The Eternal Conflict Between Science and Religion

Throughout history, there has been a longstanding conflict between science and religion. This conflict was heightened during the trial of Galileo Galilei which shed a light on a topic that even today has no agreed-upon answer. As Finocchiaro wrote, “the facts of the case do indeed show all the external signs of a clash between a symbol of science and a symbol of religion.” Galileo Galilei was born into a Catholic family and remained a devout Catholic for his entire life.

This strong faith did not deter him from pursuing fields of study which included medicine, astronomy, mathematics, and philosophy. After failing to complete college due to financial burdens, Galileo began teaching and testing his theories through various experiments. He heard about the invention of the telescope and then based on the description alone, he was able to construct his model. This development allowed him to make numerous additional astronomical observations which he then published; “The Starry Messenger”. This publication was the beginning of the controversy that would surround his works.

As Galileo’s fame grew, so did his dispute with the Catholic Church which claimed that he could not be a devoted Catholic while simultaneously supporting heliocentric ideas. Galileo however rejected this statement and tried to argue that his religious devotion and scientific discoveries were not contradictory to one another. After many years and many discoveries, Galileo’s belief that the earth revolved around the sun led to his trial and final conviction. To this day, there are multiple theories explaining why Galileo so strongly disagreed.

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Some of these theories include the fact that his discoveries dispute the basis of contemporary theology, the political pressures that the Pope was facing during this time, and also Galileo’s strong personality which made his theories impossible to ignore. Ultimately, Galileo was found guilty of heresy and lived the rest of his years under house arrest. He continued writing until his death in 1642. Galileo’s public conviction and death did not stop the effects that his discoveries would have for hundreds of years to come. After a while, the church could no longer deny the truth behind Galileo’s discoveries which led to acknowledgments from both intellectual and church-affiliated people. Albert Einstein was one of the many renowned figures who were influenced by Galileo’s discoveries. Einstein refers to Galileo: “whom Albert Einstein called “the father of modern science.” Finally, three hundred and fifty years later, Pope John Paul II officially declared the accuracy of Galileo’s writings. Galileo’s impact had a lasting significance which began in his youth and lasted for hundreds of years after his death. He challenged society’s entire view on religion and science by throwing strong doubt on the belief that the earth is the center of the universe. This undermined a traditional view supported and taught by the Catholic church which led to society questioning the Church as a whole. Despite Galileo’s claim that his discoveries did not conflict with or undermine the church’s credibility, the church still saw his work as an offense to their status. Despite the initial controversy surrounding his works, Galileo Galilei remains one of history’s most well-known and pivotal figures which can be attributed to his advancements in the scientific world.

Born in Pisa Italy in 1564, Galileo Galilei was the sixth child of musicians Vincenzo Galilei and Giulia Ammannati. In 1574, his family moved to Florence where he began attending the Camaldolese monastery in Vallombrosa. His early education indicated a path directed by religion however outside influences changed that. Galileo’s father was a music theorist who possibly sparked Galileo’s interest in mechanics which translated into a fascination with mathematics. While this was a passion of his, his parents encouraged him to pursue a career in medicine since that was the most profitable career during his time. To satisfy his parent’s wishes, Galileo attended Pisa University to study medicine. This goal was short-lived as Galileo solidified his interest and love for mathematics and astronomy. He dropped out of Pisa University due to a lack of funds and began teaching mathematics which proved to be a strong suit of his. He quickly became known for his brilliance and in 1589 began teaching mathematics at the University of Pisa. As his knowledge grew, so did his curiosity. Through the University, he was exposed to and briefly supported the Aristotelian view which was supported by the Roman Catholic Church. Intellects during his time did not typically strive to prove theories right or wrong, instead, they studied past scientific theories and accepted them without hesitation. Galileo however was not satisfied with merely accepting past theories, instead, he wanted to test them and prove their accuracy.

His divergence from the popular path of belief without question left him not only writing down his theories but according to Louis P. Pojman, Galileo “practically invented the experimental method.” and was left with a unique understanding of concepts that no one had bothered to question. One example of this is the profoundly popular and widely accepted theory first introduced by Aristotle. He tested the theory of gravity and objects in motion which proved that if two objects of different weights are dropped from the same heigh, the heavier object would land first. This along with his experiments with frictional forces showed that Aristotle had failed to accurately analyze this. Galileo continued to test objects in motion and published several well-known works including “The Little Balance” and “Du Motion” documenting his discoveries which at this point were opposing Aristotle’s. He created several devices including the hydrostatic balance which gave an accurate balance for objects both in water and in the air. Galileo’s growing fame as a result of his contemporary ideas resulted in a budding arrogance leaving him with an expired teaching contract and isolation from his colleagues. Undeterred by this show of disapproval, Galileo continued to pursue various theories and works. His development of the telescope in 1609 is arguably his most