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When the Catholic Church was wrong (and ended the Italian Renaissance)

When Galileo was on trial for his blasphemous claim that the earth revolved around the sun, thus challenging one of the beliefs supported by the Church (Psalms 104:5), Cardinal Bellarmine was quoted as saying,  "To assert that the earth revolves around the sun is as erroneous a claim that Jesus was not born of a virgin."  Naturally, it was not erroneous to assert that the earth revolves around the sun (we'll leave the other part of the argument alone for now, but one must wonder, if the claim decried as false in the first part is proven true, then what about the second half?).

The question is:  The Catholic Church has had "doctrine" that it held for hundreds of years, based on scripture, that impeded the progress of science, and which has been proven to be false.  Why, then, is it wrong to assume that the time will come that other doctrine will be proven to be wrong? 

Side note:  The history of the trial is fascinating, in a tragic and horrific way.  Here is a site that tells the story, for history and science buffs.

"The trial of Galileo is fascinating both for what it reveals about the very different minds of two remarkable seventeenth-century figures and for what it tells us about the dangers of a bureaucracy intent on preserving its own power."
Douglas Linder
University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law

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jsbenkert

Asked by jsbenkert at 8:09 PM on Jul. 15, 2012 in Religious Debate

Level 37 (87,630 Credits)
Answers (52)
  • "And over time we find that Galileo's hypothesis was not entirely correct either..."

    ah yes, since Galileo was wrong (even tho at the time he was more correct than any one else) it was okay what the Catholic Church did to him. whats next...justifying the Inquisition? or is it like Luther & it was all just a big misunderstanding & Luther was in the wrong for not waiting years & years while the church stopped a practice they put into place but now deny?

    i think the Catholic Church would do best to just admit when they've done wrong (& sooner than hundreds of years later) & move on. no one expects a bunch of men to be 100% correct all the time. just stop making excuses & own up to it. but no, every thing has to be justified and/or hidden away to keep the men in charge from looking like mere men. if Jesus is their ideal, why not strive for it by being honest, instead of letting their ego get in the way?
    okmanders

    Answer by okmanders at 12:40 PM on Jul. 16, 2012

  • "The Church has been wrong before, and murdered men for it. What's to say they aren't wrong in their positions now?"

    Atheism has also been wrong and has murdered many for it. How does that prove it IS wrong now?

    Sharon
    momto2boys973

    Answer by momto2boys973 at 3:10 PM on Jul. 16, 2012

  • "no one expects a bunch of men to be 100% correct all the time"

    Sadly, it's precisely what we're seeing right now in this very thread. I mean the OP just said that and I quoted: Since they've been wrong before, why can't they be wrong now? There shouldn't be a relationship. The geocentric model wasn't exclusive to Christianity, many cultures shared that belief and it wasn't such a far-fetched conclusion to arrive at with the observational capacities of those times. Christian Geocentrism was based in mistranslations and misinterpretations, which they used to match the accepted observations of the time. Judaism, for example, always believed in an heliocentric model (the Sun as the center of the Universe), even with the same scripture.
    But you cannot take a misinterpretation made to match the SCIENTIFIC ideas of the time with their MORAL ideas regarding birth control and homosexuality.

    Continued...
    momto2boys973

    Answer by momto2boys973 at 3:19 PM on Jul. 16, 2012

  • Because those positions aren't based on any scientific fact, they're based on moral grounds. What could be discovered about BC or homosexuality that could make the Church's position wrong in these matters? Nothing, really.
    So the fact that they made a mistake at that point doesn't mean that some of their current positions would come crashing down, unless they're once again claiming truth in scientific matters that could be proven wrong later on.

    Sharon
    momto2boys973

    Answer by momto2boys973 at 3:21 PM on Jul. 16, 2012

  • The story about Galileo is true, and I didn't embellish any part of what I wrote. In fact, I supplied a link from the University of Missouri that relates the history of the trial of Galileo by the Catholic Church. You take issue with how I use a term, but there is nothing untrue in what I wrote. There are, however, several red herrings in your comments, without a single answer to the question to the original question.
    >>
    Of course their was, the piece was obviously slanted and the trial edited to fit what the writer wanted it to say. Untrue and misleading...not to far apart.
    adnilm

    Answer by adnilm at 5:29 PM on Jul. 16, 2012

  • Very well, Muggeridge.


    It's always a pleasure "debating" with you, without ever discussing the topic of discussion.
    jsbenkert

    Comment by jsbenkert (original poster) at 5:58 PM on Jul. 16, 2012

  • All over our country great works of art and being destroyed because they have a christian base and they are in schools or other government controled property.

    Hilter had a great many books destroyed.

    That is two. You can go throughout history and find where one group has destroyed the works of abother. It is nothing new.
    And yes the Church had a good number of pieces of art altered. Naked male nedes in the Vatican come to mind lol.The Church has also preserved a great many works that would have been destroyed all over the world
    Dardenella

    Answer by Dardenella at 12:50 AM on Jul. 17, 2012

  • Why is the CC always the target of bashing? What about the founder of the church of England who started that church bc the CC wouldn' t condone his desire to murder his wives who didn't provide him with a male heir to the throne. ( I'm speaking of King Henry Vll.) And egg in his face it was him that wasn't providing the maile sperm. The only time the church is irrefutable correct is when the Pope speaks on Doctine and Dogm form the throne of Peter. On other matters it could be wrong, but regardless of its way Scripture says that the gates of hell would not prevail against it. Even Peter who was chosen to be the first Pope put his foot in his mouth, Jesus rebuked him saying " Get thee behind me satan". Jesus knew of our human weakness but he entrusted the Church to us any way. Why ? Because he would send the Paraclete to lead and He would be with us to the end of time.
    candbtea

    Answer by candbtea at 1:56 AM on Jul. 17, 2012

  • Correction typo error I was refering to King Henry Vlll but you probably knew that.
    candbtea

    Answer by candbtea at 1:57 AM on Jul. 17, 2012

  • I was expecting someone to complain that the CC is being "bashed".


    Maybe it appears that way is because it has been the focus of a few recent questions.  A question was raised about something related to the CC, which led to a related question, then another. 


    This question is not bashing anything.  I am asking how we can expect the CC to remain static from this point forward on its stances on particular issues when it has been proven wrong and/or changed its position on others in the past.
    jsbenkert

    Comment by jsbenkert (original poster) at 9:40 AM on Jul. 17, 2012

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