What hypocrisy!!! The Catholic Church is shameless!!! This money-hungry, corrupt organization is now going to exploit the name of the man they put on house arrest and whose life they basically ruined in order to maintain its power over the masses. And now, 400 years later, the Roman Catholic Church is adopting science? Please…! TGO
With each passing day, the spineless frauds who run the Vatican show their true colors – bright and fluorescent yellow! TGO
Refer to story below. Source: Associated Press
ROME – Four hundred years after Galileo Galilei first demonstrated his telescope to scholars on a Roman hilltop, the astronomer condemned by the Catholic Church was celebrated on the same spot with a multimedia art exhibit that, oddly enough, included an installation from the Vatican.
Heliographs, astrolabes and other antique astrological instruments that belong to the Vatican Observatory stood alongside contemporary art inspired by Galileo and his science: rows of intensely hot, blindingly bright floodlights simulating the sun; a performance by a Tibetan musician playing a telescope-like horn.
The event took place Thursday night at the American Academy in Rome, a research center for the arts and humanities whose gardens lie on the exact spot where, on the night of April 14, 1611, Galileo showed off his telescope for the first time to the most important scholars of his time.
Galileo made the first complete astronomical telescope and used it to gather evidence that the Earth revolved around the sun. Church teaching at the time had placed Earth at the center of the universe. The church denounced Galileo’s theory as dangerous to the faith, but Galileo defied its warnings. Tried for heresy and forced to recant in 1633, he spent the rest of his life under house arrest.
The Galileo affair helped spawn the impression that the Catholic Church was hostile to science, an impression the Vatican has tried to rebut ever since. Its Observatory, which produces top-tier science with telescopes outside Rome and in Arizona, is Exhibit A of those efforts.
“It’s not a simple ‘The church was against science,'” said Brother Guy Consolmagno, a Jesuit astronomer at the Vatican’s Observatory. “The church never speaks with one voice on these things.”
Galileo’s demonstration 400 years ago Thursday, to Jesuit scientists and Federico Cesi, who founded an important early academy of sciences, was one of the key events in 1611 that helped propel him into top scientific circles two years after he made his first celestial observations.
“In some ways this is the high-water mark for Galileo: He is accepted by the Jesuits at the Roman College, who are the authorities in science in the church. He’s accepted by Prince Cesi, who is the authority among the nobility,” Consolmagno said. “Both were at this demonstration. And with those people behind him, I’m sure he felt confident he could withstand any attacks.”
Consolmagno was on hand Thursday night for the anniversary event at the American Academy, a beautiful palazzo located on Rome’s Janiculum Hill, where every year a handful of American and Italian fellows in the arts and humanities come to live and work.
Four hundred years ago, the academy’s garden was a vineyard belonging to a Galileo friend who let the astronomer use its location high above the city to show the gathered scholars what could be seen in the night sky with his telescope.
As night fell Thursday, the academy’s lawn twinkled with candles mapped in an exact replica of the stars that would have been visible on the night of April 14, 1611. Nearby, a video installation juxtaposed monologues of Galileo’s works with those of church officials. Author Dava Sobel read from her 1999 best-selling book “Galileo’s Daughter,” based on correspondence between the scientist and his convent-bound daughter.
Had it not rained, telescopes ancient and new would have given some of the 700 guests a look at the stars. Instead, the guests — who included artist Chuck Close, a onetime Academy fellow and current board member — mingled over pink bubbly and dinner prepared by chefs of the academy’s sustainable food program.
T. Corey Brennan, in charge of the humanities program at the Academy (and a one-time lead guitarist for The Lemonheads), said he decided years ago that the institution would have to do something special to mark the anniversary.
“The way to celebrate it, I felt instinctively, was well beyond an academic conference but to try to leverage all 15 fields represented at the Academy,” he said, listing music composition, literature, art history and landscape architecture.
At the same time, he knew the Vatican, located just down the hill, had to be involved as well given its somewhat tortured history in the Galileo affair.
“For many years we’ve been neighbors, and we use the Vatican all the time: Our fellows are some of the people who are first in in the morning at the Vatican Library,” he said. “But I don’t think we’d ever invited the Vatican up the hill.”
Consolmagno became the Vatican Observatory’s de-facto ambassador for the anniversary, and gave it his blessing Thursday night.
“This event fits all the criteria for what we in the 60s called a ‘happening,'” he said.
Oh Great Frienda mine, now it seems I’ve even acquired the gift of fore sight – must be my consciousness’ intensity.
Years from now, I can see a friend asking, “Have you seen or spoken with TGO lately”, to which I will reply. “Oh course, I see and talk to him all the time”. Their curiosity will lead to, “Has he changed or still the same”.
Without a doubt, no one can see the ultimate future.
As proven by the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics and Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle, in contrast with detractors who believe in underlying determinism and realism, Reality, or your future in this case, cannot be pin-pointed or located. Quantum Theory can only describe a prescription for calculating probabilities or possibilities for actual location or out-come.
Understandable since at any given moment you can arrest this route into the abyss you are on, by changing the momentum and getting back in touch with reality – saying, “Adios” to Idaho. I will tell you that if you do happen to reach the destination of this route you’re on, I will not fell guilty nor will I be angry at you.
I Will be angry at the circle of friends and loved ones around you for, unlike myself, refusing to tell you the truth that was in fact, shared with me in confidence countless times. My failure will have been convincing them that you could, “Handle the truth”.
PS I lied. I do know. GhostRider Consciousness will in fact, continue streaming thru your blood and as your own consciousness evolves, the course of the future changes.
Too many drugs during your youth, combined with a malfunction of your chromosomes; these may be the culprit for your senseless rambling.
All of those words and nothing said… Try again sometime.
I certainly stand by my comment! ANYBODY can write something moronic, and It’s not just my opinion you are getting here. My sentiment is widespread. Gina Barreca, a published author writes, “Not only can a moron write anythibg. He can post anything. It’s not really getting published. It’s like going outside and yelling. Maybe the squirrels hear you, but its not going to help you train your voice and get you to Carnegie Hall.” Most literary agents also agree, “The blogosphere is full of idiots on both sides of the words. Every idiot writer, has got an idiot reader.”
Try meditating, Oh Great One… It seems that those who do find GhostRider Consciousness
You can fool yourself if you like, but you can’t fool me. You stand for nothing; you never have and it’s doubtful you ever will. And who really cares what a “published author” believes, I certainly don’t. Unlike most people, I form my own opinions.
Make no mistake about it, your consciousness is about as meaningful as a gnat on an elephant’s ass.
In 2009, President Barack Obama acknowledged the emerging popularity of blogging upon society but said, “…with no serious attempts to put stories in context, what you will end up getting is people shouting at each other across the void but not a lot of mutual understanding…”. Blogging has grown because basically any moron can write something (this blog was the moronic one I’ve read to date}.
Let me show you what I mean: If tomorrow was Martin Luther Day, a national holiday and I saw an article reminding people that banks were closed, my blog could go like this:
“What hypocrisy!!! The United States of America is shameless!!! This money-hungry, capitalistic and corrupt nation exploits the name of the man that fought on behalf of a race that, not only did this sick nation travel thousands of miles for the fun of hunting them, the black man, down like animals, they captured them by the thousands and bought them back to sell as slaves. Now they honor Martin Luther King, a black man? What shamelessness!!!! And now, 200 years later, the United States of America fires Tomahawk Missiles at a foreign nation and kill innocent people because thet make their woman wear veils!!! What hypocrisy!!! Please…! GR
See, anyone can write something moronic. Oh Great One…I do know you are living in your own Private Idaho but at least fast forward and live in the present.
No, not everyone can write something moronic. First, one has to learn to write. Then, after one learns to write, one has to have the testicles to say what he or she feels without sitting on the fence and “standing” (or in your case, sitting) for nothing. Then, and only then, is an individual truly worthy (or respected) for his or her opinions. You, Mr. GhostRider, stand for nothing. You conveniently have no position on anything. The only thing you commit to is emptiness.
Criticizing is easy; what is needed is substance.