In any age of man or any century you care to look at there is an assumed body of officially accepted knowledge. Those who hold it may be scientists, philosophers, professors, historians, priests, shamans, or combinations of the above. They are usually men. Sometimes there are also a few women in their ranks. They are normally VERY sure that everything they believe is entirely true and accurate AND that it is the most complete body of knowledge ever held by the human race.

The general public in any century or age tends to listen to these authorities and accept what they say as gospel. A few nonconformists and a few brilliant and imaginative radicals will always question it, however. They are usually dismissed as cranks by the majority. In more strict systems they are arrested and burnt at the stake or delivered up to some other hideous fate. Fortunately, things aren't that dangerous for nonconformists at the present time, or I would be in great danger. :-) Some people are nonconformists because they are wise, others merely because they are rebellious. Some come up with new ideas that lead to breakthroughs in understanding, others come up with new ideas that lead nowhere useful.

And the gods (if gods there are) laugh!

Because the fact is that the ivory tower authoritative men of any age, including the present one, have a very fragmentary understanding of reality, of the geological and natural history of this planet, of the nature of the Universe, of the nature of evolution, and of every other great subject. Despite their sublime confidence in their particular version of truth, they are fallible, they have blind spots, they are hampered by prejudice, habit, and assumption...and they are probably dead wrong about a great many very basic things.

That applies to our present authorities: the scientific community. It also applies to our present authorities in the various religious organizations, and in the educational fields.

Scientists are no more infallible than the Pope.

Therefore I consider what they have to say, and then I also think for myself, and I wait for new information to come forward.

Be assured that a century from now much of today's "gospel" will have been disproven and altered substantially from the present glib line. There will be new theories about dinosaurs, evolution, and various other things. Wait and see.

- LH