[Tribune7]

The Greeks invented the modern mind- everthing after that - even how we "Know" God is thanks to them.

I wouldn't shortchange the Greeks but don't underestimate the Christian -- especially Catholic -- influence on western science.

Copernicus was a church leader and Gallileo -- despite the press -- died in good spiritual standing with the church.

The debate as to who started modern science usually ends up being between Roger Bacon, a monk, or Sir Francis Bacon, a Protestant.

I've argued that without the Biblical condemnation of idolotry and its exhortation to honor truth, the scientific method would never have occurred.

[ffusco]

I love Bacon! Science would not be possile without an understanding of cause and effect- Aristotle's causality?

Of course many, many Christains were scientists, and It was a duty to God to discover his laws. The idea that God had created an ordered world and that the Natural laws could be dicovered by experimentation which were repeatable and predictable. The idea that God didn't interfere with his divine creation was neccessary for men of science to do their work, but it was antithetical to The Church- that's why Galileo needed to recant!

The competing desires to discover natural law without contradicting canon can be seen as a desire to keep order in a chaotic world.