Over the past thousand years did religion slow down the progress of science?

Question

Ask Copernicus.

Answer 1

Most Christians and some Jewish folks are fairly self centered. Remember that when Islam came on the World scene, the biggest boon to science took place then. For the first time in centuries the knowledge of Greece, Rome, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, India and China came together in one region by translating the books from all these places into Arabic.

That is why you still call the numeric system Arabic numbers, because the concept of the numbers and the concept of Zero came from India. Gun powder and China (plates and bowls) came from China, paper and ink and many means of communicating came to the West through the Muslims.

Ironically if you check out the scholars who taught Copernicus what he knew, you will be surprised to learn that they were Muslims. Because the Church would burn you at the stake if you chose anything taken from Islam, many of these poor budding scientists had to hide their sources.

Remember no kindergarten school child goes to first grade without studying and improving himself. The reason Renaissance took place in Italy was because Italy was next to Spain. Spain which had eighty thousand libraries filled with manuscripts in a region where all the rest of Europe did not have any!! Muslims faced two great catastrophes that pushed them back centuries. First the loss of all the libraries of Spain, and then the loss of all the libraries of Persia and Mesopotamia when the Mongol hordes came through that region and burnt all the libraries until the river Euphrates was turned black.

The heartland of Islam was over-run by the Mongols, and many of the Muslims never recovered from those attacks. Ironically the Mongols converted to Islam themselves, but they had already done the damage which was irreversible. However, the knowledge of Spain continued to blossom in Europe.

You can not explain the Reformation and Renaissance without the context of Spain. There was a lot of interaction between the Muslims and Christians after the crusades, as many Christians learnt the TRUTH of ISLAM. Great men such as St. Francis returned back from the Muslim lands changed persons.

However, if you mean by religion the dogmatic men of the Catholic church who would burn people for calling the Earth round, then you are right, they did hinder the progress of science.

Remember also that our Prophet taught to the Muslims around him to go to China to acquire knowledge if you must. He used to free men of the enemy if they taught ten Muslims to read and write. How can you generalize religion to be only backwards?

Imam Ali said that science is nothing but the study of the Artwork of Allah!! When you study nature around you, you become closer to the Maker. Anyone who is a logical scientist can not but marvel at the beauty of the creation around us.

I hope this makes sense to you.

Answer 2

Yes of course - check the past - all scientists were killed. Galelio was prisoned. Michael Angelo, Leonardo Da Vinci had to flee or do everything under cover...

The Church has pushed the world back by at least 1500 years. If not of Constantine and his Christianity - today - 2006 AD, we probably would be where the earth would be in year 5000. (Because it is still slowing things to a greater extent by not letting people think out of the box - still load of people do not live to their true potential!)

Answer 3

The church caused many facts to be forgotten.

Around 200 B.C. Eratosthenes calculated the equatorial circumference of the earth, yet over 1000 years later people were saying it was flat. The catholic church set science back hundreds of years by making FALSE "LAWS," many of which actually VIOLATED or CONTRADICTED SCRIPTURE.

But don't blame it all on religion. The 1897 Indiana Legislature tried to establish the value of Pi by referendum. Politicians get some credit too.

Ahhh... I see someone brought up the red herring stem cell research AGAIN.

President Bush's veto of that bill ONLY affected government sponsored research.

PRIVATE RESEARCH WAS UNAFFECTED.

It has been and still is going on. Many scientists believe embryonic stem cell research holds little chance of fruitful return on the research dollar.

Private bio-tech firms that stand to make BILLIONS if that research "pays off" are not investing much into it...

THEY DON'T THINK IT WILL WORK!

Why do politicians keep trying to legislate science???

Answer 4

No not at all. After the dark ages we came out into the Renaissance and it was quite productive in terms of science. I dont think that religion stopped the progress of science, mealy monitored it within the confides of the religion. I think what has blighted peoples idea that the church prohibited with advancement of science were those instances where fundamental breakthroughs were often marred by the scientist claiming God doesnt exist, or at least not in the way the church sees it.

Answer 5

I believe so. Everytime someone tried to come up with something in the name of science they were looked upon as wicked. Look what the church did to Newton when he proposed the Theory of Gravity. Or the criticism given by the Church when Nicolaus Copernicus said the Earth and the Planets rotate around the sun....The fear of God brought fear to men, anything that seemed like Magic or Witchcraft was condemmed.

Answer 6

I think it's the other way around. Now "creationists" are scrambling to find an explanation of how the Earth could only be 6,000 years old. Pathetic. On the other hand, you have Galilleo recanting his astronomical discoveries. And the Church, in its infinite wisdom, finally "pardoned" him in 1998. About 300 years later. I doubt organized religion has much of a future. I certainly hope it doesn't. Maybe spirituality will take its place. "Spirituality unites people, religion divides people." How true.

Answer 7

Hebrew scribs have written about a 10 dimensional universe more than 1400 years ago. The bible is the oldest writing on the earth being round by about 2000 years. Science used to think earth was flat.

However, I do not have an answer to your question. I just answer the one that is assumed.

Answer 8

Not only in the past...it is doing so now. Because of the fundamentalist beliefs regarding the soul, stem cell research is being hampered in the United States, the country most capable of contributing to the technology. It is a signal of the demise of the United States as a trusted progenitor of scientific knowledge.

Answer 9

Of course it did. It's dong that right now in very measurable ways. Funding for stem cell research is a good example. Galileo was constantly threatoned by the church. Des cartes had to do all of his writings in secret due to the church. Isaak Newton wrote the calculus back when t could get you hanged by the neck.
It goes on and on.

Answer 10

Yes it certainly did. Religion wants to slow down any progress right now today.