Actually the Greeks were the first ones to hypothesize that the Earth was in fact a sphere, and no, he wasn't ridiculed for it. Of course, he actually got off his ass, made measurements from Athens, and from Alexandria that demonstrated that the world was indeed a sphere. He also did the math to estimate the size and came up with a figure that was with in 10% (maybe even closer) of the actual size.
Religion, Government, these are two words that are most inhospitable to freedom and liberty in the human language. The first demands belief in the unprovable, and the second demands belief in distortions of the truth. Neither offer rational explanations, or provable theorems for their plans, but instead ask that you believe their lies. If you refuse to, you are labeled a traitor, blasphemer or heretic and locked up, ostrascized or killed.
Based on the fact that both "organizations" operate on the same methodology who could offer their whole hearted support to either one?
Who, knowing that the church specifically chose what gospels would appear in the bible, can trust that the church is telling the complete story, and sharing it?
Who, knowing that the government routinely operates in secret, and refuses to divulge all of its activities and plans to the people that it is supposedly "protecting" can trust that the government really is interested in the best interests of the governed?