As early as the 4th century BC, ancient Greek astronomers and other men of science—including Aristotle and Ptolemy—believed that the Earth was the center of the Universe. For them, it was the Sun and other planets that orbited around the Earth and not the other way around.
For 2,000 years this belief persisted, and by the 1500's, the Catholic Church strongly supported this position, claiming that it was based in the Holy Scriptures. After all, they reasoned, if the Son of God had descended to the Earth to become mortal, then the Earth must surely be at the center of all Creation.
But then the truth was discovered. In 1543, just before his death, the scientific investigations of Nicolaus Copernicus were published in a book containing his contention that it was actually the Sun that was at the center of the universe; the Earth orbited around it. At the very least his ideas were revolutionary, but the Church considered them heretical. Many believed he’d waited until he was on his deathbed to publish these findings because he didn’t want to bring upon himself the wrath of the Church.
In about 1610 began the famous "Galileo affair." That was when Italian astronomer, Galileo Galilei, by means of improvements he’d made to existing telescopes, began publishing hard evidence showing that Copernicus had been right: the Sun was at the center of the Universe. In response, the heavy hand of the Church came down hard.
The story of how Galileo was taken before the Inquisition and how he battled to defend his position against the pressure of clerics, priests, and popes is a fascinating drama. It demonstrates how people who are wise in their own eyes will often stand by their mistaken beliefs in spite of evidence to the contrary. The attitude of Galileo’s critics was the 17th century version of "Don't confuse us with the facts – our minds are made up."
This was made plain in a letter Galileo wrote to fellow astronomer, Johannes Kepler:
"My dear Kepler, I wish that we might laugh at the remarkable stupidity of the common herd. What do you have to say about the principal philosophers of this academy who are filled with the stubbornness of an asp and do not want to look at either the planets, the moon or the telescope, even though I have freely and deliberately offered them the opportunity a thousand times? Truly, just as the asp stops its ears, so do these philosophers shut their eyes to the light of truth."
In1633, Galileo was ordered to stand trial in Rome "for holding as true the false doctrine taught by some that the sun is the center of the world." In the end, he was found "vehemently suspect of heresy" for claiming that the Sun stands motionless and the Earth moves around it. The Inquisition ordered the following
1) That he "abjure, curse, and detest" those opinions;
2) That he be imprisoned. (Due to his age—he was 70—this was changed to house arrest);
3) That his published works on the subject be banned and that any other of his written works be forbidden, including those he might write in the future.
While continuing to do scientific research in the field of mechanics, Galileo lived out his life under house arrest, and the stigma created by his trial and conviction tainted all other scientific works he authored.
I find it incredible that it wasn't until the year 2000 (!) that Pope John Paul XVI issued a formal apology for the mistakes committed by the Church in its condemnation and trial of Galileo. And all of this began because people who were too wise in their own eyes refused to accept the truth about the sun. Remember: Theirs wasn’t an outright denial of the sun’s existence. They simply felt that its place in the whole scheme of things was not as previously believed. So they relegated the earth’s source of warmth—and light, and life itself—to a far-distant orbit. For them, the Earth was the true center of the universe.
In today’s world, many people regard another “Son”—the Son of God—in much the same way. They don’t necessarily deny His existence. It’s just that their belief system removes Him from His rightful place at the center of God’s overall plan. Just like the ancient Greeks who were “wise in their own eyes,” they’ve come up with their own version of who and what He is, placing him in a distant “orbit” that is far removed from their everyday thoughts and actions. Instead of being centered on Jesus Christ and His Atonement, their “universe” revolves around the pursuit of material things and amusements—the so-called “treasures of the earth.”
Even though the Greek astronomers got the orbits of the sun and the earth mixed up, the earth continued along its path as it always had. And the sun came up every morning and set every night. People’s mistaken notions had no effect at all on those orbits, and nobody suffered the slightest loss of light or warmth.
But when it comes to that other “Son,” things are different. Those who do not make the Son of God the center of their lives are literally deprived of spiritual light and truth. They are left to walk in spiritual darkness. Their only source of light is the often faint and feeble glow of their own wisdom, trusting it to guide them safely through life’s journey.
So why is it, we may ask, that people who live without the Son of God in their lives can seem so content, successful, and fulfilled? I can best answer this question by relating a story told by Elder Boyd K. Packer. It concerned a young woman who, many years ago, walked some distance with her younger brothers and sisters to see the Peach Days Parade in Brigham City, Utah. None of them had ever seen any kind of parade before, so you can imagine their excitement.
After the children arrived in town, and before the actual parade began, they watched in awe as a large water wagon went down the street, wetting the dirt road to keep the dust from flying during the parade. After the water wagon had passed, the children went home. They thought the parade was over. And here is the sad part: They were perfectly satisfied, until later, when they learned what they had missed.
Just like the children in that story, many of Heavenly Father’s children think they are enjoying life at its very best—but only because they don’t know what they are missing.
It is my personal experience and witness that by making the Son of God the center of our lives we have unlimited access to light, and warmth, and mercy, and guidance from above. Admittedly, my own perspective on what He offers is limited. But I believe with all my heart that "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him" (1 Corinthians 2:9).
What’s at the center of your universe?
For 2,000 years this belief persisted, and by the 1500's, the Catholic Church strongly supported this position, claiming that it was based in the Holy Scriptures. After all, they reasoned, if the Son of God had descended to the Earth to become mortal, then the Earth must surely be at the center of all Creation.
But then the truth was discovered. In 1543, just before his death, the scientific investigations of Nicolaus Copernicus were published in a book containing his contention that it was actually the Sun that was at the center of the universe; the Earth orbited around it. At the very least his ideas were revolutionary, but the Church considered them heretical. Many believed he’d waited until he was on his deathbed to publish these findings because he didn’t want to bring upon himself the wrath of the Church.
In about 1610 began the famous "Galileo affair." That was when Italian astronomer, Galileo Galilei, by means of improvements he’d made to existing telescopes, began publishing hard evidence showing that Copernicus had been right: the Sun was at the center of the Universe. In response, the heavy hand of the Church came down hard.
The story of how Galileo was taken before the Inquisition and how he battled to defend his position against the pressure of clerics, priests, and popes is a fascinating drama. It demonstrates how people who are wise in their own eyes will often stand by their mistaken beliefs in spite of evidence to the contrary. The attitude of Galileo’s critics was the 17th century version of "Don't confuse us with the facts – our minds are made up."
This was made plain in a letter Galileo wrote to fellow astronomer, Johannes Kepler:
"My dear Kepler, I wish that we might laugh at the remarkable stupidity of the common herd. What do you have to say about the principal philosophers of this academy who are filled with the stubbornness of an asp and do not want to look at either the planets, the moon or the telescope, even though I have freely and deliberately offered them the opportunity a thousand times? Truly, just as the asp stops its ears, so do these philosophers shut their eyes to the light of truth."
In1633, Galileo was ordered to stand trial in Rome "for holding as true the false doctrine taught by some that the sun is the center of the world." In the end, he was found "vehemently suspect of heresy" for claiming that the Sun stands motionless and the Earth moves around it. The Inquisition ordered the following
1) That he "abjure, curse, and detest" those opinions;
2) That he be imprisoned. (Due to his age—he was 70—this was changed to house arrest);
3) That his published works on the subject be banned and that any other of his written works be forbidden, including those he might write in the future.
While continuing to do scientific research in the field of mechanics, Galileo lived out his life under house arrest, and the stigma created by his trial and conviction tainted all other scientific works he authored.
I find it incredible that it wasn't until the year 2000 (!) that Pope John Paul XVI issued a formal apology for the mistakes committed by the Church in its condemnation and trial of Galileo. And all of this began because people who were too wise in their own eyes refused to accept the truth about the sun. Remember: Theirs wasn’t an outright denial of the sun’s existence. They simply felt that its place in the whole scheme of things was not as previously believed. So they relegated the earth’s source of warmth—and light, and life itself—to a far-distant orbit. For them, the Earth was the true center of the universe.
In today’s world, many people regard another “Son”—the Son of God—in much the same way. They don’t necessarily deny His existence. It’s just that their belief system removes Him from His rightful place at the center of God’s overall plan. Just like the ancient Greeks who were “wise in their own eyes,” they’ve come up with their own version of who and what He is, placing him in a distant “orbit” that is far removed from their everyday thoughts and actions. Instead of being centered on Jesus Christ and His Atonement, their “universe” revolves around the pursuit of material things and amusements—the so-called “treasures of the earth.”
Even though the Greek astronomers got the orbits of the sun and the earth mixed up, the earth continued along its path as it always had. And the sun came up every morning and set every night. People’s mistaken notions had no effect at all on those orbits, and nobody suffered the slightest loss of light or warmth.
But when it comes to that other “Son,” things are different. Those who do not make the Son of God the center of their lives are literally deprived of spiritual light and truth. They are left to walk in spiritual darkness. Their only source of light is the often faint and feeble glow of their own wisdom, trusting it to guide them safely through life’s journey.
So why is it, we may ask, that people who live without the Son of God in their lives can seem so content, successful, and fulfilled? I can best answer this question by relating a story told by Elder Boyd K. Packer. It concerned a young woman who, many years ago, walked some distance with her younger brothers and sisters to see the Peach Days Parade in Brigham City, Utah. None of them had ever seen any kind of parade before, so you can imagine their excitement.
After the children arrived in town, and before the actual parade began, they watched in awe as a large water wagon went down the street, wetting the dirt road to keep the dust from flying during the parade. After the water wagon had passed, the children went home. They thought the parade was over. And here is the sad part: They were perfectly satisfied, until later, when they learned what they had missed.
Just like the children in that story, many of Heavenly Father’s children think they are enjoying life at its very best—but only because they don’t know what they are missing.
It is my personal experience and witness that by making the Son of God the center of our lives we have unlimited access to light, and warmth, and mercy, and guidance from above. Admittedly, my own perspective on what He offers is limited. But I believe with all my heart that "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him" (1 Corinthians 2:9).
What’s at the center of your universe?
It's too bad I'm not a sunday school teacher in my ward....I'd be stealing all of these for lessons! Love them, Dad!
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