IAP Political Forum

Perhaps our own RF was in on the research for this one?


Evangelical Scientists Refute Gravity With New 'Intelligent Falling' Theory
August 17, 2005 | Issue 41•33

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.

Rev. Gabriel Burdett explains 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."




http://www.theonion.com/content/node/39512?issue=4228&special=2005

lol, wheres the Flying Spaghetti Monster when u need him!

Same old BS dressed up and hidden as something scientific, but at the end of the day it's the same wishful-thinking leap of logic:

Since science doesn't ahve an answer for everything, especially if we unfairly (and rather deceitfully) scrutinize it, but God -- something no one has to 'prove' -- is right there to step in and replace 'faulty' science. Again as soon as science has not yet finished concluding, or can't answer every little thing, that's the time to go back to "God" the excuse for not examining at all.


God = no proof required. If science can't prove everything, then lets just shove "god" into every answer.
Science = will ALWAYS be able to cast doubt on it - that's it's nature....as opposed to people who jsut shove their hands over their eyes and ears and chant "God made it".

God is not science and these people are pure liars and pretenders and they know it. How people live with being so dishonest I'll never understand.



Ahk

Ahaha this is really funny

How can this guy be so educated yet be so stupid?

This has to be a joke.  It's from the onion.

Just as a side note, you know who Oral Roberts is don't you?

Why? is this a hoax or something Totino?

No, I don't.  Please tell.

It is, its making a mockery of ID'ists. ID and Intelligent Falling are identical hypothesis. Ya gotta love the Onion!

I love the part "how do you explain how angels fly, or Jesus rose to Heaven?"

Well, all you Materialists and Gravitists! How do you explain it if not God! hahahaha

Oral Roberts was a Christian televangelist. He went on to start the Oral Roberts University, which is a Christian university.
So it would make sense that some guy that was educated there would make such a crazy claim. It makes the article more funny if you knew that.

That's the first thing I thought.

The Onion = not real.