Thursday, May 29, 2014

Vorhis, Anti-semites, Sun circling the earth...wha?

Some people are taking crazy pills. I just don't get this.

First we have Michael Vorhis, who wants to stand up for the Faith, can get pretty strident. He's crossed the line a couple of times and taken some hits for that. No  defense of that, but not unforgiveable. He's had his knuckles rapped. And, on the plus side, he stood up to people who tend to be on his side when they trashed Pope Francis.

Enter Robert Sungenis, who has at various times presented himself as a Catholic apologist. Except that he also trashes the Jews. (Google it.) OK, so we know what to do with that, right? Right?

Sungenis decides to take on a new project: Nicolaus Copernicus was wrong!

Wait, what? Wasn't that the priest who discovered the planets move around the sun, rather than everything moving around earth?

Yes, that Copernicus. Mr. Sungenis is making a movie claiming that's all bogus. It all really, sort of, kind of, actually...

Revolves around the earth.

Come on, that's whack! I mean, right guys? We all know this?

Except not Michael Vorhis, apparently.

I just have one thing to say to you people.

Knock it off!

Let's review:

1. Catholics don't trade in bigoted conspiracy theories about Jews (or anyone else). Because -- to put it diplomatically -- it's moronic.

2. Catholics have no issue with the discoveries of science. We freakin' invented the scientific method, for criminy's sake!

Is this a test or something? Is this a Truman Show moment? Or is this a sign of the Apocalypse?

Just stop it! Plant some tomatoes. Watch a baseball game. Please stop the crazy!

7 comments:

TerryC said...

The issue is more nuanced than presented (the Copernican issue, not the Jew issue.) The point isn't about orbital mechanics, that is about Earth revolving about the sun. It is about primacy of place, that is whether in God's creation man, and consequently Earth have a pride of place in creation.
From a scientific point of view, according to relativity there is no absolute framework. So we would see the same if the Earth was standing still and the rest of the universe was moving as we see if the Earth moves and the rest of the Universe stand still, or whether everything moves.
Sungenis, in his film, points out that if Earth (and the Solar System) are just one arbitrary spec, randomly set in the Universe then in light of the Big Bang, the Cosmic Microwave Background would be asymmetrical, with signals pointing to the direction of location of the singularity start point from which the cosmic expansion began. Except there is no such asymmetry. Instead the background appears symmetrical, something that should only happen if you happen to be at the center where the Big Bang happened. That would place the Solar System in a unique position, something secularists have denied for centuries. While going against present interpretations of the scientific community this theory does not violate any of the observable data, the big bang theory, or accepted particle physics theories. It does claim that we have a special place in the Universe that is hard to explain without invoking metaphysical theorems.
p.s.
I'm not a physicists, but I do have a degree in applied physics and work at a U.S. National Lab

Fr Martin Fox said...

TerryC:

What you just stated is a very reasonable point, which I would think could be presented, with various creditable scientists giving input, in a positive way.

I.e., my guess is the scientists would say, "well, some of what you're saying is theological, and I can't verify that from science; but the science part is true..."

If that's all Mr. Sungenis is doing, I'll be very surprised. Because I do not believe anything like that would provoke the reactions from the scientists, especially those who participated and now are saying they were duped. No reason for the movie-makers to be cagey and then to complain about being mistreated.

TerryC said...

If the scientist involved have integrity that it is reasonable to expect them to behave in the way that you propose. However working where I do I have come across people who are not that reasonable. Certainly Mr.Sungenis, unreasonable anti-Semitic background will cause some people to reject outright anything he says. Not everyone can separate ideas from the messengers of those ideas.

Jennifer said...

Thank you for this post, Father.

There are many things that I can't hope to understand because of my limited intellect. But God is in charge. And I trust in Him...in other people, not so much!

Growing a garden is very therapeutic. I have a couple of small (yet productive) plots in a local community garden. Gardening make me feel like I'm cooperating with God somehow. I hope to pass this feeling on to my children. :)

By the way, community gardens, called Schrebergaerten in German, are a unique German invention. Thought you might like to know since that is your heritage! :)

Andrew said...

Thanks Father. I'm hoping that "normal" trads will someday outnumber the tinfoil hat trads.

Trooper York said...

I hear what you are saying Father. I don't know the specifics of this matter and I will investigate.

But I do think there is a place for militant defenders of our Faith. Just as there is a place for militant defenders of the Jewish faith. We need to stand together and not fight amongst ourselves because people of faith are under direct and unrelenting attack these days.

Deacon David Oatney said...

Father, it is a shame, but Michael Voris has gone off the deep end. I appreciate that he defended the Holy Father against those who would attack him, but his disrespectful tone toward bishops that he does not agree with goads me.

Many times I listen to him and find that I may share his opinion, but I do not share in his delivery or his seeming disrespect for the hierarchy.