Dear constance,

The Inquisition was not confined to Spain. In the 13th century, Pope Gregory IX (reigned 1227–1241) assigned the duty of carrying out inquisitions to the Dominican Order. Inquisitors acted in the name of the Pope and with his full authority. After the end of the twelfth century, a Grand Inquisitor headed each Inquisition. Inquisitions in this form persisted in parts of the world until the 19th century.

Historians distinguish four different manifestations of the Inquisition:

1. the Medieval Inquisition (1184–1230s)
2. the Spanish Inquisition (1478–1834)
3. the Portuguese Inquisition (1536–1821)
4. the Roman Inquisition (1542 – c. 1860 )

The activities of the inquisitors were not confined to the above areas but could take place in any areas under the control of the Catholic Church. These inquisitions responded to large popular movements throughout Europe considered apostate or heretical to Christianity, in particular the Cathars in southern France and the Waldensians in both southern France and northern Italy. Other Inquisitions followed after these first inquisition movements.

One particular horrifying instance of the Roman Inquisition was the execution of Giordano Bruno (1548-1600) who was burned at the stake for heresy. Bruno, an Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, mathematician and astronomer, postulated the infinity of the universe. He went beyond the Copernican model in identifying the sun as just one of an infinite number of independently moving heavenly bodies. He is the first man to postulate that the stars are identical in nature to the Sun. Bruno also wrote extensive works on the art of memory.

Protestants also burned people at the stake. Michael Servetus, (1511-1553) was a theologian, physician, cartographer, and humanist. He was the first European to describe the function of pulmonary circulation. His interests included many sciences: mathematics, astronomy and meteorology, geography, human anatomy, medicine and pharmacology, as well as jurisprudence, and the scholarly study of the Bible in its original languages. He is renowned in the history of several of these fields, particularly medicine and theology. He participated in the Protestant Reformation, and later developed a nontrinitarian Christology, the heresy he was burned for.

"Hey get this pelican, constance is selling me an article about the "chattering class". Preaching to the converted!"

heh heh what was she thinking. ;)

At least there was no reference to chardonnay or lattes.

Mac,

“[T]he death of God also means the death of Western morality and Western values". Why?” Ask Friedrich Nietzsche who is probably the most renown philosopher who still resonates today. And ask Jurgen Habermas. Just read the right stuff.

Yeh, yeh; dissenters from all directions have been punished – it hasn’t only occurred with Catholicism dear fellow. Have you forgotten the Protestant Reformation? Who had the faith first? Gee, what trouble makers they were.

Re your previous post. Catholicism has permitted the secular state. It is not a Theocracy. I never got scared of Hell either. Catholics do not take their religion literally like the fundamentalist. Symbols and mysticism did it for me.

When a group of students and professors refused to hear the pope speak at their Roman university they were denying their own tradition.

A couple of excerpts.

In a lecture intended for delivery at La Sapienza University in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI undertook to address this issue and to show that faith cannot exist without reason and that reason itself cannot flourish without the faith. His whole argument is based on the concept of the Western university, whose emergence in the Middle Ages was not some sheer historical fluke, but an outgrowth of the intellectual requirements of the Christian faith itself -- a point which suggests why universities did not develop in Asia, Africa or the Middle-East.

The pope first notes that "the true, intimate origin of the university lies in man's craving for knowledge". In this sense, "the Socratic questioning is the impulse that gave birth to the Western university". He then explains that it is precisely as a response to this kind of questioning that the Christians of the first centuries embraced the faith: "They accepted their faith as a way of dissolving the cloud that was mythological religion so as to discover the God that is creative Reason as well as Reason-as-Love.

Pelican,

The French Revolution.

“The origins of the Revolution have their intellectual backings primarily in the teachings of two men, Jean Jacques Rousseau and Donatien Aphonose Francois Comte de Sade, better known as the Marquis de Sade. (You might want to read up on Sade in particular, hey). Tens of thousands were murdered in this manner, and most were tortured before their lives were ended by decapitation. Oftentimes, murder was committed for its own sake, during the Revolution. However, men like Gracchus Babeuf and Joseph Lebon (5) were not interested in building only a democratic society. They, more often than not, began to slaughter the rich and privileged as well. If it is more beneficial for a man to mind his morals, pray nightly, and work hard, then he will act in such a way. If, however, it is more beneficial to rape, glut, and steal from his brothers who happen to be more materially wealthy, then it will occur. The ideology of the Democratic State is the parent of the butchery and slaughter that took place during the French Revolution. Leftists may attempt to defend the Revolution by the numbers. Truly, the Revolutionaries did not murder nearly as many as the Nazis or Soviets, but this was because they did not have the technology to do so.” Matt Lancaster (anarchist) – and I think I may be one myself, but am disciplined somewhat.

History may look favourably at the People of the Revolutions ra ras, Me Me The People so "Lets just kill em", Actual facts can be carelessly omitted, so the people of the revolution can look Nice and Glossy. Not everything is always so black and white you know, in fact most things are grey. There are always two sides to the story. Not that I am against justice and equality at all.

David f

Still conveying your pedantic HARDCORE one bug eyed ramblings. How about all the atrocities done against the Catholics and still occuring?

Katyn - a la Stalin

The persecution of the Catholic Irish in their homeland (killed off about 50% of the population, some say). Oh yes, the Irish love Oliver Cromwell. And apparently he is considered by the English today to be one of their top two favourite English people of all time. The history of anti-Catholicism in England which still beholds. And has echoed in English speaking countries The discrimination held against earlier, like in my parents’ days growing up.

Gosh, they rant on about Bloody Mary. How about Bloody Elizabeth and what she & co did to Catholics in England? Now the only Catholic Churches that survived in that bloodshed were stolen by the Protestants. But isn’t Bloody Mary a good drink? One good thing about Catholics, they like their grog. Oh, and didn’t a lot of Catholic monks brew some good ones - like beer and champagne. In fact, wasn’t it a monk who invented champagne? No doubt, the Catholics like to enjoy themselves in life. What a bland world it would be without them.

I don’t mean to be disrespectful of your facts given - whether correct or not. But you certainly seem to have a bit of a sick bee in your bonnet and are mercilessly out there to prove all your angst.

You don’t seem to believe in anything, David? Must be tough.

About 100 million Catholics are currently persecuted today around the world -radical Muslim groups,Islamic states, radical Hindu groups and North Korea. Have also been done by atheist states such as the USSR in the past and I think still happening but not as vicious. And were also persecuted for the first four centuries by the Jews and the Roman Empire until it was legalised by Constantine. Persecution of Christians in the early and medieval Caliphates. I could go on, but what’s the point and I really don’t care to.

Dear Constance,

You tried to minimise the Inquisition. It is not hard core to point that it was horrible. The fact that Catholics have been persecuted does not make the Inquisition less horrible.

The Katyn massacre was also horrible. However, it was not just Catholics. They were officers in the Polish army and included Protestant and Jewish Polish officers.

Goodness me. I wish you wouldn't find it so offensive to be presented with facts that don't jibe with your account.

I get no pleasure from attacking you personally, and I don't appreciate your attacks on me.

I don't know where you get the idea that I don't believe in anything. I don't believe in any supernatural mumbojumbo, but I believe the scientific method is the best way of getting information. I believe that one should be kind and question authority. I believe one should treat other humans with consideration.

I believe that I should treat you with the courtesy you have failed to extend to me.