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Babinski: The Bible's Geocentrism

Babinski's antipathy to the scriptures is clear, but his arguments have force. A Christian who would deny that geocentricity is relevant to the scriptures needs to be prepared to answer intelligent men like Babinski.

The Bible's Geocentrism

• "Still, I don't like it; I can't approve of it; (2 Sam. 22:8) I have always thought it most regrettable that earnest and ethical Thinkers like ourselves should go scuttling through space in this undignified manner. Is it seemly that I, at my age, should be hurled with my books of reference, and bed clothes, and hot-water bottle, across the sky at the unthinkable rate of nineteen miles a second? As I say, I don't at all like it. This universe of astronomical whirligigs makes me a little giddy.

• "That God should spend His eternity (which might be so much better employed) in spinning countless Solar Systems, and skylarking, like a great child, with tops and teetotums-is not this a serious scandal? I wonder what all our circumgyrating Monotheists really do think of it?"

• Logan Pearsal Smith, "Vertigo" from All Trivia

I'll tell you what they think of it! For most of mankind's history, Monotheists imagined themselves as having two feet planted on firm ground-terra firma. The view presented in the Bible is no exception. The Bible depicts the earth an firm, immovable, the "foundation" of creation:

1. "Thou, Lord, in the beginning didst lay the foundation of the earth." (Heb. 1:10)

2. The sun, moon, and stars were created after the firm "foundation of the earth" was laid. (Gen. 1:9-18)

3. "He established the earth upon its foundations, so that it will not totter, forever and ever." (Ps. 104:5)

4. "The world is firmly established, it will not be moved." (Ps. 93:1 & 1 Chron. 16:30)

5. "For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he set the world on them." (I Sam. 2:8)

6. "It is I who have firmly set its pillars." (Ps. 75:3)

7. "Who stretched out the heavens...and established the world." (Jer. 10:12)

The Bible never depicts the earth as moving, just "shaken," as in an "earthquake":

1. "The earth quaked, the foundations of heaven were trembling."

2. "The earth quakes, the heavens tremble." (Joel 2:10)

3. "I shall make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken from its place." (Isa. 13:13)

4. "There was a great earthquake...and the stars of the sky fell...as if shaken from a tree." (Rev. 6:12,13)

Luther and Calvin agreed that the Bible states the earth does not move, and also that the sun does move:

"He (God) can command the sun not to rise." (Job 9:7) Rather than, "He can command the earth to stop (moving/spinning)." That God would direct such a command at the sun rather than the earth, implies an unmistakably geocentric perspective. Likewise, Martin Luther pointed out that "Joshua commanded the sun to stand still and not the earth," since the earth was presumed to be at rest at all times. (Josh. 10:12)

The Bible also states: "...the sun rises and the sun sets; And hastening to its place it rises there again." (Eccles. 1:5; NASB) "Rising" and "setting" may be easy to explain away due to one's earth-bound perspective, but speaking of the sun "hastening to its place" so that it may rise again, is not so easy to explain away. It means the author of Ecclesiastes believed that the sun moved daily around the earth. Compare Psalm 19:4-6, "In [the heavens] He has placed a tent for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; it rejoices like a strong man to run its course, its rising from one end of the heavens, and its circuit to the other end of them."

Likewise, the Bible states that stars "course" [move] through the heavens, "From their courses they fought against Sisera." (Judges 5:20, NASB) God "leads forth" the stars, "The One who leads forth their host by number...Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power not one [star] is missing." (Isaiah 40:26, NASB) Constellations are "led forth" in their season: "Can you bind the chains of the Pleadies or loose the cords of Orion? Can you lead forth a constellation in its season, And guide the Bear with her satellites? Do you know the ordinances of the heavens, Or fix their rule over the earth?" (Job 38:31-33, NASB)

Compare such descriptions with modern astronomy, which teaches that the sun and stars only appear to move daily and seasonally around the earth. This appearance of movement is due to the earth's daily rotation and yearly revolutions around the sun. So, modern astronomy considers it erroneous to speak of the sun "hastening to its place," or, "running its course;" erroneous to speak of God "commanding" the sun "not to rise;" erroneous for Joshua to "command" the sun to "stand still;" and erroneous to speak of stars being "led forth," or constellations of stars being "guided" and "led forth" "in their season."

Modern astronomy teaches that it is the earth that "hastens to" spin round each day and that "courses" round the sun, it is the earth that God must "command" not to move and that Joshua should have commanded to "stand still," and, it is the earth that God must "lead forth," and "guide" in "its season."

Geocentrists like Dr. Bouw of the Society of Biblical Astronomy wonder how their fellow Bible believers can ignore such plain language depicting the earth's immobility and the daily (and seasonal) movement of the sun and stars, especially when the text declares that God is doing the moving (and able to halt the motion) of the sun and stars. Does the Bible depict God "commanding" and "leading forth" things that don't really move? That doesn't sound like a demonstration of God's "might," instead it sounds like mighty deceptive language for God to have "inspired." That's kind of like telling people that once they enter their car and step on the gas, "God leads forth the trees which speed by on the roadside...Because of the greatness of Hit; might and the strength of His power not one is missing!" (cf. Isaiah 40:26). Therefore, geocentrists argue: "How deceptive of God to speak in such a manner unless He meant what he said." To ignore such plain verses of Scripture is to "ignore God!"

Of course, young-earth creationists say that to "ignore" the literal truth of Genesis and "creation in six days" is also to "ignore God!"

E. T. BABINSKI