Why Galileo?

Question

I see creationists often trot out scientists that _appear_ to support their wild theories, like Galileo. Are we forgetting history?

Galileo advocated the heliocentric (earth revolves around the sun) view instead of the geocentric (guess?) view which at the time was church doctrine coming from literal bible text (Psalms 93:1; 96:10; 104:5, 1Chronicles 16:30 and Ecclesiastes 1:4,5)

He was attacked by the church. He wrote a book for the pope examining the two views. The pope didn't like it.

Galileo was ordered to stand trial on suspicion of heresy in 1633. The sentence of the Inquisition:
- Galileo was required to recant his heliocentric ideas
- He was ordered imprisoned; (later commuted to house arrest)
- publication of any of his works was forbidden

He died on January 8, 1642, was reburied on sacred ground in 1737, was formally rehabilitated in 1741, and in 1758 the general prohibition against heliocentrism was removed. John Paul II apologised in 1992, 350 years after his death.

p.s. Galileo was a devout Roman Catholic. If anything he is a shining example of how man should not blindly follow the church when there is obvious evidence to the contrary.

Answer 1

That and Newton and Kepler, they point out they were Christians but of course nearly everyone was in those days, their modern equivalents are atheists and it is almost certain they would be if they were around today.

Answer 2

the sad part is how dumb the old christians were,they used religion as a control and that free thinkers,like galileo or the druids or even muslums who were all groups were more advanced than the church at the time and the church was scared, they would lose their control,so they did what the imams are doing today and trying to keep control by surppressing thier followers,free thinking has no room in religion.religion cause more death than any wars,wonder if this was realy gods plan,give the people all these rules,leave and never come back,

Answer 3

A lot of Christians who doubt evolution don't understand scientific meaning and use of words.

Christians who doubt evolution are apt to say things like”evolution is just a theory”. Such statements betray a misunderstanding of the way the term ‘theory’ is used in scientific discourse. In Science, facts must be explained in reference to other facts. These larger explanatory models are ‘theories’. Theories make predictions and can be tested.

The phrase ‘theory of evolution’ doesn’t suggest that evolution is not proven. One can speak about ‘the germ theory of disease’ or ‘the theory of gravitation’ without casting doubt upon disease or gravity theories as facts of nature. ---Letter to a Christian Nation-- by Sam Harris

Answer 4

Of course they forget history - thats why they BELEIVE that book called the Bible....they know nothing of its history either.