The telescope in itself wasn't controversial but the things it brought on was controversial (the things it discovered). Like how it discovered that Earth was not the center if the universe. Since what the Roman Catholic Chruch said was, and they had there own stuff on Astronomy, through mutplie scientific theories in that time it proved it wrong. To say it was just the telscope is not correct in a certain sense. To say it was the scientists, astronomers, theories, AND the telescope is correct. Saying the telescope was the only thing that brought on religious controversy is like saying one paintingchanged the entire Renaissance.