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G4EBT > PHILOS 24.06.05 17:43l 140 Lines 5653 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 8E0076G4EBT
Read: GUEST
Subj: Re: Galileo and the Church 1/2
Path: ON0AR<ON0AR<DB0RES<DK0WUE<GB7FCR
Sent: 050624/1742Z @:GB7FCR.#16.GBR.EU #:54676 [Blackpool] FBB-7.03a $:8E0076G4
From: G4EBT@GB7FCR.#16.GBR.EU
To : PHILOS@WW
First, a health warning:
It's been inferred that people can be upset by reading things they might
not like, but that they might not know they won't like until they've
finished reading. That's a view I wholly reject.
This shouldn't need to be said, but here's a health warning to bigots and
packet policemen:
I don't write bulletins to seek the approval of others, or to give bigots
and trolls something to moan or write flame-bait about, but nor do I write
to deliberately cause offence.
What I do mind very much, is when people try to tell me what they think I
can or can't, should or shouldn't write about. The things which interest
me most are politics, religion, human rights, morals and ethics, on which
I hold strong and sincere views. I like history, geography, etymology,
poetry and ecology too.
I don't mind if others have different interests or alternative views, and
I don't seek to suppress those views. I'm not saying I'm always right, but
hey - even a stopped clock is right twice a day!
We're all permitted to write about these things, and use the "freedom
and democracy" that politicians say they want to export to the rest of
the world, (leaving a trail of destruction, death and broken lives in
their wake, so keen are they to accomplish this aim).
I write about things I'm interested in, and which I hope others might be
interested in too. If they are, that's a bonus. If it stimulates activity,
that's even better, but if not, I enjoy myself anyway. (That's what
hobbies are for).
People who try to gag me might as well try to reverse the force of
gravity. I'm not new to packet - I've put more than 6,000 bulletins out,
over more than a decade, on more than 150 topics. Most know how I write
and what I write about.
I'm a windbag - I write interminably long bulletins, but if you don't like
me or how I write, please don't read them - I don't want to upset you, and
besides, why waste your time? If you do read my stuff and don't like what
you read, you're the architect of your own misfortune. In short, get off
my case.
Right, that said, here goes:
Andy, GM7HUD wrote:-
> >Andrew, ZL4AJS:-
> > It wasn't Christians who said the earth was
> > flat or the sun revolved around it!
Andy, GM7HUD:
> Er forgive me, but I do believe the last time I looked The Catholic
> Church was considered a Christian religion.
> Would you like to check your history books for how The Catholic Church
> treated Galileo and Bruno for accepting and publishing the Copernican
> theories that the Earth revolved around the Sun and thus going against
> the view held by the church that the Sun revolved about the Earth!
Galileo's predicament was a classic example of how religious dogma and
persecution held back scientific progress and enlightenment in the middle
ages.
His life is an interesting, if tragic saga. His contribution to science
is incalculable, as was his courage and endurance. (Well I think so).
In 1595 he investigated the Copernican theory that the earth revolves
around the sun, rather than Aristotelian, Ptolemaic and biblical
assumptions that planets circle a fixed earth.
Nicolaus Copernicus, (1473-1543), was the Polish astronomer best known
for his astronomical theory that the sun is at rest near the centre of
the universe, and that the earth - spinning on its axis once daily,
revolves annually around the sun. This is called the "heliocentric",
(or sun-centred), system.
Fearing his theory would be judged heretical by the Roman Catholic Church,
Copernicus delayed its publication until shortly before his death in 1543.
Later scientists were punished for similar beliefs, including the Italian
astronomer Galileo Galilei, who was forced to renounce his theories in
1633.
In 1609 Galileo heard that a spyglass had been invented in Holland and
later that year presented a telescope, (about as powerful as modern
binoculars), to the doge of Venice. Its value for maritime use led to
the doubling of his salary and lifelong tenure as a professor.
By December 1609 he'd built a telescope of 20x magnification. Not
spectacular by today's standards, but it enabled him to discover
mountains and craters on the moon.
He also saw that the Milky Way was composed of stars, discovered the
four largest satellites of Jupiter, and published these findings in
1610 in "The Starry Messenger".
His new-found fame gained him appointment as court mathematician
in Florence, freed him from teaching duties, and give him time for
research and writing.
By December 1610 he'd observed the phases of Venus, contradicted Ptolemaic
astronomy and confirmed his preference for the Copernican system.
Professors of philosophy scorned his discoveries, as Aristotle had held
that only perfectly spherical bodies could exist in the heavens and that
nothing new could ever appear there. Galileo's telescope proved otherwise.
He also challenged professors at Florence and Pisa over hydrostatics, and
in 1612 published a book on floating bodies. Four printed attacks on this
book followed, rejecting his physics.
Continued in Part 2.
Quote of the day:
"Bigotry and Intolerance"
"I was the son of an immigrant. I experienced bigotry, intolerance and
prejudice, even as so many of you have. Instead of allowing these thing
to embitter me, I took them as spurs to more strenuous effort".
(Andre Bernard Buruch).
73 - David, G4EBT @ GB7FCR
Eddystone User Group Member
G-QRP Club Member No: 1339
QTH: Cottingham, East Yorkshire.
Message timed: 17:27 on 2005-Jun-24
Message sent using WinPack-Telnet V6.70
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