Franziska von Karma

Jan 2 2008, 10:27 PM

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Wait, I'm not seeing any regression. The Church didn't stop Galileo from making his theory. The Pope didn't stop cadaver dissection. All those things happend. I'm not seeing where morality made anything go backwards.

To my knowledge, the Church DID stop Galileo making his theory. I was under the impression he was given a "carry on saying this, and we kill you for heresy, or shut up and we'll leave you alone" ultimatium. It was only later that his theory was accepted. I may be confusing this with something else though. =x

As another example of regression - or at least, a lack of progress - is the work of Galen, which was believed to be correct for about 1000 years after his death. Galen believed in one god, so when the Roman empire collapsed the church jumped on his work. They paraded it as being complete and perfect. No one tested Galen's ideas. Anyone who suggested he was wrong was quickly shot down. It was only much later that the incorrect aspects of Galen's work started to be identified and corrected. For all of that time in between, the Church's morals kept medical advancement from occuring.

Galen is probably the best example I can think of to say that the morals of the church (which, in those times, were basically the morals for everyone) did cause a regression and/or hinder progress.