Copernicus, Galileo, and Da Vinci used reasoning and logic to disprove common (and otherwise accepted) beliefs, thus contradicting the Church’s theories. These methods helped bring about the transition of society as a whole to the humanistic value system, where the value of each person’s thoughts mattered, creative expression was appreciated, and scientific method was respected.

As scientific method grew, the Church lost more and more of its flock to more attractive modern theories dictating both inner and outer space, thus weakening follower’s trust their blind faith. The outer-space governing system that was widely believed before the humanistic period was known as the Ptolemaic system, which stated that the Earth was the center of Universe. This theory was disproved by Copernicus, and centuries later disproved again by Galileo. While Copernicus lost his life for his viewpoint, Galileo was brought before the Inquisition and forced to disavow his beliefs.

Da Vinci was another key player in the degrading trust of the Church by probing endlessly into what human ingenuity could achieve, rather than simply accepting the world God had created, as Christians had always done. He dissected cadavers and mapped out the human body, pursuing knowledge that could be gained by no other path than that of defiance of the Church.

In the end, the downfall of the Roman Catholic Church is attributed to many things, but mainly people’s lack of support for blind faith. The beginning of a new, scientific age was dawning, and as the line of factual evidence pushed forward, the line of faith receded. Copernicus, Galileo, and da Vinci all played major roles in the Church’s downfall by contributing to science, and increasing factual boundaries.

[All quotes paraphrased]

William Manchester, A World Lit Only By Fire (New York: Back Bay Books, 1992), page. 116, para 1

William Manchester, A World Lit Only By Fire (New York: Back Bay Books, 1992), page. 116, para 1

William Manchester, A World Lit Only By Fire (New York: Back Bay Books, 1992), page 93, para. 1

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