A Review of "Galileo Was Wrong ..." Vol II

Disclaimer: Whilst the AMAIC substantially endorses this view, it does not necessarily accept it in every detail. A Review of "Galileo Was Wrong: The Church Was Right Volume II – The Historical Case for Geocentrism" by Eric Bermingham   Galileo Was Wrong: The Church Was Right Volume II: The Historical Case for Geocentrism Includes CD-ROM with pictures, animation and entire text of book Robert Sungenis, Ph.D. Catholic Apologetics International Publishing, Inc., 2007 400 pages $40.50 + $10.00 SandH Available from: Catholic Apologetics International PO Box 278 State Line, PA 17263 1-800-531-6393 cairomeo@aol.com or on the web at www.catholicintl.com. Related items (T-shirts, mugs, hats, bumper stickers, etc.) also available at: www.galileowaswrong.com. This is the second of two volumes on geocentrism by Dr. Robert Sungenis. Volume I of Galileo Was Wrong presented the scientific evidence for geocentrism. Volume II deals with the scriptural, patristic, and ecclesiastical evidence. After having shown that there is no scientific evidence that the Earth is moving in Volume I, Dr. Sungenis moves on in Volume II to demonstrate that the Bible, the Church Fathers, and the Magisterium have always upheld the immemorial teaching of an immobile Earth. Included in both volumes is a description of the revelations given to the saintly Hildegard von Bingen regarding the operation of the universe. Robert Sungenis, Ph.D. is the founder and president of Catholic Apologetics International. He is the author of many books and articles on religion, politics, science and culture. He has appeared on radio and television, including programs on CNN, the BBC and EWTN. He is also an advisory council member of The Kolbe Center for the Study of Creation. Volume II of Galileo Was Wrong starts off with quotes from various scientists who recognize that there are serious problems with the currently accepted model of the universe. It is shown how well-known scientists have been compelled by motives other than that of seeking the truth. Ambition, envy and arrogance seem to be the driving force behind their pursuits. The lives of Copernicus, Galilieo, Kepler, Newton and Einstein are examined in detail. The revelations are disturbing. A long list of scriptural passages is then examined in detail to show that the Bible never describes the Earth as anything but stationary, however, the Sun, moon, and stars are all depicted as moving. The verses given the most attention are from Joshua 10 where the Sun and moon are commanded by Joshua to stand still until the Israelites could conquer their enemies. Opponents of geocentrism are quick to deny the literal interpretation of this passage since it clearly indicates a stationary Earth. It is quite interesting that there is other historical evidence for this event. The ancient Chinese, Babylonians, Egyptians, and Persians have legends of a long day, and the Mexican indigenous people have a legend of a long night (they were on the other side of the world). Next it is shown how the early Church Fathers and Medieval Theologians were in agreement on a stationary Earth. This is discussed, along with the length of the Genesis day, the firmament, and a spherical Earth. The Catholic Church’s teaching on geocentrism is examined in detail going back to the Galileo case. It is shown how the Church never wavered from her constant teaching on Biblically-based geocentrism. Even modern investigations of Galileo have not nullified the perennial teachings. A chapter is devoted to the interpretation of Genesis I and its geocentric implications. Modern scholars always question the literal meaning of these passages in their attempt to support current notions of the age and structure of the universe. They even go so far as to suggest that Genesis contains historical errors of fact, in opposition to the constant Church teaching of the Bible’s inerrancy. The last chapter of the book is devoted to the revelations of Hildegard concerning the operation of the cosmos. Her revelations are probably the most detailed description we have on this topic. Modern science is continually surprised by the latest findings because there is so little understanding of the fundamental principles. Hildegard explains the working of the universe for us in fairly simple language. First of all, she reveals that the Earth is in the center of a universe that is finite and spherical. It rotates around the Earth which itself has no movement; the classic geocentric universe. She describes the universe as six concentric layers. The outer layers contain water and fire, or what we would call plasma, and the inner layers contain air, or what we might call ether. The elements of earth, air, fire, and water are kept in a delicate balance. The rotation of the universe is accomplished by the twelve cosmic winds. Hildegard says that there is neither movement nor force without these cosmic winds. Sungenis suggests that the winds cause gravitational waves which produce a pressure effect towards the center of the universe, which holds the Earth in place. Hildegard also says that in each of the elements, there indwells an air that corresponds to its nature. Sungenis suggests that this air, or ether, is the cause of gravity. The ether penetrates everything except subatomic particles and so it fills the space between an atom’s nucleus and its electrons. It is extremely dense and so the atom’s nucleus, which contains no ether, is lighter than the ether that surrounds it. A local concentration of atomic nuclei, such as a planet or other large mass, will cause an “ether vacuum” that the ether will seek to fill. This buoyancy effect is the physical cause of gravity. In addition to the twelve cosmic winds, there are sixteen controlling stars which keep the universe in order. One of the more interesting contentions is that the weather on Earth is directly affected by the stars. Volume II of Galileo Was Wrong is an excellent companion to Volume I. I know of no other books that present the geocentric world-view so convincingly. Now that the pillars of Evolution have started to crumble, it is time to start examining the foundation of sand upon which the Copernican model of the universe is built. Eric Bermingham June 2008