The dark ages? What was it about that time in history that would cause you (and protestants) to believe that it was "dark"?
.
A belief in Geocentrism, Flat Earth, blood letting to cure diseases, lack of cameras, lack of computers,
lack of internet ;D, using horses for transportation, lack of airplanes, lack of telephones, lack of cable
TV :), lack of electricity, lack of refrigerators, lack of air-conditioners, lack of rockets, lack of really
good telescopes, etc.
Of course, one could call our modern age by a bad name also, because of feminism, internet, rockets,
global elitists, nєω ωσrℓ∂ σr∂єr, Vatican II, etc.
I'm speaking mostly from a non-religious viewpoint. And astronomy is a non-religious topic, except that
some people make it a religious topic. However, you can be Catholic or Atheist and still believe in
Heliocentrism.