It seems to me that it was well said by Madama Serenissima, and insisted on by your reverence, that the Holy Scripture cannot err, and that the decrees therein contained are absolutely true and inviolable. But I should have in your place added that, though Scripture cannot err, its expounders and interpreters are liable to err in many ways; and one error in particular would be most grave and most frequent, if we always stopped short at the literal signification of the words.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the infallibility of Holy Scripture while acknowledging that human interpretation can lead to errors, particularly when taken literally.
In this quote, Galileo Galilei articulates a critical perspective on the interpretation of Scripture. While he affirms that the text of the Holy Scripture is without error, he warns against the fallibility of its interpreters, who may misinterpret its meanings, especially if they adhere strictly to a literal interpretation without considering the broader context. This observation serves as a reminder that understanding complex truths often requires a deeper exploration beyond surface meanings.
In practice
During a lecture on religious texts, one might use this quote to illustrate the challenges of interpretation.
It has always seemed to me extreme presumptuousness on the part of those who want to make human ability the measure of what nature can and knows how to do, since, when one comes down to it, there is not one effect in nature, no matter how small, that even the most speculative minds can fully understand.
We must say that there are as many squares as there are numbers.
Science proceeds more by what it has learned to ignore than what it takes into account.
The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do.
Philosophy is written in this grand book, the universe, which stands continually open to our gaze. But the book cannot be understood unless one first learns to comprehend the language and read the letters in which it is composed.
That sculpture is more admirable than painting for the reason that it contains relief and painting does not is completely false. ... Rather, how much more admirable the painting must be considered, if having no relief at all, it appears to have as much as sculpture!
Loneliness and solitude are two different things. When you are lonely, it is easy to delude yourself into believing that you are on the right path. Solitude is better for us, as it means being alone without feeling lonely. But eventually it is best to find a person, the person who will be your mirror. Remember, only in another person's heart can you truly see yourself and the presence of God within you.
Facts as facts do not always create a spirit of reality, because reality is a spirit.
From silly devotions and from sour-faced saints, good Lord, deliver us.
The future of life on Earth depends on our ability to see the sacred where others see only the common
Many have imagined republics and principalities which have never been seen or known to exist in reality; for how we live is so far removed from how we ought to live, that he who abandons what is done for what ought to be done, will rather bring about his own ruin than his preservation.
Eventually I saw that the path of the heart requires a full gesture, a degree of abandon that can be terrifying. Only then is it possible to achieve a sparkling metamorphosis.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.