that those proving that the earth wasn't the center of the universe were punished and that the flat earth belief held way after Arab/Ottoman science, among others, had proven that to be false.

In fact, those 'false' science theories were religious beliefs to begin with -- doesn't really make the point you want, does it, Detector? Sorry for you, but you actually just proved the point -- religion (at least in the West) has been the power stopping science normally.