Galieleo, Brecht, and Perry

Last night I went to see Galileo by Bertolt Brecht at the Cleveland Playhouse, the longest running regional theater in the country (96 years!). It was beautifully executed (with the exception of an awkward moment filled with rapping angels and gold lamé shorts) and starred the amazing British actor Paul Whitworth. The lighting was stunning; I couldn't believe how much it added to an already lovely work. Perhaps most importantly, however, was the resounding message still remarkably relevant 70 years after the 1943 premier.

Galileo Galilei, as we laypeople understand him, was an astronomer, physicist and mathematician who propelled forward the Scientific Revolution. With his findings that the earth is not, in fact, the center of the universe (proven via recent invention the telescope), the Catholic Church found Galilei heretical and in violation of church doctrine. In fact, in October of 1992 (350+ years later), Pope John Paul II expressed regret with the way that the situation with Galilei was handled. And thus did NOT end the murky divide between the Church and Science. Brecht initially wrote the play as a sort of allegory of Naziism, but it can easily be translated to new times and centuries. His balance between the Church and Science is lovely, with doubters and believers in both camps as the Western world changed drastically toward scientific pursuits.

So, does anybody see a parallel between Rick Perry (and other GOP fundamentalists) and the scientific community today? Anyone? How is it that after years, centuries, even, of research and investigation (using the bright minds and capabilities that the Good Lord above has gifted us), the church still questions rather basic science that has significant evidence in its court? I am a theist, unlike many of my science-minded (and even ethnomusicologically-minded) friends, and I have faith in a Higher Power, but I do not at all conceive of how my faith and (I believe God's gift of) science are incompatible. Placing artifacts historically and chronologically (including Bibles and fossils) should inform us that we can take nothing literally but must conduct further research (thank you, Lord, for free will and thinking minds). The Bible makes no mention of cars or computers (or the internet at all) and yet we use them. We don't know where God stands on these SCIENTIFIC inventions. According to the Hebrew Scriptures, we can't even wear wool and linen at the same time. (Who knows how polyester fits in to the picture.) So should we abandon the theory of evolution simply because we can't seem to move beyond allegories and fables mainly employed to educate the (largely) illiterate population of 2,000 years ago? Doubt it, but who knows? Perry and others are either really stupid (possible) or looking to control large segments of today's population with both ignorance and fear. Climate change? Nah. Doesn't exist. How on earth could humans have botched things up so long if the earth is really millions and billions of years old? Mostly because we're inventive little turds and some of our science has turned against us during our pursuit of excessive profit (e.g. big agriculture that yields more corn, more corn-fed cows then pumped with anti-biotics and presto-change-o: E-coli!).

Now that I have established myself as a ranting loon, I would like to recommend that you watch Galileo at the Cleveland Playhouse if you're able. Good show, dear chaps, good show.