RE: [asa] Galileo Statue Nixed

Hi Dick,

Yes, there are pros and cons to honoring those that have been scorned.
Your view may be the wiser, but the decision is very subjective. IMO, I
think the "Church", especially the Pope, would have more to gain than lose
by continuing with the statute placement. Galileo was faithful to his
faith and the Church; he was one of theirs. He was personal friends with
many of the Cardinals and with the Popes, though he fell from grace with
Urban, obviously. He is also, rightfully, still beloved by Italians, and
that too must be considered.

Your comparison of honoring Galileo with Darwin is a good one. No doubt
there are many church bodies that would not object to honoring, though there
would be many that would be quite resentful of such an idea. It seems to
surprise some that Darwin's cornerstone came from Rev. Thomas Malthus ideas
on populations. I certainly don't expect any statue arising at my church's
facility, but perhaps they could let loose a bunch of pigeons there at
Westminster Abbey; Newton won't mind. J

Coope

From: Dick Fischer [mailto:dickfischer@verizon.net]
Sent: Monday, February 02, 2009 12:20 PM
To: 'George Cooper'
Cc: ASA
Subject: RE: [asa] Galileo Statue Nixed

Hi Coope:

I think it is one thing for a religious organization, and in this case a
major religion, to admit to previous mistakes. It's quite another to
celebrate them. It's in that same vein that I have some misgivings about
celebrating Darwin. Okay, he was a brilliant scientist and made a major
contribution to our understanding of biology. But somehow I feel overtones
that serve to be a slap in the face to our Christian beliefs. Maybe I'm
just being over sensitive but if I were a pastor and Darwin Week was coming
up (it is) I don't think I would prepare a special sermon to mark the
occasion. I would prefer a science week to honor great scientists and group
Darwin in with Kepler, Newton, Einstein and others. I would rather
celebrate science than just Darwin. I think it has the unfortunate
ramification of sending the wrong message or at the very least a mixed
message.

Dick Fischer, GPA president

Genesis Proclaimed Association

"Finding Harmony in Bible, Science and History"

www.genesisproclaimed.org

-----Original Message-----
From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu] On
Behalf Of George Cooper
Sent: Monday, February 02, 2009 10:43 AM
To: asa@calvin.edu
Subject: RE: [asa] Galileo Statue Nixed

Hi Dick,

Perhaps the sting of the Galileo affair will heal itself given more time.
*wink*

The Galileo lesson is quite important in our day, too. There were mistakes
made by both sides. One year ago, the Pope was forced to cancel his trip to
La Sapienza due to the protests from students and numerous faculty over a
statement made by the Pope (while a Cardinal) 18 years earlier that condoned
the Church's judgement upon Galileo. It will be helpful for the Church to
erect the statute.

Coope

From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu] On
Behalf Of Dick Fischer
Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2009 3:43 PM
To: ASA
Subject: [asa] Galileo Statue Nixed

Galileo statue nixed. (He doesn't look happy about it.)

http://scienceandreligiontoday.blogspot.com/2009/01/galileo-wont-get-vatican
-statue-anytime.html

 
<http://scienceandreligiontoday.blogspot.com/2009/01/galileo-wont-get-vatica
n-statue-anytime.html> Galileo Won't Get Vatican Statue Anytime Soon

Posted: 30 Jan 2009 07:02 PM CST

 
<http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4yND9fPzue0/SYN7YgYl0rI/AAAAAAAABbQ/A7v983qgU2Q/s
1600-h/galileo_hist_big%5B1%5D.png> Back
<http://scienceandreligiontoday.blogspot.com/2008/03/galileo-gets-statute-in
-vatican.html> in March, we told you about the Vatican's plans to erect a
statue of Galileo in its gardens-both to mark
<http://scienceandreligiontoday.blogspot.com/2009/01/happy-international-yea
r-of-astronomy.html> the 400th anniversary of his telescope and to help
fully
<http://scienceandreligiontoday.blogspot.com/2008/12/vaticans-extreme-galile
o-makeover.html> rehabilitate his image. (After the Catholic Church charged
the astronomer with heresy, he was forced to recant his scientific view of
heliocentrism-the idea that the Earth revolved around the sun-during his
1633 trial.)
Now, it seems the plan for the statue is on hold, indefinitely. Monsignor
Gianfranco Ravasi, head of the Pontifical Council for Culture, told
<http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article5612996.ece> The
Times that the statue had "only been an idea," which is now
"suspended"-though Galileo
<http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0900440.htm> "deserves all our
appreciation and gratitude."
Galileo, Ravasi said in a statement, can now be recognized "as a believer
who, in the context of his time, sought to reconcile the results of his
scientific researches with his Christian faith." And "the church wishes to
honor the figure of Galileo-innovative genius and son of the church," with a
number of initiatives this year.
But the statue is no longer one of them. According to Ravasi, the statue had
been designed, and a mold had been made, but the Vatican asked the project's
sponsor to divert the funds to projects in Nigeria and other places "to
foster a better understanding of the relationship between science and
religion." -Heather Wax

To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@calvin.edu with
"unsubscribe asa" (no quotes) as the body of the message.