Recently, some friends on social media compared the theory of evolution to the theory of gravity, suggesting the evidence that supported both was equally strong. The question was then posed by me: what evidence would be required before we might reasonably begin to question the theory of gravity?
Can exceptions exist? The answer to my question seems rather obvious–if Newton’s apple fell up toward the sky instead of down, for example, that would contradict the theory of gravity. We should begin to question the consistency of gravity if observations from multiple, credible witnesses claimed that objects or people either floated or flew in the air without using wires or other special effects to create a clever illusion. This “law” of gravity is easily testable: simply drop something from your hand, and it will fall to the ground.
The evidence for gravity is so powerful that I can remember even as a young child (who still believed in Santa Claus) thinking the premise of the television show The Flying Nun was absolutely ridiculous…that because she only weighed 90 pounds and wore a cornette on her head, Sister Bertrille (Sally Field) would literally get blown off the ground by a strong wind.
Frankly, the idea hasn’t really improved with age–it’s about as believable as Mr. Ed, the talking horse, but not half as funny. From where do such silly ideas come? As for The Flying Nun, the inspiration was a book called The Fifteenth Pelican. But from where might author Tere Rios have gotten the idea of writing a novel about a nun who could fly? The problem is that a natural explanation was being offered for what must have been a supernatural phenomenon, assuming someone actually could fly.
Perhaps Ms. Rios knew about famous “eyewitness” accounts of Allied bomber pilots who claimed in official flight logs that a Catholic priest named Padre Pio had floated thousands of feet in midair to stop them from destroying his monastery. However, Padre Pio of Pietrelcina was neither the first nor the only “flying friar” found in Catholic lore.
Witnesses to the alleged feats of Joseph of Cupertino have described how multiple people would try to hold Joseph on the ground, only to be lifted in the air with the devout priest. Because flying and levitation were considered evidence of witchcraft, not holiness, Joseph spent many years confined to a small cell, forbidden by his religious order from appearing in public.
Joseph of Cupertino was described as “remarkably unclever” (modern society might say that Joseph had special needs), so it is probably safe to say that he lacked the intellectual ability to create a complex optical illusion. Perhaps Joseph’s most famous feat of levitation allegedly occurred when he knelt to kiss the feet of Urban VIII, only to be suddenly and inexplicably lifted in the air to hover over the head of the astonished Pope instead.
The story starts to make sense when we learn that Pope Urban VIII was a political beast, not a devout man of God like Joseph. For example, Urban VIII befriended Galileo after the brilliant astronomer’s persecution during the Inquisition and encouraged him to write The Dialogue–but then he betrayed Galileo by banning the sale of that book.
Perhaps the simple-minded, intensely devout Joseph was lifted above Urban VIII’s head because God wanted the corrupt Pope to kiss his feet.
Speak Your Mind