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Poland says no to flood of Immigrants [670]
the most significant steps in its development were driven in Protestant countries
You can only speak of protestant countries since the 16th century. Western Civilisation was already in full swing by then, with formative traditions and influences of Greek and Roman antiquity saved for the world by Catholic monks and great university system also developed by the Catholic Church. Let me quote from the book I mentioned...
"Historians have marveled at the extent to which intellectual debate in those universities was free and unfettered. The exaltation of human reason and its capabilities, a commitment to rigorous and rational debate, a promotion of intellectual inquiry and scholarly exchange-all sponsored by the Church-provided the framework for the Scientific Revolution, which was unique to Western civilization."
... actually, nearly all historians of science in the last 50 years (most notably A.C. Crombie, David Lindberg, Edward Grant, Stanley Jaki, Thomas Goldstein, and J. L. Heilbron) came to the conclusion that the Scientific Revolution was indebted to the Church, and that's only one aspect of RCC's contribution to Western Civilisation and its material culture (e.g. farming, engineering and use of machinery all over Europe by the Cistercian monks).
However, let's not drag the thread off-topic too much - I was merely recommending a great book as a Christmas gift :)
