According to Michael Massing in the New York Times, Wade Rowland's new book, Galileo's Mistake, mangles history, and he requires that you believe that scientific observations are on par with religous dogma. Nevermind that the former can be tested by anyone and the later are issued by men on a pyramid.
Liberal arts institutions are charmed by the idea that all ideas are created equal leaving carefully designed experiments as just another flavor of truth options available to the modern seeker, giving Narnia and Mars equality. Both spiritual awareness and the facts of the world have their place, but religous beliefs can be used to control access to knowlegde.
Galileo spent the last decade of his life on intense probation for his thoughts, and Rowland wants us to find his tormentors lenient. Bruno was burnt for an idea that is now backed up by experimental evidence.
Our Constitution protects us from the control of a church, but many parts of the world are vulnerable to dominion.
