Note: this topic is from . Thanks Sherman Logan. Just doing some housekeeping, no ping.
Posted on 04/22/2009 11:16:36 AM PDT by Sherman Logan
In today’s world about the most politically incorrect thing one can do is defend anything about the Catholic Church. You must not pay much attention to the media, which I agree may be a good idea.
BTW, I don’t defend the Church. To the best of my ability, I try to defend historical accuracy.
“I try to defend historical accuracy.”
That’s good, but how can one get hold of truthful historical documents?
You do the best you can. The later we go in time, the more documents are available. With the spread of literacy and the use of printing, it became nearly impossible for any group such as the Church to control everything that was recorded. After the Reformation, there was a contending group, actually a number of groups, who were as anxious to publicize the misdeeds of the Church as the Church was to hide them.
You have to sift through the evidence and try to come to some rational understanding of what happened, based on the evidence. If you reject all evidence because it may not be 100% accurate, then you can only read into history what you want to believe happened. If you do that, why bother with history at all? That we cannot come to a totally accurate and objective view of what happened doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.
Actually, there is also a great deal of negative information about the Church that is available because it wasn’t considered negative at the time.
We have very detailed records of Joan of Arc’s trial and execution, for instance, because the English were careful to record and publicize the trial of this “witch.”
Similarly, there are very detailed records of the proceedings of the Inquisition. They were proud of what they did.
“there are very detailed records of the proceedings of the Inquisition. “
Foxe’s Book Of Martyrs? No, that can’t be what you’re referring to because this book isn’t approving of the atrocities.
But these days you hear of the “Spanish Inquisition”, as though it were limited to Spain.
The policies of the inquisition have never been retracted or taken off the books of doctrine in the RC church. The Pope is the former head of the Congregation of the Propagation of The Faith, the modern name for the inquisition.
But today their P.R. paints them as kindly and warmly inviting Protestants into their fold (sort of like the spider inviting the flies). I have the feeling they would inquisite all over again if they had the chance.
No, I was referromg to the very detailed records of the Inquisition itself, in Spain primarily but also elsewhere.
Recent research in these primary documents indicates the death toll is a good deal lower over the centuries the Inquisition operated than is commonly assumed.
However, I’m sure you will decide that these records have been sanitized by the Church and the original numbers put forward by Foxe and others are probably understated.
Well, we’ve come to the point at which you are holding forth both sides of this conversation!
I guess it’s time to say goodbye. I wish you good records and accurate and truthful, unexpurgated history!
Note: this topic is from . Thanks Sherman Logan. Just doing some housekeeping, no ping.
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