Replies

Me:
it's debatable whether the culture in those days [the time of the Galileo Affair] encouraged such scientific study.

You:
No it's not. It was one of the greatest ages of scientific discovery. It could not have a occured in a culture which did not encourage scientific discovery.

Are you saying that events like the Galileo Affair encouraged scientific study? I say the opposite. So by definition the proposition is debatable. You're not serious that it was all peaches and cream for scientific research, are you?

Me:
but his [Galileo's]astronomical and other discoveries didn't come from scripture

You:
Well, it came from a curiosity and a belief that truth was an absolute and that it was a sin to worship stars. The later two came from scripture.

Repeat: his discoveries did not come from scripture.

Giordano Bruno (1548-1600) was not burned for his scientific opinions. He was burned because he was a bit of a con man and because he said Christ was not God but merely an unusually skilful magician among other things.

I'm not certain of that, but even so ... is that supposed to make it better? Those were hellish times. It's silly to pretend otherwise.

Are you saying that events like the Galileo Affair encouraged scientific study?

I'm saying it wasn't the norm -- even in Galileo's life. He was a friend of the Pope and was one of the most respected men in his day, even during his house arrest.

Repeat: his discoveries did not come from scripture.

How literal do you want to be? Do you want to say they came from a telescope? That would be inaccurate. They came from Galileo. What made up Galileo's world view? Scripture had a huge role, and it had a huge role in making up the outlooks of those with whom Galileo came into contact i.e. his culture.

I'm not certain of (the reason for Giordano Bruno's death),

You provided the initial link. :-)

but even so ... is that supposed to make it better?

It only refutes the idea that Bruno was killed for his scientific views.

Those were hellish times. It's silly to pretend otherwise.

And again that's relative. I certainly wouldn't want to trade my Constitutional privleges for a theocracy.

On the other hand, I suspect that most places and times in human history were worse that fin-de-cycle 16th century Italy.