1. Documant 5- Marin Mersenne 
2. Document 8- Charlton 
3. Document 9- Cavendish 
4. Document 11- Colbert 
5. Document 7 

The theory of heliocentricity became popularized in the 1500-1700's with scientists like Galileo making it widespread knowledge.  He disagreed with both prominent philosophers, such as Copernicus, and with the Church, but the spread of heliocentric belief was still significant.  This spread, however, was many times threatened by the Church.  Because the Church believed something different than Galileo was proving, they tried to discredit him and stop his findings.  In not only the case of the heliocentricity argument, but in other cases as well, those people such as Copernicus, Giovanni Ciampoli, and others associated with the Church are less likely to see reason within clearly logical and supported science than those unaffiliated with the Church.

Copernicus, one of the main philosophers supported by the Church for his theory that the Earth was at the center of the universe, is a good example of religion making people blind.  Instead of taking into account the research that Galileo had done, he instead wrote to Pope Paul III.  In his latter, he displayed two types of ignorance.  He refused to back down from his theory, even though there was counter proof; in fact, he was willing to be bold with his denial of any other possibility so that "learned and unlearned alike may see that I shrink from no man's criticism" (Doc 1).  This is not only ignorance, but arrogance.  He also displays ignorance when he says that the Pope displays a "love of letters and science" (Doc 1).  English philosopher Francis Bacon says that "the true and lawful goal of the sciences is this: that human life be endowed with new discoveries and powers" (Doc 4).  Instead, the Church was only using science that directly backed up the Bible, not science that would allow for new discoveries to be made about their world.

Giovanni Ciampoli is another prime example of religion getting in the way of scientific fact and discovery.  He wrote a letter to Galileo mocking his studies and claiming that the next leap that Galileo would make would be that there were humans living on the moon.  He references Adam and Eve and Noah and the Ark, but never actually references the actual science.  Ciampoli is so caught up in Biblical importance that he doesn't take time to look at simple facts or explanations.

The other side of this argument is that people not associated with the Church were better able to see reason.  John Calvin, the founders of the Calvinists, was proof of this.  Calvin, obviously a religious man to have founded a major branch of Protestantism, applauded the discoveries made using the science of astrology.  He even went so far as to say that astrology "unfold the admirable wisdom of God" (Doc 2).  A man not related to the Church, Calvin didn't have to focus on what was not exactly the same as the Bible teachings, and could actually focus on the facts.

To every rule, there must be exceptions.  For example, a monk, Marin Mersenne, wrote to his noble patron confirming Galileo's studies, and going so far as to say