Why was the enlightenment such a significant challenge to the power and influence of the Church?

The Enlightenment posed a significant challenge to the Church's power and influence by promoting reason, science, and individualism over traditional religious authority and dogma. Thinkers like Voltaire and Rousseau questioned the Church's teachings and its role in governance, advocating for secularism and human rights. This intellectual movement encouraged people to seek knowledge through empirical evidence rather than faith, leading to a decline in the Church's moral and political authority. As Enlightenment ideas spread, they inspired revolutions and reforms that further diminished the Church's influence in society.