How much further along would science and medicine be?

Question

If the christian church hadn't persecuted and executed some of the most brilliant minds in history?

wefmeister-what choice did they have? After seeing others burned at the stake how eager would anyone be to stand up and say I am not a believer.

The church also exectuted and persecuted many christian scientists that was part of my point. I am not saying none of them were christian/

Copernicus
Gallileo
Bruno

Some better known names, there are hundreds you have never heard of see below.

http://archives.aaas.org/publications.php?pub_id=647

Never mind you just helped me make my point, religion loves blood.

Bad Buhhudist, you need to learn to read better

Answer 1

It's a daunting thought, isn't it?

But it's not just the scientists themselves that have been killed... ideas have been victim to religion as well. Think stem cell research... how many people have died/are dying because they refuse to give up that "soul" argument? Really makes me nauseous thinking about it.

Answer 2

Well, you are right and wrong. The Church did NOT persecute Copernicus. He published the same ideas as did Galileo, but the Church did NOTHING to Fr. Copernicus (yes, Copernicus was a Priest).

It was a strange and brief era in which the church of Rome actively persecuted some scientists, but lets not pretend scientific inquiry went nowhere. Actually most of the greatest scientists were within the church and working under its aegis...and they did good work. I think the problem came into play when some outside the Roman church made discoveries, because the Roman church felt it was a challenge to the hegemony of their power. It was a 'power thing' not legitimately religious.

Without the Church we would in actuality be CENTURIES behind where we are now. It was shortly after the fall of Rome that Priests, Monks, and Bishops began establishing centers of learning (usually at Monastaries) which became our great European universities. So before you cast nothing but blame, you ought also give credit where credit is due..... It's really quite a mixed bag, but with far more good than bad.

Answer 3

Which scientists were executed?

EDIT: OK, Bruno was executed. That's one.

I don't see how you can say that Copernicus was even persecuted.

The Church has acknowledged mistakes in the Galileo affair repeatedly. Pope John Paul II specifically apologized. How long will people continue to harp on it?

Maybe science and medicine would be further along if the Church hadn't interfered, but have you noticed that science and medicine developed in Christian cultures far beyond what they ever did in non-Christian cultures?

Answer 4

I would have to say somewhat further. Religion likes to play master and ruler of all. Just look at stem-cell research. The church is against, but this research has the potential to cure many diseases.

Will those who oppose the research not accept a cure for cancer that comes from this field of study, should they need it?

Answer 5

Agreed. But not to worry. We are now entering the Age of Aquarius, --it's the time when Man will increase his knowledge and will begin to decide for himself --rather than being told what to do, as has been the case in the Age of Pisces that now winds down to a grinding halt*.

I envision that within the next five years, Man could conceivably be experiencing the resurgence of a new "Renaissance II" era. Newer art forms and media. New finds and discoveries. New inventions and developments in technology and medicine. Who knows? It could happen... right?

Peace be with you.

* * * * * * *

(*) Astrologically feasible on Dec. 21, 2012 --which happens to be the same FINAL DATE on the Mayan calendar.

Answer 6

I had a dream that answered this. His church is still in the process of being built. Those you spoke of are just the sand and gravel of the floor. They are symbolically rough. The higher the building goes the closer to the truth and more clear the vision. We are the builders and not the congregation.

Answer 7

Probably a good several centuries. The Islamics also murdered their fair share of brilliant minds. Read about the Library of Alexandria.

Answer 8

It's a double-edged sword. The spread of Christianity and the Crusades were responsible for much of what became the Renaissance, but after that... Ugh.

Answer 9

Uhh, you don't know your history my friend, but go ahead and *name* all of the brilliant minds that were persecuted.

For most of humanity you could not separate science from religion. Until modern time, many of our greatest scientists were also deeply religious.

Oh, and Mao killed more brilliant people then anyone every has on this planet. In fact, he killed *more people* then anyone ever has on this planet...

And he was a strict atheist.

Reply:

Copernicus was never persecuted by the church.

Galileo (the most famous of all 'persecutions') was put under house arrest *mainly* for publicly ridiculing the Pope. Galileo remained a strict Catholic until he died.

So that leaves you the minor scientific figure Bruno.

Look, *humanity's* hands are filthy with blood my friend, but to look for simple answers like blaming it on religion is a form of denial on your part. It is a denial of who you are because we are all capable of the exact same thing.

What makes people like you *exactly* the same as the people you criticize is that you are willing to divide humanity into 'good' (non-religious) and 'evil' (religious).

And just like the fundies you criticize, you're too freakin dogmatic to know what you're doing.

Answer 10

Why did the "church" push scientific thought. A Greek mathematician alive in 200 B.C. calculated the equatorial circumference of the earth, so obviously they knew it was round.