The development of the scientific metthos and advancement of scientific thinking played a crucial role is disturbing the zeitgeist, or feeling of the time, in the 17th century. the people of the 17th century were generally accepting people. the uneducated had no problems believing what they were told. this was the common feeling until a few "radical" scientists began to question things. the Roman Catholic Church persecuted such notable scientists as Copernicus and Galileo for their beliefs.
the method of questioning developed by 17th century scientists became known as scientific metthod. this process included forming a hypotheses and testing it. if this hypotheses was proved wrong, then a new hypotheses was formed. this process repeated itself until a hypothesis was proven correct. this method advances by Newton, Copernicus, and Galileo was rejected by the Catholic Church because themethod stated that nothing was real until it was proven to be real.
Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Portrait of Galileo Galilei by Justus Sustermans p...
English: Galileo facing the Roman Inquisition, pai...this directly contradicts the concept of faith.
scientists thinking generally encouraged discrimination when copernicus and galileo advanced their theories that the sun rather tha the earth was the center of the universe, the were promptly excommunicated from the CHruch. their works were placed on the index of forbidden books, and their names were never mentioned again in association with the Catholic CHurch intil a few short months ago, when the Catholic CHursch finaally acknowledged that Galileo was right.
although the development of scientific thinking and the schientific method is important in todays' scientific discoveries, it was not accepted very kindly in the 17th century. the resistance to change was so strong in the traditional sources of authority that a good idea was not even recognized.