"I am quite sure than any number of different powerful elements in European society were quite adamant about resisting change of any kind (as is true in EVERY era), and put pressure on the Church to stamp out any and all ideas that might disturb any aspect of the status quo."

Partly true - only till they decided that they could usurp the power of the Pope for themselves - which is why Protestantism took hold.

"showed him the tools of torture"
Sufficient mental torture to get the effect they wanted.


"Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions."

... and that some people take advantage of that to manipulate others - whereas he would only do good for others, as those who took his ideas said they would... oh wait...

"I was brought up (very) Catholic in the fifties and sixties and was taught that the planets moved round the sun and about the theory of evolution."

Didn't say which country you were in. In Australia, even the Church schools had to teach a curriculum that had some real science in it, and if you look up the history of GG (try Wiki for a start) you'll see that certain (political) forces in the CC were trying to hint that maybe they had got it wrong, but not until the apology was GG vindicated.

"Creationism and the flat earth theory would have been laughed out of my school and any other catholic school I knew."

In America now, the looney fundy wack jobs (not supported by the CC) ARE fighting to have EVERYBODY brainwashed with "anti-science" (the young uneducated and ignorant should be allowed to make the 'choice' for themselves) - they even even spent millions putting up a "MUSEUM" to this propaganda nonsense. I know of an Aussie academic, who years ago, had to fail a science student who insisted on using bible quotes as justification for their arguments in assignments. He was in tears for doing it, as the student was otherwise very bright.


Recently in Australia, (as a response to those who wail that kids are not 'being brought up properly' - read 'being good christians'!!! ) NSW tried to introduce some secular courses of ethics for those children whose parents refused to allow them to attend the normal church run RI classes. The Catholics and Anglicans had originally supported this idea thinking it would only be offered to those not currently attending RI, but are now trying to stop this, because all the parents were allowed the choice of their kids attending normal RI or these classes. You see, the churches found to their horror that RI attendance dropped in half as many Aussie parents obviously PREFERRED to have their kids educated in basic social ethics WITHOUT being brainwashed about magical sky fairies.

It's ALL about 'control'.