When did fake news and alternative facts become a thing? When did we decide it was better to battle disbeliefs rather than rally our reality for real? There are many reasons why I choose to mourn for truth. You can find any answer or support online these days. Does that mean it is all right or wrong? It just is, but where is the truth amidst it all, hm? When do we stop searching outside across all the bars and start searching inside amidst all our barbs? We will prick ourselves on plenty of thorns, but, truthfully, there is a golden rose waiting within.
You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him discover it in himself.
-Galileo Galilei
Do you know who I mourn for? Galileo. He lived during a time when the Catholic church wielded too much power IMO. Often referred to as the father of modern science, Galileo spearheaded revolutionary ideas within multiple scientific fields. What did he earn as a result? Imprisonment and house arrest. A forced denouncement or retraction of all his hard work. Little to no appreciation and countless ridicule, heckling, and chastisement.
It is dangerous to be right in matters where established men are wrong.
-Voltaire
People were up in arms about and in disagreement over the organizing principles of this universe. Is Earth at the center of all things, or are we only inhabiting but one of many orbs that revolve around a big ball of hot gas or plasma (Copernican heliocentrism)?
The pope at the time was evidently dealing with a similar situation to what Joe recently dealt with. Rather than bowing out gracefully, honoring the truth of the current time, that pope doubled down dumbly and redirected his delirium and doubts upon dear Galileo.
Who was right in the long run? Across how many periods have popes pivoted opinions and positions to prolong power? I hold no ill will towards a higher power. My problem pertains to pontiffs pointing out biblical interpretations as infallible and immovable. Yet what is an interpretation? It is not truth. It is a best guess; maybe it is an educated wish.
Believe in the power of truth… do not allow your mind to be imprisoned by majority thinking. Remember that the limits of science are not the limits of imagination.
-Dr. Patricia E. Bath
The separation of church and state feels very important to me. If you choose to adopt and practice a fixed and possibly antiquated belief system that proves to be too rigid and inflexible, then perhaps that should be done on your own. Leadership belongs to philosophers, people who study knowledge and diligently practice virtues.
We should stand behind and support those who wish to pioneer new perspectives. We should continue to challenge current beliefs and hold healthy debates with one another. We should not fear conflict, but we should avoid allowing it to degrade to the level of physical altercations. We are supposed to be the smartest species on Earth, right? If so, why do dolphins use more of their brain than we do? Why is a raven like a writing desk?
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.