Gravity

I often hear scientists say that gravity is a purely attractive force. In his 1967 article “GRAVITATION”, World Book Encyclopedia’s Robert F. Paton M.Sc., Ph.D. presents a view closer in time to General Relativity’s formulation when he writes –

“Einstein says that bodies do not attract each other at a distance. They merely follow the line of least resistance through the hills and valleys of the curved space that surrounds other bodies. Objects that fall to the earth, for example, are not “pulled” by the earth. The objects are pushed toward the earth by the gravitational field rather than pulled by the earth.”

Why do scientists claim to follow general relativity but contradict it by stating that gravity pulls? The only explanation I can think of is that they realize the relativistic push of gravity always results in, seemingly, a Newtonian pull. This article presents one way this potentially troubling Einstein / Newton, or push / pull, situation could be resolved.