historical trajectory

The Priviledged Planet Book, which I read carefully last year and reported
on to the list, does indeed take on the so-called "Copernican" principle in
modern cosmology/astronomy. This principle tells us more about Harlow
Shapley, who basically coined it, than it does about Copernicus. C stated
clearly that our status in the universe depended on our value to God, not
upon our location in the universe. Furthermore, he also probably thought
that he had enhanced our status by moving us into the heavens and out of the
"base" and "vile" center of the universe--or, more accruately, out of our
place a few thousand miles away from the center, which was not a great place
to be in pre-Copernican thought. (The center was where hell is located, and
where the "dregs" of the universe gathered as to their natural place.)

The historical parts of Gonzalez's book are excellent and accurate as far as
I can recall right now. It's the one "Design" book that I would recommend
to people as a starting point, for something "Completely different" from the
biology stuff. No YEC could ever read the book and come away with the
impression that ID is friendly to creationism.

Ted
Received on Fri Jan 27 12:40:04 2006