COMMON SENSE. LET'S TALK ABOUT IT
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Trusting that they have integrity, let us ask a group of "Naked Scientists" from Cambridge University about it.
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/There is a thread on common sense. Coberst posts to it.
Common sense does have it use, but we must not forget that because of it our ancestors, way back, believed that the sun rose in the east; that the earth was a flat disc and that it was at the centre of the universe. Because of education, even quite young children today know differently.
Enter science--that is, science with integrity and humble enough to admit mistakes. It helps us evaluate common sense and to correct our mistakes. As I said above, true scientists who study geography and geology do not tell us made-up stories based on child-like observations and what we call common sense. Using all their senses, they let the nature of things speak for themselves.
True scientists like Copernicus--who, BTW, was a Christian monk--are not afraid to use their senses and imaginations and to go beyond common sense, when needed.
Long before the careful observations of Galileo proved him to be right, and that common sense is sometimes wrong, he came to the mathematical conclusion that the earth is a globe going around the sun.
IMO, theology and religion without science is superstition. Science in the service of GOD is a marvelous and powerful tool, not a dangerous and destructive one. It is for this reason I take the same scientific approach in my study of GOD. And I invite GOD to "speak" to and through me--and anyone who makes the same choice.
Incidentally, I read somewhere that the Greek philosopher, Aristarchus, came to the same conclusion, as did Copernicus, about 300 BCE. The "wise" people of his day thought he was insane. It is said that was so hurt by the rejection of his peers that he did become insane. If you reject my god hypothesis I promise not to go insane, just slightly nuts.
