science and religion question

[Jon]

Compare the importance of science and religion in the world today to 1500. Which one dominant? Why do you think this is so?

 

[Taffsadar]

Well people hadn't even discovered Phlogiston back then (a non existing substance that was supposed to explain how fires and rust worked). So science was pretty much non existant, religion however was rather popular (Galileo anyone?).

 

[the_malevolent_milk_man]

Back in the day there's no doubt that religion was king. Not till the renaissance was science much more than a curiosity. Science didn't even catch on with the average person until the 1900's, and to what degree is debatable. It's come a long way but it's still not as influential as religion, at least in america.

 

[Mike Flynn]

Compare the importance of science and religion in the world today to 1500. Which one dominant? Why do you think this is so?

I'm no history expert...so take some of this with a grain of salt. I will refer to western (European) society since that is the history I am most familiar with:
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1500:

Renaissance was well under way. This was significant for several reasons but probably the most relavent point for this thread:
-people were beginning to 'revolt' against the intellectual sterility of the middle ages. Just a few hundred years prior to this there were very few schools (for lack of a better term), literacy was nil except among the monks, etc. Books and literature were lost (in a period called the 'dark ages').

The Renaissance was also characterized by (among other things) building libraries, recovering and copying manuscripts of lost authors, etc. A zeal for study was evident. The environment was ripe for fresh ideas.

Enter Copernicus: The prevailing universe model was geocentric (earth-centered). The idea of a heliocentric solar system (sun-centered) was not new, but renaissance sensibilities made it more palatable. He was followed by the likes of Brahe, Kepler, Galileo, and Isaac Newton (within the space of 150 years).

The Church (at least what is now the Roman Catholic Church) was influential and declared the works of Copernicus and Galileo forbidden (by the Holy Office...decendant from the Office of the Inquisition). The Church had bought into the older geocentric model as part of religious doctrine..(they probably didn't think that the institution could survive a reconstruction of the universal model).

And a split between the Church and the intellectual (secular) was forming (or widening I suppose). In 1535 The King Henry VIII renounces the Pope and forms the Church of England. Queen Mary reinstates the Catholic Church just 20 years later...dissenters were punished (some killed).

Bottom line? The 'authority' of the Church was beginning to crumble and the fields of science and secular thought were on the rise. Not to mention people like Calvin and Martin Luthor and Church reformation.
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Present:

Well...thats a big and complicated one...but I'll describe part of it.

In the years that followed 1500's, the 'age of reason' and 'elightenment' came into being. The intellectual authority of the RC Church continued to diminish and it was split into several new 'Churches'. Atheism was born during this time (I think). Science and secular philosophy reigned supreme and led us into the modern age. Now we have postmodernism, and post-postmodernism, etc...but that's another story.

We still are feeling the 'fallout' of the unfortunate division between the secular and the spiritual. Today even the moral authority of the Churches seem to be eroding (at least from a societal viewpoint). Science and the secular have become the prevailing authority for society (notwithstanding postmodernism, etc).

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Sorry for the long-winded response...but you are asking a BIG question there.

 

[ThePhoenix]

Compare the importance of science and religion in the world today to 1500. Which one dominant? Why do you think this is so?

In what way? No one has ever prayed a car into existance. No one has ever found an equation for salvation. How are we supposed to compare the two?

 

[Mike Flynn]

Science didn't even catch on with the average person until the 1900's, and to what degree is debatable. It's come a long way but it's still not as influential as religion, at least in america.

But how influential is the Church in America today? True, politicians give it lip-service from time to time. But how often do they consult Church authorities before making important decisions? (I'm not implying that they should BTW) Consider the media and popular culture, and also consider economics and business (a major driving force in America). What voice does the Church have in all of this? And what about the everyday patterns of peoples lives? Not to be indelicate, but many people participate in the Church today with the same disposition as people who work out at the gym once a week. Get a spiritual 'fix', and then carry on with the rest of their business completely disconnected from their spiritual lives. I think its clear that the Church has a significantly diminished authoritative role today in western society than it had 500 years ago.

I don't mean to sound too cynical. And I'm certainly not trying to be judgemental. I believe that God's will is at work in the Church today. And there are spirit-empowered people that defy these trends. But I also think that being a Christian in todays postmodern (or whatever) world can be quite challenging to say the least.

 

[the_malevolent_milk_man]

The church is no where near as influential. At one time to defy it's authority meant punishment, ex communication, or even death. You listened to the church and you listened well. Now it has no real power. It's been relegated to an advisor that is to be considered but doesn't have to be obeyed.

 

[Hank]

My two cents.

In 1501 to fully understand the Bible one needed to be literate and know at least Latin in addition. Most could do neither. Whatever the Bishop said went sort of speak.

In 2001 to fully understand a given theory one needs to fully study it. Most do not have the time. Whatever the scientist says goes.

Most people still believe the well educated. I do not think this will ever change. Instead of god people now believe we just popped up. The proof is ourselves; we are here are we not? Well are we? Looking deeper into Quantum Physics who can actually say what is real? Observation affects the event. So what event has been shown? We can not even rationalize our observation without abstracts.

Also I think atheism is much older as 500 years, I think the Greeks started to limit god as a possible existing entity but have no affect on humans.