Galileo

Galileo was not an atheist. He was not at odds with the bible. The controversy was about the heliocentric theory which Nicolaus Copernicus, a Catholic canon, had advanced long before Galileo and Copernicus was not at odds with the Church.. The heliocentric theory (the earth revolves around the sun) was not proven until 1838 by Friedrich Bessel who had access to much advanced astronomical instruments.. The problem with Galileo was that he made his claim without presenting proofs which were not avilable in his lifetime and he caused unnecessary tension with fundamentalists and geocentrists who believed the sun resolves around the earth. Science is not opposed to the bible. The bible is not and was never considered a science book.