Galileo had continued on the work of Copernicus' revival of a heliocentric
theory of the solar system (planets orbiting the sun). The Roman Catholic
curia interpreted heliocentrism as a direct assault on its doctrines.
Therefore, when Galileo produced several observational evidences for the
heliocentric theory, he established himself as an enemy of the Church. The
scriptures in question were Psalms 93:1, 104:5 and Ecc 1:4-5, all seeming to
express the immovability of the Earth. Galileo pointed out that regardless
of how the earth moves, an Earth-bound frame of reference always generates
an immovable Earth. Galileo noted that all three Bible passages speak from
an Earth-bound point of view. He was emphasizing how essential it is to
establish the frame of reference when conducting any scientific or
exegetical inquiry.
- Steve
=================================
----- Original Message -----
From: Wendee Holtcamp <wendee@greendzn.com>
To: <asa@calvin.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, April 12, 2000 8:57 PM
Subject: geocentric
> Anyone know offhand - and ASAP - the scripture that people used to oppose
> the idea of a heliocentric universe in Galileo's time? Something about the
> sun rising and setting? I found the ref in Joshua 10:13 about the sun
> standing still, but I think it was something different than that.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Wendee
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Wendee Holtcamp -- wendee@greendzn.com -- http://www.greendzn.com
> Environment/Travel/Science Writer -- Poet --
Photographer
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece
> of the continent, a part of the main. -- John Donne
>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Apr 12 2000 - 22:44:29 EDT