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Midlodemocrat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-09-05 11:32 AM
Original message
"The Intelligent Falling Theory"
Edited on Sun Oct-09-05 11:34 AM by Midlodemocrat
Just got this in an email. Pretty well done.

New 'Intelligent Falling' Theory



KANSAS CITY, KS˜As the debate over the teaching of evolution in public schools continues, a new controversy over the science curriculum arose Monday in this embattled Midwestern state. Scientists from the Evangelical Center For Faith-Based Reasoning are now asserting that the long-held "theory of gravity" is flawed, and they have responded to it with a new theory of Intelligent Falling. "Things fall not because they are acted upon by some gravitational force, but because a higher intelligence, 'God' if you will, is pushing them down," said Gabriel Burdett, who holds degrees in education, applied Scripture, and physics from Oral Roberts University.

Burdett added: "Gravity˜which is taught to our children as a law˜is founded on great gaps in understanding. The laws predict the mutual force between all bodies of mass, but they cannot explain that force. Isaac Newton himself said, 'I suspect that my theories may all depend upon a force for which philosophers have searched all of nature in vain.' Of course, he is alluding to a higher power."
Founded in 1987, the ECFR is the world's leading institution of evangelical physics, a branch of physics based on literal interpretation of the Bible.

According to the ECFR paper published simultaneously this week in the International Journal Of Science and the adolescent magazine God's Word For Teens!, there are many phenomena that cannot be explained by secular gravity alone, including such mysteries as how angels fly, how Jesus ascended into Heaven, and how Satan fell when cast out of Paradise.

The ECFR, in conjunction with the Christian Coalition and other Christian conservative action groups, is calling for public-school curriculums to give equal time to the Intelligent Falling theory. They insist they are not asking that the theory of gravity be banned from schools, but only that students be offered both sides of the issue "so they can make an informed decision." "We just want the best possible education for Kansas' kids," Burdett said.
Proponents of Intelligent Falling assert that the different theories used by secular physicists to explain gravity are not internally consistent. Even critics of Intelligent Falling admit that Einstein's ideas about gravity are mathematically irreconcilable with quantum mechanics. This fact, Intelligent Falling proponents say, proves that gravity is a theory in crisis.

"Let's take a look at the evidence," said ECFR senior fellow Gregory Lunsden."In Matthew 15:14, Jesus says, 'And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.' He says nothing about some gravity making them fall˜just that they will fall. Then, in Job 5 - 7, we read, 'But mankind is born to trouble, as surely as sparks fly upwards.' If gravity is pulling everything down, why do the sparks fly upwards with great surety? This clearly indicates that a conscious intelligence governs all falling."

Critics of Intelligent Falling point out that gravity is a provable law based on empirical observations of natural phenomena. Evangelical physicists, however, insist that there is no conflict between Newton's mathematics and Holy Scripture.
"Closed-minded gravitists cannot find a way to make Einstein's general relativity match up with the subatomic quantum world," said Dr. Ellen Carson, a leading Intelligent Falling expert known for her work with the Kansan Youth Ministry. "They've been trying to do it for the better part of a century now, and despite all their empirical observation and carefully compiled data, they still don't know how."

"Traditional scientists admit that they cannot explain how gravitation is supposed to work," Carson said. "What the gravity-agenda scientists need to realize is that 'gravity waves' and 'gravitons' are just secular words for 'God can do whatever He wants.'"

Some evangelical physicists propose that Intelligent Falling provides an elegant solution to the central problem of modern physics.

"Anti-falling physicists have been theorizing for decades about the 'electromagnetic force,' the 'weak nuclear force,' the 'strong nuclear force,' and so-called 'force of gravity,'" Burdett said. "And they tilt their findings toward trying to unite them into one force. But readers of the Bible have already known for millennia what this one, unified force is: His name is Jesus."
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afdip Donating Member (660 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-09-05 11:36 AM
Response to Original message
1. this is right up there with the theory
that light bulbs do not emit light, but rather they "suck dark."
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stepnw1f Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-09-05 11:37 AM
Response to Original message
2. They Should Test Their Theory
by jumping off a very high ledge.
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Dudley_DUright Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-09-05 11:41 AM
Response to Original message
3. This is a piece from the Onion that was making the rounds awhile ago
Good stuff.
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Midlodemocrat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-09-05 11:43 AM
Response to Reply #3
4. I didn't know it was from the Onion.
I got it in an email from one of my liberal friends. Actually, here in Virginia, I only have one liberal friend.
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Democrats_win Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-09-05 11:54 AM
Response to Original message
5. Wonderful article! Einstein's "Evolution of Physics" tells how intuitive
thought governed man's perception of gravity for 2000 years. Because of Aristotle's intuitive thought people thought that heavy objects fell faster than light objects. No one ever tried it to see if it was true. Until...

Galileo used inductive reasoning by actually performing an experiment. Legend says that he threw two objects, one heavier than the other, off of the leaning Tower of Pisa. They both landed at the same time. Newton later used the term gravity.

The difference between "intelligent" nonsense and science is that experiments must back up theory. String theory which they say reconciles Einstein's general theory of relativity with quantum mechanics suffers from the fact that currently no experiments exist to demonstrate that it's correct. That may change,though.
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TallahasseeGrannie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-09-05 11:59 AM
Response to Original message
6. It amazes me
that this is even an issue today. Call evolution a scientific theory and teach Creation in church and in social studies classes.

It is important, I think, however that biology teachers not make fun of a student's beliefs. It isn't hard to be sensitive and polite while teaching science.
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RC Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-09-05 12:16 PM
Response to Reply #6
7. Why teach Creationism in Social Studies classes?
No matter how you slice it Creationism is a religious belief.
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TallahasseeGrannie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-09-05 12:51 PM
Response to Reply #7
8. Because
social studies class is where you teach about religions.

It is part of understanding culture.
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TallahasseeGrannie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-09-05 12:52 PM
Response to Reply #8
9. Clarification
you don't teach religion, obviously. You compare and contrast various religions as they relate to their cultures, and this can also include world myths such as creation myths.

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