Posted by Julie [Julie] on April 06, 1999 at 06:24:42 {JK6FUAMFdMs32JBxNwbkRyqclwWKXQ}:
In Reply to: *Opinion About Reform posted by Kinsman on April 05, 1999 at 13:19:44:
Hello Kinsman,
I see the date of your Catholic info and I would like to point something out that is often overlooked. (First a disclaimer, I know the RCC was corrupt and in dire need of reform when the Reformation took place).......
Back in the days when the Church practiced the things everyone loves to hate, the world was a much different place. First of all almost everything was accomplished via violence. The inquisition was, in our modern eyes, inexcusable, however the populace of the Christianity did not recoil in horror from these activities because, as far as commoners (or anyone for that matter) were concerned this is how things were done. If you so much as speculated about the death of the king, that could be conceived as treason, punishable by death. It was a tough time to live.
My point of all this is that the Church acted pretty much within what was considered acceptable, to a degree. There was a
great deal more grumbling about corruption than oppression.
Thankfully the Church learned the valuable lesson that everyone is in charge of their own soul, the inquisition was scrapped along with a lot of other things with no business
in a house of God.
The thing about it is though that when the world outgrew primitive thought regarding society the Church was wise enough to grow and change with mankind (though forced into it at first). They (the mere mortals)
running the show were no more enlightened than society so they acted as best they knew, not realizing heresy was unstoppable.
The WT on the other hand still subscribes to many of the medievil practices, minus the violence.
What is a
judicial hearing but an inquisition without the rack? The spying I have read so much about reminds me of Thomas Cromwell and his secret service he kept on hand for the undoing of his enemies and dissolving of the monasteries.
It's all
so medievil and backwards.
You are right to compare the RCC of pre-reform days to the WT. They are almost twins. It turns my stomach.
Julie