Nexus - 0602 - New Times Magazine-pages

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Bowles, on the other hand, doesn't give us a position paper per © CATASTROPHISM: What does it mean, and does its se; that is to say, he doesn't list them all in one place—rather, he consequence affect us today? scatters them throughout the 288 pages of text, illustrations and There is nothing born in the knowledge of the catastrophic photographs, but leaves no question as to where he stands on the _ processes that the Earth experiences that will help mankind sur- issues of debate. In the prologue, Bowles describes the process, vive the deadly consequence of the next event. We can apply that is, the cause, the actual mechanics, for the catastrophic what understanding we have and attempt to secure safe haven. episodes that we have been discussing, which he argues (quoting But we'd have to share what little safe ground there may be with Hapgood) "is responsible for not only the ice ages, not only for three billion other people. We'd have to drop our daily chores at the mountain ranges, but possibly for the very history of the conti- the first sound of chaos, but I don't know what chaos sounds nents and for all the principal features on the face of the Earth". like—a freight train perhaps? But I'd hate to be put into a panic He doesn't just say it, he lays out the physics of the process in every time I heard a freight train! So I think it's apparent that words so plain and simple they could be taught in high school sci- knowledge for knowledge's sake is not going to be very helpful ence ses. In consideration of the reader, however, the mathe- unless there is a constructive way that we can apply that knowl- matics are held for the appendix, but his description is clear edge. enough. The obvious question that this solicits is this: What construc- tive good can come from acknowledging the forces of catastro- UNIFORMITARIANISM: What does it mean? phe? The answer, though hidden from us now, is as obvious as Uniformitarianism is generally credited to the question. Before I answer it, however, I the Scottish geologist James Hutton who, in want to outline for you what catastrophe his dogged stand against catastrophe, wrote meant to those ancient peoples who survived in his controversial Theory of the Earth to rebuild their lost civilisation. (1788) the often-quoted statement: "As it 1. Families and cities, mining and manu- was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall facturing, retail, libraries, governing agen- be, world without end." He goes on to say: . 5 cies, communication and infrastructures Not only are no powers to be employed There Is nothing born would all have been disrupted or totally that are not natural to the globe, no A destroyed; and, perhaps worse, man's trust in action to be admitted of except those of In the knowledge of God, in Nature and his fellow man would which we know the principle, and no the catastrophic have been shattered. extraordinary events to be alleged in 2. Disaster would have prevailed on the order to explain a common appearance, processes that the high seas and inland to the hills from waters the powers of nature are not to be i disrupted from their normal courses. employed in order to destroy the very Earth experiences Earthquakes would have devastated all that object of those powers... Chaos and that will help mankind the waters hadn't reached, and volcanic erup- confusion are not to be introduced . tions would have filled the atmosphere survive the i into the order of nature, because with dust and sound so overpowering certain things appear to our par - deadly consequence as to be maddening. Man's origins, his of the next event. tial views as being in some disor - genealogy, his heritage, his dreams der. Nor are we to proceed in would thus have been buried under one feigning causes when those seem more layer of debris. insufficient which occur in our 3. Elevations would have changed experience. and new mountains been formed. There is an inherent attractiveness to Rivers once slow and clogged with silt this statement that needs our exploita- would have gained new heights to tion, because Hutton's words have been become in power like the canyon-forg- modernly misinterpreted to mean sim- ing torrents of the primaeval Colorado. ply that "Chaos and confusion are not 4. There would have been mass to be introduced into the order of nature, because certain things extinctions of plant and animal species; and if history repeated appear to our partial views as being in some disorder". itself, there would have been spontaneous mutations of both plant This suggests, of course, that catastrophe is outside of the natur- and animal species—where, as proof from events as recent as al order of Nature. However, as any reader can clearly see, this 10,000 years ago, mastodons became elephants, sabre-toothed limited interpretation was not the intent of his statement. Let's tigers became Bengal tigers, giant sloths and beavers were look: "Chaos and confusion are not to be introduced into the reduced to rodents, and the woolly rhinoceroses changed colour order of nature, because certain things appear to our partial views and shed their hair. as being in some disorder...; no action to be admitted of except The first dawn would have shed its light over a new motif of those of which we know the principle..." It is a clear admission islands and deserts, forests and rivers; it would have seen the glac- that if the extraordinary events, the chaos and the confusion to iers begin to re-form at the poles, and the RB-Effect beginning which Hutton refers could be defined in terms for which "we anew to tear at the crust to start the process all over again. know the principle", they would fall within the scope of "the order Perhaps now you are wondering what earthly good does know- of nature". ing serve? Well, I said that the answers were as obvious as the So, it is my ongoing intent to show that there are forces for questions, so let's ask questions, and I invite you to refer to the which I can demonstrate the principles that influence the extraor- answers above as you contemplate these. dinary events, the chaos and the confusion, so that we may finally 5 end this debate. Continued on page 83 Bowles, on the other hand, doesn't give us a position paper per se; that is to say, he doesn't list them all in one place—rather, he scatters them throughout the 288 pages of text, illustrations and photographs, but leaves no question as to where he stands on the issues of debate. In the prologue, Bowles describes the process, that is, the cause, the actual mechanics, for the catastrophic episodes that we have been discussing, which he argues (quoting Hapgood) "is responsible for not only the ice ages, not only for the mountain ranges, but possibly for the very history of the conti- nents and for all the principal features on the face of the Earth". He doesn't just say it, he lays out the physics of the process in s so plain and simple they could be taught in high school sci- ence ses. In consideration of the reader, however, the mathe- matics are held for the appendix, but his description is clear enough. deadly consequence of the next event. 48 - NEXUS Continued on page 83 FEBRUARY — MARCH 1999