Aristotle’s scientific principles laid the foundation for today’s maths and physics and his earth-centered view of the universe was the accepted standard through to the 16th century. His theological concepts became the cornerstone of the Christian church and his man-centered (anthropocentric) world continues to dominate theistic thought today.
Ironically, the work of Aristotle (384-322 BCE) was so profound that an atmosphere of comfort and complacency followed his tenure, discouraging debate and hindering advancement for almost 2000 years. This, of course, was impeded further by religious paranoia and protectionism.
It was Copernicus (1473-1543) who, upon observing discrepancies in planetary orbits, proposed that the Earth was not the center of the universe. The Copernican principle and its generalized extension, the cosmological principle, takes this one step further and suggests that the Earth holds no special place in the universe whatsoever, and is simply adrift in a predictable patch of universal space-time based on homogeneity and isotropy.
Punching a hole in the anthropic principle (the man-centered universe) terrifies religious institutions. Religious teachings are built on the fundamental premise that each of us is part of a noble machine dedicated to the worship of an omnipotent entity, one that places man above all else in the universe. In exchange, our “happy ending” is the comforting knowledge that we will be rewarded by going to a better place after death. In Armageddon, our “team” will win and the others will be subjected to torture and suffering for eternity. Much of our religious roots are derived from ancient Greek philosophies and this particular End-of-Days has become the bi-millenium Olympics. Yes, the ultimate sports metaphor. Go team!
Many religious institutions sit idly by while their flocks of Chicken Littles propagate religious myths. Their silence constitutes a crime of omission and it is unconscionable of them to benefit from the momentum of misinformation while taking no responsibility for its societal effect.
It is no wonder that religions are lined up enthusiastically behind the creative writings of revelationists, pseudo-scientists and their numerologist sidekicks; THIS IS THEIR RAISON D’ÊTRE. Applying the principles of logic and rationality is pointless because facts simply do not matter; their version of faith makes ignorance and denial a virtue.