Posted on 05/18/2009 9:12:37 PM PDT by bdeaner
I should clarify — a lot of folks call Aristotle a pagan, but by “pagan” I mean polytheism and the idea that the gods are within a cosmological order that has no inherent order. Aristotle was a monotheist who believed the universe did have an intrinsic order. But his philosophy lacked the cultural context to fully realize the scientific potential of his work. That potential, to be actualized, required Christianity.
According to Bruno the universe is infinite and is full of a plurality of heliocentric systems, which are composed of matter and soul. Both matter and soul are, rather than principles, two aspects of a single substance in which all opposites and all differences are reconciled. The soul of the universe is intelligent; it is God, conceived of as "Natura naturans." The world "Natura naturata" is an effect of God. Birth is the individualization of the infinite (God) in the finite; death is the return of the finite to the infinite. Religion has a practical but not a theoretical value. Morality is the participation of the individual in the life of the universe.
Is this science? No! Bad craziness! Burn him!
Be glad to. When i hear you explain where in hell the church finds in the words of Jesus, the authority to imprison any man .
doc,
Don’t fret. Most people are unfortunate enough that they do not get their death sentence until Judgment Day.
Well theres plenty of non christian roots of science, the Greeks did science, So did the Chinese, and certainly the Egyptians did. Euclid wrote his book on Geometry too,,,
It goes on and on.
Who said anything about flower children? The lord never made the slightest move to institute a civil government. The medieval papacy is about as far from the teachings of Christ as you can get.
I guess my Bible is missing a chapter.
some respond to the gospel by becoming simpletons. Like y’all have to give up your authority and position in life. what an absurd religion. We could all live like the Amish, right Desert?
“I guess my Bible is missing a chapter”
Christ the King. A God that does not have authority over the world is no God at all. “Omnipotent”. Try that word out, Desert.
We don't. Einstein knew this. It's all relative to frame of reference. The science works either way.
Thats a very reasonable definition of Paganism to most people i think. Greek gods certainly fit what i think of as “Pagan”.
In a relatively short time we have grown in our understanding from geocentric, to heliocentric, to learning that our position on the spiral arm of a flat galaxy, far from the center of the universe, is optimal for viewing the universe in all directions. Maybe the Earth is the “center” for observation, a good place for rational animals to come to know what was made for them?
The Church I am sure was concerned how new notions about the universe impacted the doctrine of the Incarnation. Insofar as man is not the pinnacle of creation, but rather where the spiritual and material worlds meet, the Incarnation proves not that man is greatest, but that he is the center, a good place for the Creator to “meet” His creation. Maybe some of the biblical references to the “Earth” being the center are really references to man being the center, in the sense that the “heavens and the earth” are often references to angels and men? Genesis 1:1 has such language, and St. Augustine comments on it.
” To the same effect Wisdom affirms, by the mouth of Solomon, “By me kings reigns and princes decree Justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth,” (Prov. 8: 15, 16.) For it is just as if it had been said, that it is not owing to human perverseness that supreme power on earth is lodged in kings and other governors, but by Divine Providence, and the holy decree of Him to whom it has seemed good so to govern the affairs of men, since he is present, and also presides in enacting laws and exercising judicial equity. This Paul also plainly teaches when he enumerates offices of rule among the gifts of God, which, distributed variously, according to the measure of grace, ought to be employed by the servants of Christ for the edification of the Church, (Rom. 12: 8.) In that place, however, he is properly speaking of the senate of grave men who were appointed in the primitive Church to take charge of public discipline. This office, in the Epistle to the Corinthians he calls “kuberneseis”, governments, (1 Cor. 12: 28.) Still, as we see that civil power has the same end in view, there can be no doubt that he is recommending every kind of just government” ....
“Be wise now therefore O you kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth,” “kiss the son, lest he be angry” (Psalm 2: 10, 12,) he does not order them to lay aside their authority and return to private life, but to make the power with which they are invested subject to Christ, that he may rule over all. In like manner, when Isaiah predicts of the Church, “Kings shall be thy nursing-fathers, and their queens and nursing- mothers,” (Isaiah 49: 23,) he does not bid them abdicate their authority; he rather gives them the honourable appellation of patrons of the pious worshipers of God; for the prophecy refers to the advent of Christ.
http://www.reformed.org/books/institutes/books/book4/bk4ch20.html
LOL,, The difference, is that nobody defends the actions of those other despots, or claims they represented Jesus.
And im dealing with it fine, looking straight at it and saying that anyone who did those things back then was a flaming Ahole. Even if they happened to be a papist.
Galileo certainly didn't think it was, but how do you explain the words of his condemnation?
he tried to turn it into a religious doctrine (as 18 other people have tried to point out.)
“DOCTRINE”, see that word in there?
are you aware of some scientific evidence that existed at the time that showed the copernican model to be correct? Explain that part to us and then explain how the anomolies in the Copernican model were finally resolved.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.