Posted on 09/06/2016 11:16:34 PM PDT by Arthur McGowan
What was the role of the Catholic Church in building Western Civilization? While the typical mainstream narrative depicts the church as hostile to science and philosophy, it appears that once again the truth about history has been stolen from us. Dr. Duke Pesta joins Stefan Molyneux to discuss the unspoken truth about the impact of the Catholic church on scientific inquiry, philosophy and Western Civilization overall.
(Excerpt) Read more at youtu.be ...
Probably more than most realize, and I'm no apologist for Catholicism.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Duhem#History_of_science
"Pierre Duhem is well known for his work on the history of science, which resulted in the ten volume Le système du monde: histoire des doctrines cosmologiques de Platon à Copernic (The System of World: A History of Cosmological Doctrines from Plato to Copernicus).
"Unlike many former historians (e.g. Voltaire and Condorcet), who denigrated the Middle Ages, he endeavored to show that the Roman Catholic Church had helped foster Western science in one of its most fruitful periods. His work in this field was originally prompted by his research into the origins of statics, where he encountered the works of medieval mathematicians and philosophers such as John Buridan, Nicole Oresme and Roger Bacon, whose sophistication surprised him. He consequently came to regard them as the founders of modern science, having in his view anticipated many of the discoveries of Galileo Galilei and later thinkers.
"Duhem concluded that "the mechanics and physics of which modern times are justifiably proud to proceed, by an uninterrupted series of scarcely perceptible improvements, from doctrines professed in the heart of the medieval schools."
Scientist and Catholic: Pierre Duhem, by Stanley Jaki
"The tragic conflict between men of faith and men of science has its origins in a false notion of history: a notion that the Middle Ages stultified scientific exploration and scholarship. French scientist Pierre Duhem dedicated his life to examining this problem. For years, however, his works were inaccessible to English- speaking scholars. Stanley Jaki makes available for the first time a systematic treatment of Duhem’s work along with twenty seven selections (in English translation) from his writings. This book is a powerful testimony to the unity of faith and reason."
When it comes to criteria for finding the one true religion, neither "western civilization" nor America figure into the equation.
A picture is worth a thousand words, but I will type fewer than that.
Philippines=Catholic Country. Mandy Thursday. Self flagellation on a high Catholic Holy day.
Connect the dots.
Look at their economies and standard of living. And the superstition and syncretism rife in their religious practices.
Meanwhile their leaders are scientistic rationalist intellectuals who believe the Bible is a bunch of fairy tales and who push evolution as their number one dogma. And that's not even taking into account the ultra-intellectualism of Catholic theology.
Catholicism and Orthodoxy are two-tier religions: bumpkins governed by intellectuals. One thing Judaism and Protestantism have in common is that pretty much all members of each one--lay or cleric or theologian--pretty much all believe the same things.
Galileo was not a good guy. Copernicus and Galileo helped to pave the way for Darwinism and today's worship of the physical sciences.
Oh, self-flagellation to an extreme; not my cup of tea. An aesthetic tradition taken too far - it should be symbolic in my opinion and the opinion of many theologians.
Of course, I don’t know why the beautiful sacrament of the Eucharist in Catholic Churches in America would be considered vanilla. The exact opposite of vanilla I would say...
Ah yes, the fire-breathing, ultra-conservative, Francis-bashing Arthur McGowan is an evolutionist! Like all good Catholics! Thank goodness that Jerome and all the church fathers were up-to-date, with-it hep-cats who knew that supernatural events can't actually occur (unless they're in the "new testament," of course) and that all Biblical statements must be judged by the yardstick of modern science! After all, didn't the Church put that ignorant troglodyte Galileo under house arrest for teaching "Protestant creationism???" [/sarcasm]
By the way, one of the sciences is "historical science," and all the events related in the Torah are certainly historically true (regardless of how "heretical" this may be to Catholicism)!
Which is my point.
The more third world, the more pagan Catholicism becomes.
You're so right. If people could see the paganism in Catholicism in third world countries, that the Catholic Church accepts, they would soon abandon Catholicism.
Do you really believe that Angola or Venezuela would become economic powerhouses if their Catholics just became Episcopals or Presbyterians? The quality of human capital matters a lot more to a nation's development than what religions the people believe or don't believe in.
**Do you really believe that Angola or Venezuela would become economic powerhouses if their Catholics just became Episcopals or Presbyterians?**
Once upon a time South Africa was a prosperous, peaceful nation. The religion of the country was Dutch Reformed, who were the continental cousins of the Presbyterians.
Yes, once upon a time South Africa and Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) were prosperous nations. This had nothing to do with the religion of those who ran it and everything to do with the fact that they were once run by Europeans and are now run by Africans. Many of those Africans converted to the same Protestant faith as the Brits and Dutch who once ran their countries. The conversions really didn't do them very much good.
**This had nothing to do with the religion of those who ran it and everything to do with the fact that they were once run by Europeans*
Europeans who had the Protestant work ethic.
HMMMmmm...
Like what??
So comparing a European-run country to a African-run country to prove your point about religion is basically meaningless.
It 'accepts' a LOT of non-biblical stuff; as long as ROME came up with it.
If you are speeding; you can betcher butt I'll pinch you!!
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