Hi folks - interesting reading.
My theory (for what it's worth) is that despite layers of religious varnish, most often the affairs of human beings and decisions they make are driven by notions of power and political advantage. The topic under discussion is one such example.
Religion, if it be true, has nothing to fear from science since ultimately science will confirm the facts of existence within its scope of operation. There are some aspects of faith and belief which science may never be able to neither confirm nor deny, but there well may be some which science can definitively deny as well.
Mr G's problem was that he, as others have stated, challenged the power of the Vatican in the realm of knowledge - and knowledge is power. Power, authority, influence - all these things were at stake in Old Gal's purely scientific discoveries.
Has the church dissolved into a quivering morass because Gallileo was right? No, certainly not. If anything, the wonders of the universe to which he opened our eyes has been an inspiration to the religiously minded.
For the record - I'm a theological student...but don't hold that against me!
