Follow-Up

A follow-up from a previous post: A.C. Grayling is offering another history lesson clarifying the role of Christianity in stunting the intellectual growth of Europe. He issues a challenge to “name one - even one small - contribution to science made by Christianity in its two thousand years”. Thankfully this challenge has provoked a response that demonstrates that it’s better to do your homework before speaking.

In this latest go-round Grayling finally (and predictably) brings out the example of Galileo to go along with the usual trump card of the Spanish Inquisition. Apparently the intellectual history of Christian Europe can be summarized by the following phrase:

“Norms of fulfilment and flourishing in human life rest on such richer possibilities now than when the sun went round the earth and you could be burned to death for not believing that it did.”

Yes, there is unanimity among historians that for most of church history the normal practice has been to burn dissenters and to oppose progress in all it’s forms. With history and logic like this it’s a wonder that anyone believes in God anymore. As to the potential that Christianity at it’s best offers its own ‘richer possibilities’ for human flourishing and fulfillment… well… why interact with all the facts when it’s so much more fun to be selective.