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This play brings me back to a discussion I had with my mother over dinner one night. We were debating religion- which is always a dangerous topic. My mother is what I like to call a 'liberal bigot'. She really, really dislikes religion. After our discussion I could see why. She said that she will not believe in something unless there has been proof- she sees no reason in trying to understand the impossible because EVERYTHING has an explanation- we just haven't gotten all the answers yet.

In class yesterday Paul asked us why we believed in Galileo's new story- rather than the old one. I know why I do. Galileo's theory has been PROVED- more than once, more than twice, as much as any theory can be. It will always be impossible for us to know the whole truth but we should never be blinded by fiction and by faith. Faith in the impossible does not mean it will happen. It merely means that we loose sight of the countless truths that stare us in the face. Faith is manipulated by those in power because humans are amazing at self denial.

Many argue that scientific discovery ruins the random beauty of the human experience. However, just because there is no ghost in the machine does not mean that the machine is any less spectacular. Galileo may not have seen 'celestial bodies bathed in the light of god' but the glimpse of the universe he had was more incredible, more wonderful because it is REAL. Or at least as real as anything can be...(but thats a whole other philosophical dilemna).