Hi--
I was stunned recently to discover that several people in my church (an
independent Reformed Baptist church) believed in geocentricity!
Otherwise normal, rational, and very nice people, I believe they have
been suckered into taking some Biblical references literally and not
figuratively. They are aided in this mistake by the Biblical Astronomer
site of Dr. Gerardus Buow.
I have read his material and as well as I can decipher it, he claims to
have a solution for the apparent rotation and revolution of the Earth.
There is a response to these claims on TalkOrigins by E. T. Babinski and
a theological response posted on the web by Bernard E. Northrup, Th.D.
What I am looking for are arguments, both scientific and theological,
which will, to the best extent possible, refute the arguments of
'modern' geocentricity. Some of the best scientific arguments against
geocentricity are the superluminal velocities of almost everything in
the universe required to have them rotate the Earth every 24 hours; the
variations in the length of the day caused by earthquakes (how would an
earthquake affect the rest of the universe?); and the latitudinal
variation in the diurnal aberration of starlight, that is, the apparaent
displacement of star postions caused by the speed of the Earth's
rotation, which varies from the equator to the poles. Can anyone think
of others?
I know these people are sincere in their desire to honor the Word of
God, but it seems they have strained at a gnat and swallowed a camel.
Thanks,
--Bill Yates
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