[JCEccles]

the impact of Newton was astounding. The development of calculus alone has changed so much of science. Of course, this sort of question makes one think of other greats such as Galileo Galilei, who had to face a world of mindless religious fanaticism which would have rather seen us all as slaves eating dirt.

Newton was profondly, deeply, even zealously religious.

More recently, Kurt Godel, one of the greatest logicians of all time, was also a religious believer.

The notion that religious belief necessarily cramps the intellect, that atheism is essential to thinking clearly and accurately, is a modern superstition and conceit.

[Ichneumon]

Newton was profondly, deeply, even zealously religious.

Truth be told, even to the point of being a fruitcake about it. By modern Christian standards, Newton would most likely be considered a cultist.

More recently, Kurt Godel, one of the greatest logicians of all time, was also a religious believer.

Yeah, so?

The notion that religious belief necessarily cramps the intellect,

...is a straw man. That's not the argument that is made.

that atheism is essential to thinking clearly and accurately,

...is a claim that I've never seen anyone actually make. Perhaps you should deal with people's actual arguments.

is a modern superstition and conceit.

So is the belief that faith is somehow a great enhancer of scientific ability or a special boon to the acquisition of scientific knowledge. On average, it seems to me to be rather a wash.

Taking the current subject for example: If anything, Newton's obsession with fringe religious research (and alchemy, but that's another subject) wasted valuable intellect and time that would have been far more profitably spent doing further work in mathematics or science.

How many discoveries were lost to mankind, or delayed by decades or centuries, because Newton spent a significant fraction of his life noodling around with Revelations (producing nothing of vaule) instead of doing more productive research?