. He doesn’t over emphasize his hypothesis and his belief of it over the Bible’s words. Galileo doesn’t make the statement of a sun-still planetary system the main point of his letter, but rather an unavoidable truth if one can accept the facts he provides. He also wants his readers (which is more then just the Grand Duchess Christina) to know he is not the only person who thinks as he does. He quotes a well-respected church father, St. Augustine, to saying, “…the truth of Holy Writ cannot be contrary to the solid reasons and experiences of human knowledge.”Though elements of his argument are powerful, Galileo's letter may have been unpersuasive to its original audience. For us, it is hard to understand why the clergy, and society quickly shunned an idea that today is widely known and accepted by everyone. Science then is not what science is today. Society studied no more then the Bible, and that was only if they could read. Many of those who couldn’t read had the Bible read to them. Government, economy, and basic everyday life were based on this book, and science barely existed. It was only a few years after Galileo’s time that the scientific method was developed, and it was not until years later that the scientific method was a recognizable method of study. Had the scientific method been a concept when Galileo’s ideas were first brought about, the church may have paid more attention to his scientific ideas, and therefore been more open to the ideas he presents in his letter to the Duchess. ...
