Many of you reading this have probably seen blog posts about the upcoming “Galileo Was Wrong: The Church was Right, First Annual Catholic Conference on Geocentrism” in South Bend, Indiana on November 6th. Geocentrism is the belief that the Earth is in a fixed place in the cosmos and that everything else revolves around us. You can look at a PDF about the conference at their website, but the gist of it is that this event seems to be a symposium trying to gain some attention for an obscure self-published book of theologically compromised physics:
Galileo Was Wrong: The Church Was Right is one of the most unique and penetrating books you will ever read. Now complete in Volumes I and II, authors Robert Sungenis and Robert Bennett take you on a tour of science and history the likes of which you would have never believed possible unless it were told to you in detailed and graphic form. Has modern science led us down the primrose path and convinced us of something that they cannot prove and that is in actuality false? Were the Fathers, the Medievals, our popes and cardinals of the 17th century correct in believing that the Earth, based on a face value reading of Scripture, was standing still in the center of the universe?
Taken at face value, most web commenters—appropriately—rolled their eyes heavenward and expressed exasperation asking “How could anyone be this fucking stupid?” Others said “This is a hoax” or “This has got to be an anti-ignorance parody.”
Apparently, the conference is actually scheduled to take place, and whether or not there will be more attendees than speakers, I can’t say, but I tend to doubt it (unless a lot of people just show to goof on them).
Only a tiny fraction of the blogs reporting on this event seemed to have actually googled the name of the main organizer, Robert Sungenis, because some special things in his background make the story even more interesting. From an article called “Anti-Semitism and the Catholic Right”:
In the early part of 2002 Sungenis had puzzled some of his friends when he began to write about his eccentric scientific views. “Einstein’s theory of Relativity is false ... ol’ Albert’s theory was devised precisely to combat the idea that the earth was standing still in space.” In an article dated 10 August 2002, he asked, “is it really such a stretch of credulity for Robert Sungenis to suggest that the earth may indeed be standing still, especially since he backs it up with evidence from Scripture, the Fathers, Papal decrees, and scientific evidence?” He would later elaborate his views in a book, Galileo Was Wrong!
On 2 September he posted his reaction to Reflections on Covenant and Mission—“Conversion of the Jews Not Necessary?? The Apocalyptic Ramifications of a Novel Teaching,” a 33,861 word diatribe against the Catholic bishops and the role of the Jews through history.
[Sungenis writing] “Well, they’ve finally done it. Its been in the works for a while, edging ever so slowly these past 40 years through the prelature. Now, following a cue from the Vatican, the sub-committee of the USCCB has issued a statement teaching that Jews no longer need to convert to Christianity, since they have their own covenant with God for salvation. ‘Amazing’ you say. You don’t know the half of it. There is only one reason why such assertions are being made—to help Israel acquire the complete land of Palestine, build their new Temple in Jerusalem; and practice Judaism as a divine mandate. Yes, the USCCB statement has apolcalyptic [sic] proportions that are unprecedented in our day.”
Huh? There’s a lot more to this story than originally met the eye. Read more about the views of the Galileo conference organizer’s, um, old fashioned views here, at a website devoted to them, Robert Sungenis and the Jews.
So who in the South Bend area wants to attend this and live blog it for DM? This ought to be a doozy!
