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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.<br><br>
"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.<br><br>
Burdett added: "Gravitywhich is taught to our children as a lawis
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."<br><br>
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 <i>International Journal Of Science</i> and the adolescent
magazine <i>God's Word For Teens!</i>, 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.<br><br>
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."<br><br>
"We just want the best possible education for Kansas' kids,"
Burdett said.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
"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 falljust 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."<br><br>
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.<br><br>
"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."<br>
<br>
"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.'"<br><br>
Some evangelical physicists propose that Intelligent Falling provides an
elegant solution to the central problem of modern physics.<br><br>
"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."<br><br>
<br>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<font size=2>"The god you worship is the god you
deserve."<br>
~~ Joseph Campbell<br><br>
"Abstract truth has no value unless it incarnates in human beings
who represent it, by proving their readiness to die for it."<br>
--Mohandas Gandhi<br><br>
"Modern physics has taught us that the nature of any system cannot
be discovered by dividing it into its component parts and studying each
part by itself. . . .We must keep our attention fixed on the whole and on
the interconnection between the parts. The same is true of our
intellectual life. It is impossible to make a clear cut between science,
religion, and art. The whole is never equal simply to the sum of its
various parts." --Ma</font><font size=1>x Planck<br><br>
</font>Nicholas F. Gier<br>
Professor Emeritus, Department of Philosophy, University of Idaho<br>
1037 Colt Rd., Moscow, ID 83843<br>
<a href="http://users.adelphia.net/~nickgier/home.htm" eudora="autourl">http://users.adelphia.net/~nickgier/home.htm</a><br>
208-882-9212/FAX 885-8950<br>
President, Idaho Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO<br>
<a href="http://users.adelphia.net/~nickgier/ift.htm" eudora="autourl">http://users.adelphia.net/~nickgier/ift.htm</a><br><br>
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