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The whole process of building a new civilization in the West, found itself vigorously opposed by the Christian Church.. Before the time of Muhammad the Church had objected to the scientific spirit as well as to investigation and logic. Muhammad had taught and encouraged science, learning and reason, and.. the Church.. found itself more and more estranged from human progress (51:2) The civilization of the West, resulting from the impact of Islam on Christendom proved to be one of enormous and ever-extending material power.. The initiative in producing this wonderful culture was not taken by the Church.. It was a secular movement springing from the sudden.. emancipation of the human spirit, and originated with the laity.. yet the religious authorities regarded logic and investigation as wrong. (51:3) Under the reign of such views no Divine science, which might have balanced physical science.. was ever able to arise. Verbalisms, sterile dogmas, riddles that might evoke controversy but could not illuminate the mind, took the place of a real search for spiritual truth. (53:1) The whole position as regards heresy, dogma, enquiry, reason and the like was supported by the authority of a great institution, but Jesus had revealed no specific institution and all institutions, great an small, old and new, have been deduced by men's reason from this or that phrases or text of Gospel. No church.. can point to any statement in the Gospel which indicates its pattern, its rule of succession.. Not one of the institutions of Christendom can say it is designed and built in direct conformity with an express command of Christ.. All are man-made
(54:3)
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