With the arrival of a comet in 1680, the moral superiority of Christianity vanished
Does religion lead to more or less tolerance? Pierre Bayle dropped a bombshell in 1682: a society without religion was not such a bad idea at all. The issue he raised continues to divide the world.
C/1680 V1 is now the name of the comet that flew over Europe in 1680. It was an exceptionally large and bright comet with a long tail, which was also visible in daylight. The Rotterdam painter Lieve Verschuier was an eyewitness; he made a painting of it.
The French Protestant Pierre Bay…
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