Religion
In reply to the discussion: What contirbution has religion given to the advancement of mankind that has come from nowhere else? [View all]cleanhippie
(19,705 posts)And in your examples, religion "contributed" the money and resources for these people to perform their scientific work.
But funding and resources can come from just about ANYWHERE, not just a religious institution. And the strong argument could be made that religion actually oppressed the scientific work of many of those people on your wiki list. The very first one, for example, Copernicus...
The point of this exercise is to see if humankind is better off, further along, or more advanced, or has more knowledge about the world we live in, ONLY because of religion, and by religion I mean the definition of religion, which Websters defines as..
1.a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.
2.a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion.
3.the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices: a world council of religions.
4.the life or state of a monk, nun, etc.: to enter religion.
5.the practice of religious beliefs; ritual observance of faith.