERRR! Wrong, but thanks for playing.

> quotes him as an authority.

Well, one would imagine that a Cardinal just might be an authority on the Bible. But I guess you know better, eh?

[Dimensio]

It's more than a little ironic that a staunch atheist such as yourself quotes him as an authority.

I was not aware that orionblamblam has identified himself as an atheist. Do you have a reference to a post where he has done this?

[Dimensio]

You won't find many posting on this kind of thread - the "struggle" is political for them and it isn't smart politically to align with a nutcase.

I suspect, however, that many of them will not hesitate to quote Sungenis's creationist claims, should they find them to be of merit, while at the same time criticizing those who quote Gould because of Gould's political views.

[orionblamblam]

Keep in mind: for some, not buying into Creationism makes one an atheist.

[Ronin]

Better you than me pal.

[Antoninus]

Well, one would imagine that a Cardinal just might be an authority on the Bible. But I guess you know better, eh?

Know better than what? Baronius was a consumate historian, linguist, theologian, and Renaissance man in the best tradition of the term. He was also on the short list to be Pope but declined the office.

Suffice it to say that based on some of your previous posts, Baronius would have had no trouble saying "anathema sit" to your point of view. That's why I thought it ironic that you quoted him.

[Celebur]

"OK - how about this - why does water circle one way in the Northern Hemisphere when going down a drain and circle the other way in the Southern Hemisphere? If the world was stationary - it wouldn't spin at all."


Actually, this falls into the category of an urban legend. Yes, the Earth's rotation does produce something called the Coreolis Effect, but on something as small as the drain in your sink or toilet, the forces are so small that other factors (turbulence, surface friction) will dominate it. So it would be easy for these people to discount this.

But for weather patterns, which are much, much larger, the Coreolis Effect does cause a rotation on winds.

[Tevin]

Me too. Kind of scary that heliocentrism can't be proven.
Who knew?;)

[Antoninus]

Plug the following into Google:

orionblamblam atheist site:freerepublic.com

If he's not an atheist, he certainly has a healthy interest in the subject--especially when you notice that his position is never supportive of the Christian/religious side.

Then again, we could just ask him...

Hey Orionblamblam: Do you believe in God?

[Dimensio]

Me too. Kind of scary that heliocentrism can't be proven.

In the realm of science, nothing can be "proven".

[Tevin]

Nothing?

[scottdeus12]

"Hey Orionblamblam: Do you believe in God?"

That's the $56,000 question. I would guess in my interaction with him, the answer would be, "no".

[Elpasser]

Spoken like a true evolutionist!