If the church was wrong about an earth-centered universe?

Question

Couldn't they be wrong about our evolution as well? It seems to be the same resistance to the truths revealed by science as during the middle ages. Religion is so resistant to change and evolve, unlike science which is self-correcting and ever changing.

"Science is better evolution than Genesis." Carl Sagan

I hope Carl Sagan didn't meet god because he would have questioned his logic to a point that god would've left, pissed off that he is revealed as a fraud.

But the church put people to death for teaching science. The arrested Gailieo for life, for "corrupting the young" Bruno was burned for saying that there is other life in the universe.

Answer 1

The BIble is written in poetic language, got it?

Answer 2

If you are really interested in the struggle between science and religion, I'd urge to take a look at the chapter "God's Handiwork" in Rodney Stark's book "For the Glory of God" published by Princeton University Press. Don't let the title fool you; this is not some blatantly Christian book. The titles are taken from things scientists of the early part of the "Scientific Revolution" (like Galileo and Newton) wrote. Stark really does a good job of cutting through the fairy tales we've all been fed about this era. The truth is the conflict was mostly instigated by humanist writers like Volataire and Julian Huxley, rather than by the church.

In fact, the church could not be "wrong" about an earth-centred universe, since this was a view that relenquished by the Scholastics (all churchmen) during the middle ages. Coperniucus wasn't the first to suggest a helio-centric solar system - he just neglected to cite his sources when he wrote his "Revolutions." The idea was widely discussed in Scholastic circles, drawing on the work of previous scientist/philosphers like William of Ockham (ca. 1295-1349) and Nichole d'Oresme (1325-1382) who was also a bishop.

Ironically, the stance against a non-earth-centered arose during the *Renaissance*, not the Middle Ages. This was an unfortunate fallout of the tension between Catholics and Protestants and I would argue it is neither representative nor endemic of religion *per se*.


As for your note, "But the church put people to death for teaching science. The arrested Gailieo for life, for "corrupting the young" Bruno was burned for saying that there is other life in the universe." The part about Galileo is true, but not the whole story and part about Bruno is untrue. He wasn't condemned for saying the there was other life in the universe - his ideas were about an infinate number of worlds that he espoused as theology. If he hadn't taught it as theology, he probably would have been fine.

As for Galileo, he could have avoided the trouble if he hadn't been so arrogant. The pope himself, Pope Urban VIII (formerly known as Matteo Barberini, a proponent of astronomy), had been a friend of his until Galileo lied to him about the release date of "Dialogue concerning the Two Chief World Systems". Urban, to who Galileo had dedicated one of his previous books, and who had been prepared to back Galileo (even advising him on how to couch some of his arguments) understandably felt betrayed - even more so when he read the book and discovered Galileo had put his word in the mouth of the "Simplico" character. Perhaps a little vindicatively, he then allowed more zealous Italian Catholics, overly senstive from recent Protestant accusations that they were unfaithful to the Bible, to prosecute Galileo.

The point is the Galileo was not a completely innocent victim, and his actions thoughtless placed the whole scientific enterprise in jeopardy.

Furthermore, the incident is contrary to the your thesis that "religion is resistent to change". The Counter-Reformation HAD changed the church, albeit in a reactionary way. Still it WAS change. Not all change is necessarily for the better!

Answer 3

The Catholic Church does not take the stories of creation in the Bible literally. Catholics believe the book of Genesis tells religious truth and not necessarily historical fact.

The religious truth is that God created everything and declared all was good.

The Church supports science in the discovery of God's creation. At this time, the theory of evolution is the most logical scientific explanation. However tomorrow someone may come up with a better idea.

As long as we believe that God started the whole thing, both the Bible and modern science can live in harmony.

With love in Christ.

Answer 4

Most churches accept evolution. There are a few backwaters where the church promotes blind obedience to the word of the Bible as interpreted by the church. These groups lose their power is the opening of the Bible is not literal.

The Old Testament was first written towards the end of the Babylonian exile (after the destruction of the Temple of Solomon) and compiled at the time of the Macabean revolt. It tells that Man, of all animals, is the chosen of God, and the Israelites the chosen among Man. Not bad for a people who knew mostly subjugation since the time of David and Solomon. We do not live at the center of the universe, and our only rule over nature is by brute force (let's face it, we can't beat nature). The message is as appealing now as it was twenty-five centuries ago, but in truth, we are specks in the universe.

Answer 5

nicely seem at it like this the technological understanding grow to be no longer accessible for the period of historic circumstances. So evidently what grow to be huge-spread by using the early Christians originated from Judaism. the conception grow to be the international grow to be flat and if someone sailed previous the horizon they'd fall off into the Abyss, and that Sheol (Hell) grow to be actually lower than the earth and that the earth grow to be the midsection of the large-spread universe being that the sky grow to be a dome and the celebrities, moon, and solar revolved around the earth interior of this dome. And that Heaven grow to be previous the dome even as the earth itself grow to be supported on pillars. I could factor out that Copernicus and Galileo were Roman Catholics.

Answer 6

If you are interested in the relation between evolution and religion you may want to read finding "Darwin’s God".

Truth of evolution leads to a greater faith and understanding of God and claims that, "The theory of evolution does not deny Genesis, but rather completes it."

Carl Sagan? But God said, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9

The Bible is pretty clear that Carl Sagan (just human) is not "good" on his own merit.

Carl Sagan think himself wise & expert but it would be foolish to place your confidence in him or any man in such matters.

Answer 7

Not all churches are that hard core. I was involved with a fellowship that believed the fact of evolution, but questioned the theory of evolution. Evolution has a factual side evidenced by the different kinds of dogs and cats and other animals that were evolved from just one kind in the beginning. The theory that cannot be proved and goes against the bible was questioned.

Answer 8

The Funny Thing is Science PROVED that Earth could be the center of the universe and not moving and the postulators of that got a Nobel Prize for their work around 1907. Even stranger, they re-did the experiments in 1980 and came up with the same results. Taking "error" into account there is zero motion.

Answer 9

what proof you offering about earth centered universe?
according to many divergent beliefs they agree the earth to lie between heaven and hell
the earth is the school of hard knocks
it is man who can choose to believe error and thus find in the afterlife the fruits of the life the lived on earth ,a life they chose freely to live.
man has a knack to be wrong
evolution [the theory] is not based on probability but on looks like
its based on sameness ,its not scientific proof ,show me the dna of the ape ,and lucy and man ,
its funny how the truth dosnt need to evolve ,truths like that ie unchanging ,far better to put your trust in an evolving evolutionary theory right ,as the facts gradually get changed to meet the eternal truth ,science will in time all remain an unchanging fact.
till then you trust that which allways is and allways will be faith based on spirit
or trust man ,who puts error into words they edit out next week ,ever changing science boy isnt that a fact.

Answer 10

"The Church" is not resistant to the idea of biological evolution. It is only a few fundmentalist groups which have separated themselves from "the Church" who hold such ignorant views, based on their personal, unauthorized and unauthoritative interpretations of Scripture.
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Answer 11

"Five hundred years ago, people knew the earth was flat. Five minutes ago, you knew we were alone in the universe. Just think of what we'll discover in the future." - A quote from Men In Black.

Like Richard Dawkins has stated, if you were to take an individual from the Middle Ages and place him in the 21st century, almost all aspects of his life would change...except his religion.