Really?
I've known Catholics who spoke in moon-eyed rapt about the beauty and dignity of the Jewish liturgical observances.
And I'm a fan of ancient western history and Tacitus et al had nothing nice to say about Hebrews and Christians--whom they saw as just another sect of a barbarian cult. After all, Jews grew beards and latin for whiskers is barbae from which barbarian is derived.
The Romans were absolutely merciless to Christians. They would wrap them in cloth, douse them with pitch and set them aflame to light the circuses at night.
And this whole money canard is just that--a canard--the overwhelming vast majority of clergy live a pauper's life. Nor do I except the presence of sinners as an argument against the Divine. You speak in grand moral overtones but from What and to Whom? Undoubtedly you will say, "I'm not against God, just religion!" I would imagine God would say such things as well. In fact he's been pretty ******* furious with it over over the millenia. But He will not listen to your sad efforts to justify yourself by damning the Torquemadas and Elmer Gantries, He is far more interested in the trials of remorseful slavers and grief stricken families.
If you're going to reject God have the spine to do it openly and honestly, with a spine...we're making s'mores down here...but this seeking self-justification through the faults of others is weak and cowardly beyond tolerance.
Elmer Gantry and Torquemada were on opposite ends of the pole.
From what I have read--school and pleasure reading good old Torq was one of the most dangerous man alive in his time because he truly believed he was doing the work of the Lord and the Church. Not to mention he had a hard road to walk to keep his own head and fortune from being seized by the Church. There are few that would or could defend his horrific actions then or now, but trying to understand how this came to be is interesting.
Fortunately as his time was a time of reading and writing records were kept that survive today. One needs to remember that the Church was much more powerful then any King or Queen, the politics of the day was cut throat, both the Church and the Kings were in a mad race to acquire property and wealth and the Church always won out.
Elmer is a new age believer perhaps going back only 300 years or so. He had no fear of government or Church, he was free to live as he wished doing no manual labor, feeding on the fears of the simple folk that excepted his views of of the Bible and the here after. Not much different from " Brother Loves Traveling Salvation Show." [Neil Diamond--1969-]
Today few of us in America have any memory of at that time what true persecution is or was, in Europe or was to try to get a foot hold in America. RI, the State was founded because of that fact and the insanity in the Witch trials that sent my family fleeing leaving everything to Cotton Mather, land and buildings to escape to Maine.
You see I have a Dog in this fight on mothers side, also the the French side that became part of the Arcadia trail of tears. My direct ancestors were taken and sold on the block in Boston with African slaves, and on Dads side a couple were kidnapped and sold in Canada to the Catholic folks as maids and servants.
Religion has played such a big part in my family history and now we find a family member that has Phages, [ Spelling.?] a split gene that is passed down by a sect of Jews in eastern Europe.
My family are Mongrels, we come from most every where with different religions and somehow managed to keep the line intact.
So I am curious how they survived and became a melting pot here in America. This does not mean I have no faith in God, it means I am curious how my DNA survived from the past to this time.
I do not question anything but the times and changing times that humans interpret the Will Of God .
