Quote:
Originally Posted by Dujon
The odd thing is that he managed to get the current Pope offside. That Pope was Urban VIII, previously Cardinal Barberini, a man with whom Galileo had been friends and often sat and discussed all things deep and meaningful. Why this relationship changed I have no idea.
It's all well and good to look back on those times and criticise the views and conclusions drawn, whether by the clergy or scientists - but it's unfair to do so. As far as I am concerned it is the same as attacking any theory or postulate expressed today regarding 'dark matter' (which I prefer to call 'the missing mass') or its mate in expansion 'dark energy'.
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Barberini's personna was well documented from his "modus operandi" regardless of dining soirees. As for criticising "views and conclusions drawn" thank god (no pun intended) that "Mother Church" no longer wields the power as well as the authority of yore - pity those poor heretics under her paw! (maybe a novel way of sorting out "true believers" to any new theories!)
Still, in extremely recent times(relatively) "The Church" did give old G a reprieve of sorts: they do seem to be stumbling their way towards some sort of contemporary accomodations; though critics of their birth control edicts in HIV ravaged countries are somewhat less forgiving! And of course we now have announced some sort of "dialogue" with the world of Islam - albeit that the current "Holy Father" could hardly have sought otherwise after his offensive remarks towards that faith following his "ascent."
But, dragging out the corpses of "martyred" (or just plain tortured/murdered victims of a yore of 500 or more years ago does no benefit, any descendants' class actions would go nowhere: why, even in this land of plenty where people suffered and are still suffering from actions and attitudes often of a past measured at most in small decades, mean-spirited souls begrudge or belittle even token gestures of national contrition; wrapping the smugness of their stances in cloaks of contemptuous criticism and indifference. What a sight a certain Mr Tuckey presented in Federal parliament recently, as he removed and "elevated" himself to an upstairs gallery!