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Themes Spiritual Blindness SENTENCED FOR SEEING! Does the earth move around the sun or does the sun around the earth? In 1564, Galileo Galilei was born in Italy. At that time almost everyone believed the sun, moon and even stars moved around the earth. They believed the earth was the center of the universe. The Catholic Church would not allow anyone to teach any other idea. At the age of 17, Galileo entered the University of Pisa. He studied math and science and the great philosopher, Aristotle. For 1,500 years, teachers had taught Aristotle's ideas about the universe. At 25, Galileo became a teacher. He started to teach that Aristotle was wrong. Aristotle thought that heavy objects fall to the ground faster than lighter ones. To disprove this, Galileo lugged a big cannonball and a small cannon ball to the top of the Tower of Pisa. Both of them hit the ground at exactly the same time. Aristotle was wrong about gravity! The people still refused to believe him. In 1609, Galileo built his own telescope. He began to teach what he saw. The moon was not a smooth ball. It has mountains and craters like earth. He also discovered the moons of Jupiter and the ring around Saturn. Galileo looked carefully into his telescope. Finally, in 1611, he published a book that taught his conclusion: The earth spins each day and revolves around the sun! The people were furious. The leaders of the church said that he was contradicting the Bible. After all, the Bible says, "The sun also ariseth and the sun goeth down" (Ecclesiastes 1:4). Galileo believed the Bible was God's word. However, when you are standing on earth, it just looks like the sun rises and sets. Even today, weathermen tell us the time when the sun will rise and set. The sun just looks as if it is moving. The truth is, we are. For 16 years, Pope Paul V kept him quiet. Finally, Galileo published another book with more proof that the sun is the center of the universe and that the planets move around the sun. Even though he was 70 years old and ill, the Pope made him come to Rome. He had to wear a white sheet and kneel down and say he was wrong. He was sentenced to prison in his house. For 10 years, he stayed at home and studied science. Finally, in 1642, Galileo, went totally blind and died. Why did Galileo teach things that people did not believe? Galileo could see what they could not see. Why does God say things and people do not believe him? God can see what men cannot see. For example, God says we are wicked sinners. Most people disagree with God. However, "Man looketh upon the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh upon the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). God looks ands says, "The heart of man is deceitful of above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it? I the Lord search the heart" (Jeremiah 17:9,10). We must believe God about our sin and about His Son, the Lord Jesus. He is the only one who can wash our sins away. How? "The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).
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Peter Orasuk
