Heiser-The-Facade - Sparkling Eyes

CHAPTER 5"It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put upmy thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn't feel like agiant. I felt very, very small."—Neil Armstrong"YOU CAN'T BE serious!" Melissa exclaimed incredulously."I'm afraid I am," Dr. Chadwick responded in a resigned tone. "I know how itsounds, but a high percentage of cattle reported as having been mutilated share the samekind of genetic alterations as those herds we've determined are most responsible for themethane increase.""Why hasn't this correlation been detected before or has it?" queried FatherBenedict with undisguised suspicion, his brow furrowed with concern."First of all, the genetic alteration isn't something you'd ever detect unless youwere looking for it," the biochemist explained, directing his attention toward the priest."The genetic change isn't some-thing that produces some visible mutation, like growingan extra limb or something of that magnitude. What we're talking about, in oversimplifiedterms, is a minute change in genetic coding that tells the intestines to produce,say, lots of chemical `A,' and less of chemicals `B' and `C.' The result is a chemicalreaction that creates large quantities of the more durable gaseous compound. What wedidn't know for some time was what triggered the alteration in chemical production. It'sactually quite fascinating—like watching an evolutionary arc in process.""You're suggesting then that these genetic abnormalities have occur r ednaturally?" the priest followed up, his eyebrows raised in skepticism."Well .. " he paused, "that is something we considered seriously, " he saiduncertainly, looking at his scientific colleagues, all of whom remained silent.Brian sighed loudly and slumped back in his chair, shaking his head."I take it you aren't satisfied with an accidental explanation," the Colonelcommented, looking in Brian's direction."Hardly.""Who are you to question the data they've compiled?""I'm not questioning anyone's data. It seems to me that the evolutionaryexplanation is an assumption to which one could retreat in order to form aninterpretation of the data. Besides, I didn't hear that Dr. Chadwick or his colleaguesreached that conclusion.""You haven't any scientific credentials," the Colonel continued, ignoring Brian'sobservation. "You're out of your field.""And I'd be out of my mind if I accepted such a lame conclusion," Brian repliedin an annoyed voice. "It seems much more plausible that an outside agent would beforcing such change than some random event.""Maybe he doesn't like the interpretation because it's evolutionary," Melissaopined with a smirk. "Many religious people just can't handle the reality of the48