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Galileo Galilei Influence On Religion

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The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries were a time a serious theological and scientific debate. Many people still held firmly to the idea that the Bible was the word of God and therefore the complete truth. But with so much evidence to the contrary, some people were turning away from the mixed messages of the Bible and moving towards the possibility that science, or natural philosophy, could answer questions that were otherwise unexplained. Galileo Galilei, like other scientists and explorers of his time, boldly faced religious condemnation in order to pursue his endeavors. Galileo’s plea to the Grand Duchess Christina of Tuscany provides valuable insight into the struggle for scientists to overcome antiquated religious ideology and the power it has on human perception. …show more content…

He argues that firm belief does not trump visible evidence if the evidence contests it. In those circumstances it is important to be open to new ideas and not let unconfirmed ideology influence your results. Any bias to personal opinion or belief devalues the process. His theological opponents were guilty of this, using Biblical passages against him in writings, even if the arguments presented with them were not sound. Without sound arguments to rely on, fear of damnation was used to try and turn people away from Galileo’s beliefs. They warned people of condemnation from the Pope, exploiting the belief that the Pope is infallible. Galileo recognized what a serious threat disapproval from the Pope could have against the scientific community in a time period where its pursuits were already highly

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