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"A central Earth?"
Below are some curious quotes from Edwin Hubble, after whom the Hubble Space Telescope is named. Hubble was apparently disturbed by some of the implications of galactic redshifts, viz. the idea that the earth might occupy a "favored location" in the universe (whatever that might mean).

"Such a condition would imply that we occupy a unique position in the universe, analogous, in a sense, to the ancient conception of a central Earth…. The hypothesis cannot be disproved, but it is unwelcome and would be accepted only as a last resort in order to save the phenomena.  Therefore, we disregard this possibility and consider the alternative … But the unwelcome supposition of a favoured location must be avoided at all costs ... Such a favoured position, of course, is intolerable ... Therefore, in order to restore homogeneity, and to escape the horror of a unique position, the departures from uniformity, which are introduced by the recession factors, must be compensated by the second term representing effects of spatial curvature. There seems to be no other escape."
 * Edwin Hubble, The Observational Approach to Cosmology, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1937, pp. 50, 51, 58, 59. [Rhodes Memorial Lectures delivered at Oxford in 1936].

I found these quotes via the following links - Galileo to Geocentrism to Modern Geocentrism, which led me finally to here - Galileo Was Wrong. My first reaction was "you've got to be kidding!" Well, to make a long story short, I'm still very skeptical. However, I must say there were numerous excerpts from the book which I did find quite interesting and thought provoking. But for the time being, that's about as far as I'm prepared to go on this one.

General Quotations


"...the system of Ptolemy, which has been demonstrated to be absurd by modern philosophy, and by the most solid arguments of right reason. If so much stress is laid then on the stopping of the sun by Joshua as a proof that the sun moves, that passage ought also to be considered in which it is said that the heaven is composed of many heavens like mirrors. The consequence appeared to me just; nevertheless it was invariably rejected, and I had no other reply than to shrug the shoulders, the usual refuge of a man who is convinced by prejudice, and by pre-conceived opinion." - Galileo Galilei, letter to Vincenzo Renieri, A Selection from Italian Prose Writers; with a Double Translation, p.251 - see wikiquote

"I hope you will have good sense enough to disregard those foolish predictions that the world is to be at an end soon. The almighty has never made known to any body at what time he created it, nor will he tell any body when he means to put an end to it, if ever he means to do it. As to preparations for that event, the best way is for you to be always prepared for it. The only way to be so is never to do nor say a bad thing. If ever you are about to say any thing amiss or to do any thing wrong, consider before hand. You will feel something within you which will tell you it is wrong and ought not to be said or done: this is your conscience, and be sure to obey it. Our maker has given us all, this faithful internal Monitor, and if you always obey it, you will always be prepared for the end of the world." - Thomas Jefferson, letter to his eldest daughter Martha (Patsy), Dec. 11, 1783

"Since the mathematicians have attacked the relativity theory, I myself no longer understand it anymore." - Albert Einstein

"Society cannot exist unless a controlling power upon will and appetite be placed somewhere, and the less of it there is within, the more there must be without. It is ordained in the eternal constitution of things, that men of intemperate minds cannot be free. Their passions forge their fetters." - Edmund Burke. A Letter to a Member of the National Assembly, January 19, 1791

"You are renowned throughout the whole world; Catholics revere and look up to you as the restorer of the ancient faith, and -- which is a token of yet more illustrious glory -- all heretics abhor you" - Jerome to Augustine (A.D. 418), Letter 195 (Augustine) or 141 (Jerome)



Scripture quotes - King James Version:
"And Samuel said...rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry" - 1 Samuel 15: 22-23


 * And the people spake against God, and against Moses - Numbers 21:5
 * and (the congregation) bowed down their heads, and worshipped the Lord, and the king - 1 Chronicles 29:20
 * Thou didst blaspheme God and the king - 1 Kings 21:10
 * And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. - Revelation 13:6
 * Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship (Proskuneo) the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve (Latreuo) - Matthew 4:10
 * But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship (Doxa)... - Luke 14:10
 * ...and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses - Exodus 14:31 (KJV)
 * Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. - 2 Chronicles 20:20
 * Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all the saints - Philemon 1:5