What would you do?Would you deny something you know is

true?

Galileo’s motto might have been “follow knowledge wherever it leads us.”

• Biblical references Psalm 93:1, 96:10, and 1 Chronicles 16:30 include text stating that "the world is firmly established, it cannot be moved.“

• In the same manner, Psalm 104:5 says, "the Lord set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved."

• Further, Ecclesiastes 1:5 states that "And the sun rises and sets and returns to its place"

Christian Arguments for a Geocentric Universe

Christian view of a Geocentric Universe

“Galileo on Trial”

Copernicus’ Heliocentric Universe

Galileo’s response to the Inquisition:

• A VOICE FROM THE PAST• With sincere heart and unpretended faith I abjure,

curse, and detest the aforesaid errors and heresies (of Copernicus) and also every other error …contrary to the Holy Church, and I swear that in the future I will never again say or assert…anything that might cause a similar suspicion toward me.

• Galileo Galilei, quoted in The Discoverers

Assignment On a piece of paper you will write a “Talk Back” to Galileo. You will

have at least 3 paragraphs. 1. Tell Galileo what you think of the way he handled this situation. Do

you agree with him? Why or why not?2. Come up with at least 5 questions that you would have asked the

church OR Galileo about this trial. 3. Tell Galileo how you would have handled this situation. 4. Answer the following questions:Can an Idea be dangerous?Does modern scientific knowledge seem mostly harmful or helpful?Galileo faced persecution for teaching new ideas. Could this happen

today? Describe a situation in which you lied but you believed you were doing

it for the “right” reason.