how detrimental has religion been to the progress of science over the centuries?

Question

the killing of scientists as heretics by the religious over the centuries and the

tax breaks given to the religious that could go toward scientific research and real answers for man kind

Answer 1

If it wasnt for religion ,what would all of our super inteligent scientists spend there lives trying to prove wrong.

Answer 2

What do you think?

Before Theodosius allowed the Christians to destroy the Library of Alexandria and herald the greatest massacre of professionals and knowledge of human history, it was widely known the Earth was a sphere and revolved around the Sun.

By 600 CE, the Catholic Church has succeeded in pushing the world back to the Stone Age and superstitious and pig ignorant beliefs (some of which still surface in yahoo answers...) The Pope proclaimed that the world was flat!

Fast forward to the 17th Century, and a majority of "educated" christians still believed this hogwash.

There are literally hundreds of other practical examples at:
http://one-faith-of-god.org/final_testament/end_of_darkness/evil/evil_0040.htm

The fact that many christians who answer here have no idea of what the church did is excellent evidence of just how detrimental to learning and knowledge religion has been.

They are quite happy and proud to be ignorant- a behaviour unique to the advent of Christianity.
Cheers

Answer 3

Good question - didn't know the religious get tax breaks, that's way unfair! Science and religion don't mix, because religion is based on fantasy and science on proof. It baffles me that more people are prepared to believe in something which will never be proven, over something based on proof of facts and attainment of knowledge. So to answer your question, VERY detrimental!

Answer 4

To Julia who asks what scientists were killed as heretics.

The Catholic church is NOT a fan of science.

They ONLY apologised for Galileo 400 years after he died, and ONLY because of public opinion and pressure.

They killed Giordano Bruno for his beliefs. Bruno was a mathematician & cosmologist (he said there were many worlds - while the church said the Earth was the centre of the universe - which OBVIOUSLY it is not)

Answer 5

Islam was never like that.

In the Qu'ran it states that the Earth had a mantel.

In the Qu'ran it states that the earth is spherical.

In the Qu'ran it states that the moon is reflected light.

The Qu'ran is perfectly aligned with both Science and History, also we are promoted to continue to seek knowledge.

Did you know that it was Muslim scholars that modernize some field of science today such as Chemistry and Astronomy? Chemistry was derived from the word Alchemy, which was from Al-kimiya.

So yeah here's all my points and facts, any questions?

Peace out.

Answer 6

Are you kidding me? Without the Catholic Church -- and its patronage and support of learning and science throughout the ages in its schools and universities -- there would be no science!

What "killing of scientists as heretics" are you talking about? Who are you talking about? Give us some evidence. Give us some examples.

"Tax breaks given to the religious" allow the Catholic Church to operate the very schools that foster, promote, and sponsor much of the very scientific research that you're talking about.

No offense, but you need to get informed first before you write.

.

Answer 7

This is a moot question ! Was it religion, or an ignorant interpretation of it coupled with unbounded power and self-interest that did it ? Religion, but especially spirituality is for educated, balanced, well-meaning persons, not for exalted fanatics who go into tantrums and, this is not limited to the middle ages alone .

Answer 8

Depends which centuries and in which parts of the world.

Answer 9

maybe restraints on scientific progress is a good thing? I do not support it, but think about it.