As to Galileo and Copernicus -
In terms of the Church, here was a group of human beings
who really thought that they represented the voice of God on earth.
Magisterium.]
It is difficult to imagine, in our own day, the fervid belief -
on the part of a handful human beings, that they were
responsible for the eternal destiny of others. That in a
hierarchy of realities, all else was subservient to theological ‘truth’ -
…as truth was defined by men who actually thought that
God inspired them and protected them, utterly, from error -
in that which concerned matters of faith and morals.
[One must remember, I think, that it was the CC who
began the university system.]
In the end, who gives a hoot what the Church held,
as to the work of Galileo and Copernicus. It was
a world unlike our own. By the early 16th century,
Rome’s worldly power began to ebb. The following
century saw the advent of the wildly mis-titled ‘Enlightment’ -
which ended up evincing as ‘scientism,’ in our own day.
Scientism ---->that which is not subject to empirical proof is granted no truth value.
Both 'I’ve got the true faith!" and scientism - are equally extreme positions - which end up distorting the beauty and the breadth of the world, and man’s place in it.
This distortion of reality was seen most clearly, in the
attitude of churchmen, in positions of power, toward what
they held to be heresy
quote: reen12, from another thread
Whispers are often heard, when tyranny abounds - whether it was the Pilgrims fleeing England,
John Hus - trying to keep his light under a bushel? - or Anne Hutchinson, who miscarried, after being hectored by her fellow Christians, when she was put on trial - for months - including imprisonment, by a perfectly odius bunch of believers, before being exiled from the colony. Mother of 14 children, Anne would have been better off, had she conveyed her views in a whisper. :coffeeread:
g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/51SFxXNtXRL.jpg
[At one point, in Christian history, you never could tell when the forces of light and goodness would light a pile of sticks, at your bound feet…the more to give off the light of truth?]
An ‘illuminating’ period, in the course of Christian history?
Stake burning was not limited to Holy Mother Church - and her warm embrace of some of her children - which some of her children found too hot to handle.
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At given points, in Christian history, some could read the words of the Creed, by the light given off by the fires.
Who knows?
Maybe these fervid followers, of the Prince of Peace - got the
flames of the stake confused with tongues of fire.
http://bestsmileys.com/nono/9.gif
reen12
Perhaps he was pining for a bit of peace and quiet, but he certainly didn’t lack company, and he was eating and drinking the world’s finest Italian food and wine.
How is it possible to be so hard-hearted? You seem such an intelligent and curious person. In all sincerity, is there any love in your life? Love and God are mysteries.
