Questions: Which of Galileo's beliefs was one of the main causes of his conflict with the Catholic Church? A. that the teachings of the Catholic Church were unscientific and incorrect B. that the Sun was not the center of the universe but rather orbited around the Earth C. that the pope had no authority and no right to be the head of the Catholic Church D. that the Earth was not the center of the universe but rather orbited around the Sun

The answer is D. that the Earth was not the center of the universe but rather orbited around the Sun.

While Galileo did challenge certain interpretations of the scriptures, his primary conflict with the Church was not based on a blanket statement that all Church teachings were unscientific. His main issue was with the geocentric model of the universe.

This option is incorrect because it describes the geocentric model, which was the prevailing belief supported by the Catholic Church at the time. Galileo actually supported the heliocentric model.

Galileo did not challenge the authority of the pope or the Church's right to leadership. His conflict was more scientific than theological or political.

This is the correct answer. Galileo's support for the heliocentric model, which posited that the Earth and other planets orbited the Sun, was in direct conflict with the geocentric model endorsed by the Catholic Church. This belief was one of the main causes of his conflict with the Church, leading to his eventual trial and house arrest.