Conflict of Interest

Throughout history mankind has been dogged by conflict. It was an intrinsic part of our hunter-gatherer origin, as we fought with the elements to sustain ourselves. Conflict is common amongst all of humanity. It affects every race, society, group or person. Whilst upon first inspection conflict may infer a terrible force, breaking relationships and ruining lives, on close inspection it may reveal that conflict is not only good but completely necessary. That conflict defines us for whom and what we are.

In 1543 Nicolaus Copernicus published “De Revolutionibus” (On the Revolution of the Heavenly Spheres). Initially received with only mild controversy, the thesis challenged the church’s theories of universal structure. It was only alongside the Galileo affair that “De Revolutionibus” would alter forever the relationship between religion and science. Copernicus’ theory concerned heliocentrism; the idea that the sun could function as the centre of the solar system. This was in direct opposition to the church’s geocentric view, that the earth was the only possible centre of the Universe and all the “heavenly spheres” revolved around it. This belief was supported by Bible Scripture, Psalm 104:5 reading that “the Lord set the earth on its foundation; it can never be moved”. The publication of Galileo’s “Siderans Nuncios” (Starry Messenger) in 1610, supporting the “heretical” Copernican view caused the church to view this as a threat upon itself. Over a period of years Galileo was tried by the inquisition, his work blacklisted, confined to house arrest and instructed to recant his views. This conflict between scientific theory and religion was to involve and alter all around it.

The above events were to have an immense effect on the world, to become epoch-making. Prior to the Galileo affair the church held sole ownership over scientific research. The church was not only the head of religion, but also politics and science As such any scientific undertaking...