Bridge Between Religion & Science
In the Saturday, August 19, 2006 edition of the San Antonio Express-News in the RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY section pp. 7B & 12B there was an article by Kirsten Scharnberg of the Chicago Tribune titled "Observatory seen as bridge between religion, science".
The article deals with the telescope & observatory atop Mount Graham, Arizona, 10,000 feet above the desert. It notes that the observatory is owned by the Vatican and operated by the Jesuits (Society of Jesus). As it states"...the Vatican for more than 100 years has funded and staffed world-class observatories, first in Italy and, since the early 1980s in Arizona..." As the sidebar to the article "Looking to the Heavens" notes "The Vatican Observatory is one of the oldest astronomical institutes in the world,..." with "...an annual budget of about $1 million." And it states: "The Vatican has one of the most important meteorite collections in the world...more than 1,200 meteorite pieces representing some 484 different meteorite falls."
Why are so many people surprised by this connection between science and the Catholic Church. Many people often forget/don't realize that our calendar, the Gregorian calendar was a result of Pope Gregory XIII's (1572-1585) instruction to the Jesuit scientists in the late 1500s and that he built the Vatican Observatory. Four hundred years later, we still use that calendar today. As Pope John Paul II noted true science and true religion cannot contradict each other. Ironically, many people believe that Christianity, and Catholic Christianity in particular, is anti-scientific. Nothing can be further from the truth--one only needs to recall the numerous scientific discoveries made by Catholic Christians, particularly Jesuits, to know this isn't true. The account of Galileo is normally raised by the detractors. Yet how many really know the facts surrounding Galileo/have studied the entire account. Few know that Pope Urban VIII (1623-1644) was a benefactor and friend of Galileo. A while back, it was either on the History or A& E TV network, that an interesting account of the relationship between the two men was portrayed.
If we believe in God as the Creator of everything that exists then true science and true religion, are and must be compatible. Why do we have a different notion--because for some reason the facts are not always passed on. This may not be malicious, but it occurs; think of the "Spanish Inquisition"--once again either on A & E or the History network a very different account than what is commonly believed was presented using historically validated records/source documents. What about "The Crusades"? What is the truth? We all need to take a close look at history--but be cautious; just remember how today the "Politically Correct" approach to everything can and often does, hopefully unintentionally, distort reality. This is not the first time events are/have been distorted. I hope I do not offend my Protestant friends when I quote John Henry Cardinal Newman, the Anglican Theologian who in the late 1900 century wrote as to why become Catholic; "To become deep in history is to cease to be Protestant".
Why is there so much misinformation. I reflect on what Dr. Goebles the Nazi propagandist reportedly noted, "If you tell a lie often enough, people will begin to believe it."
The article deals with the telescope & observatory atop Mount Graham, Arizona, 10,000 feet above the desert. It notes that the observatory is owned by the Vatican and operated by the Jesuits (Society of Jesus). As it states"...the Vatican for more than 100 years has funded and staffed world-class observatories, first in Italy and, since the early 1980s in Arizona..." As the sidebar to the article "Looking to the Heavens" notes "The Vatican Observatory is one of the oldest astronomical institutes in the world,..." with "...an annual budget of about $1 million." And it states: "The Vatican has one of the most important meteorite collections in the world...more than 1,200 meteorite pieces representing some 484 different meteorite falls."
Why are so many people surprised by this connection between science and the Catholic Church. Many people often forget/don't realize that our calendar, the Gregorian calendar was a result of Pope Gregory XIII's (1572-1585) instruction to the Jesuit scientists in the late 1500s and that he built the Vatican Observatory. Four hundred years later, we still use that calendar today. As Pope John Paul II noted true science and true religion cannot contradict each other. Ironically, many people believe that Christianity, and Catholic Christianity in particular, is anti-scientific. Nothing can be further from the truth--one only needs to recall the numerous scientific discoveries made by Catholic Christians, particularly Jesuits, to know this isn't true. The account of Galileo is normally raised by the detractors. Yet how many really know the facts surrounding Galileo/have studied the entire account. Few know that Pope Urban VIII (1623-1644) was a benefactor and friend of Galileo. A while back, it was either on the History or A& E TV network, that an interesting account of the relationship between the two men was portrayed.
If we believe in God as the Creator of everything that exists then true science and true religion, are and must be compatible. Why do we have a different notion--because for some reason the facts are not always passed on. This may not be malicious, but it occurs; think of the "Spanish Inquisition"--once again either on A & E or the History network a very different account than what is commonly believed was presented using historically validated records/source documents. What about "The Crusades"? What is the truth? We all need to take a close look at history--but be cautious; just remember how today the "Politically Correct" approach to everything can and often does, hopefully unintentionally, distort reality. This is not the first time events are/have been distorted. I hope I do not offend my Protestant friends when I quote John Henry Cardinal Newman, the Anglican Theologian who in the late 1900 century wrote as to why become Catholic; "To become deep in history is to cease to be Protestant".
Why is there so much misinformation. I reflect on what Dr. Goebles the Nazi propagandist reportedly noted, "If you tell a lie often enough, people will begin to believe it."
posted by Paul Amrhein | 3:06 PM
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