| | A Historical Outline of Modern Religious Criticism in Western Civilization |
 | | Copernicus’ heliocentric theory stated that the Earth revolved around the Sun, which contradicted the Christian view that the Earth was the center of the universe, around which everything else revolved. |
 | | He also stated that the Sun is a star, and that all of the other stars in the universe are the centers of their own solar systems, each having their own planets. |
 | | Paine did state that he believed in God, but said that it is impossible to claim any knowledge of God other than what can be determined by the laws of nature, and that he viewed God merely as whatever created the universe. |
| www.rationalrevolution.net /articles/religious_criticism.htm (17162 words) |