About Catholic history

[Typical Charlie]

> History books are filled with their bloodshed, especially the
> Crusades and the Inquisitions. They used to burn innocent young girls
> at the stake, and say they were witches.
>
> + Who did?
> + Do you have any references?
> + Or are you just making up shit?

Wow, you've never read a history book? Really? Or are you just
feigning ignorance? "The history of the Church will stop existing if I
ignore it or deny it" - is that your attitude?

Inquisition: "The Inquisition, Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis
(inquiry on heretical perversity), was the "fight against
heretics" (people who believed non-Catholic teachings) by several
institutions within the justice-system of the Roman Catholic Church.
It started in the 12th century, with the introduction of torture in
the persecution of "heresy" (non-Catholic beliefs). Inquisition
practices were used also on offences against "canon law" other than
heresy." See the rest of this article on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inquisitions

Crusades: "The Crusades were a series of religiously sanctioned
military campaigns, called by the Pope and with the main goal of
restoring Christian *control* of the Holy Land. The main series of
Crusades occurred between 1095 and 1291; historians have given them
numbers, later unnumbered crusades were also taken up for a variety of
reasons. See the rest of this article on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crusades

Witch Trials: The Witch trials in the Early Modern period were a
period of witch hunts between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries,
when across Early Modern Europe, and to some extent in the European
colonies in North America, there was a widespread *hysteria* that
malevolent Satanic witches were operating as an organized *threat to
Christendom*. Those accused of witchcraft were portrayed as being
worshippers of the Devil, who engaged in such acts as malevolent
sorcery, and orgies at meetings known as Witches' Sabbaths. Many
people were subsequently accused of being witches, and were put on
trial for the crime, with varying punishments being applicable in
different regions and at different times.

Three developments in Christian doctrine have been identified as
factors contributing significantly to the witch hunts: 1) a shift from
the rejection of belief in witches to an acceptance of their existence
and powers, 2) developments in the doctrine of Satan which
incorporated witchcraft as part of Satanic influence, 3) the
identification of witchcraft as heresy. See the rest of this article
on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witch_trials_in_the_Early_Modern_period

In short, let me summarize by saying that *the history of the Catholic
Church is indefensible*. These three factual and descriptive articles
are just the tip of the iceberg of the Church's malevolence.
Throughout history they have claimed to be the representatives of God
and all that is holy - yet they have been committing acts of
corruption, immorality and violence. I suggest trying to look on them,
not with the eyes of what you want them to be, nor what you hope they
were, but with the calm, dispassionate, reasonable view that can
consider that their history portrays them in another light
altogether.

Our salvation lies not with obediently following another, or group of
others, but in following our own conscience, and the highest ideals we
can aspire to.