text: From the introduction to Thomas Paine's "The Age of Reason." --- "Historically, the church has emphasized the "contemptible smallness" of man, and his fundamental inability to know. More important, because reason, in practice, has the potential to contradict or refute religious doctrine, the church has actively discouraged rational inquiry, not only with regard to the principles of religion, but also in the realm of natural philosophy and science. Such inquiry came to be considered morally reprehensible. According to Paine, this is the explanation for the descent of human society into the Dark Ages."
  
  --- Joseph Carrig...Ph.D. in political science from the University of Pennsylvania.