General Discussion

BainsBane

(57,760 posts)

61. I think it's important to remember

Wed Mar 20, 2013, 05:07 PM

Mar 2013

That how people think is framed by the cultural world in which they live. Certainly, if non-believers were a concern of the Church, they would have been targets of the Inquisition. Instead you see priests and lay people tried for heresy, speaking about God and the cosmos in ways of which the church didn't approve. You also see Jews and homosexual men as targets. I would guess that people who didn't care much for religion went through the motions and didn't attract the attention of the Santo Oficio.

One thing you can know with certainty, no one in the 11-16th centuries thought as we do today.

If case you're interested, there is a great book on the Inquisition in Brazil that's now been translated into English. She also references a number of works on the European Inquisitions and witch hunts. http://www.amazon.com/Devil-Land-Holy-Cross-Translations/dp/0292702361/ref=la_B001IYZL1A_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363813104&sr=1-1

She draws on Inquisition documents, some of which are in published volumes. I'm not sure if any are available in English. Those documents are fascinating to read.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

130 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

I wonder what a liberal Roman Catholics lurking on this site must think of all these posts. [View all] hrmjustin Mar 2013 OP

sigh Marrah_G Mar 2013 #1

Atheist here ... ex-catholic Trajan Mar 2013 #2

They have not done that for awhile. hrmjustin Mar 2013 #3

opus Dei still has wet dreams about the good olde days ChairmanAgnostic Mar 2013 #71

Opes Dei scare me! hrmjustin Mar 2013 #73

me, too. ChairmanAgnostic Mar 2013 #74

For sake of historical accuracy BainsBane Mar 2013 #38

Of course there were atheists at the time of the Inquisition. MNBrewer Mar 2013 #45

really? BainsBane Mar 2013 #53

From wikipedia MNBrewer Mar 2013 #56

I think it's important to remember BainsBane Mar 2013 #61

Of course the 11th through 16th centuries had different ways of thinking MNBrewer Mar 2013 #62

possibly BainsBane Mar 2013 #66

we can call this the 'atheist of the gaps' phenomenon. Phillip McCleod Mar 2013 #95

What are you even talking about? BainsBane Mar 2013 #100

i think i made myself abundantly clear. Phillip McCleod Mar 2013 #101

Making yourself clear would require BainsBane Mar 2013 #105

How about Cro-Magnon Man? Rex Mar 2013 #72

No, the word was not coined in the 18th century. MNBrewer Mar 2013 #82

So are the first known atheists from France? BainsBane Mar 2013 #88

I doubt it MNBrewer Mar 2013 #94

In the linked text BainsBane Mar 2013 #96

not that much different from the modern usage if you think about it.. Phillip McCleod Mar 2013 #97

Excuse me? BainsBane Mar 2013 #98

Christopher Marlowe, for example. MNBrewer Mar 2013 #58

interesting example BainsBane Mar 2013 #67

People that did not believe in the Christan God existed long before the term Rex Mar 2013 #46

but did they believe in no God? BainsBane Mar 2013 #55

I believe it has more to do with being an ex-Catholic then atheist. Rex Mar 2013 #57

my point is there was no such thing BainsBane Mar 2013 #65

My point is that the poster is correct. Rex Mar 2013 #70

No, he is not correct BainsBane Mar 2013 #75

Well you are wrong. He would be tortured for giving up his faith. Rex Mar 2013 #76

I read your link, and I apologize for not doing so earlier. BainsBane Mar 2013 #86

Well what strikes you as highly unlikely is fine since it is your opinion. Rex Mar 2013 #114

What evidence do you have to indicate that? BainsBane Mar 2013 #116

The fact that you state that people did not have the ability to believe Rex Mar 2013 #117

I didn't say that at all. BainsBane Mar 2013 #119

Go for it, you really should. Rex Mar 2013 #120

I thought you might be interested in learning about something BainsBane Mar 2013 #121

Trajan made a correct statement Rex Mar 2013 #122

well this book connects atheism to modernity BainsBane Mar 2013 #123

You can keep on discussing apples to oranges. Rex Mar 2013 #126

Atheism doesn't require the belief in no god, just not believing in A god. MNBrewer Mar 2013 #60

so you are say pagans are Athetists? BainsBane Mar 2013 #64

Belief in any number of gods (>0) is not atheism MNBrewer Mar 2013 #81

so my original statement was correct BainsBane Mar 2013 #83

Not quite MNBrewer Mar 2013 #84

Okay BainsBane Mar 2013 #87

The quickest way to the rack and thumbscrew Warpy Mar 2013 #99

Appearing before the Inquisition wasn't optional BainsBane Mar 2013 #102

How long ago was that? RVN VET Mar 2013 #59

Not long enough Trajan Mar 2013 #93

No kidding, the consequences were horrific Warpy Mar 2013 #103

There is a freeper-esque "Moral absolutes" streak running through a segment of DU. stevenleser Mar 2013 #4

Thank you for posting this! hrmjustin Mar 2013 #5

I am not sure of your point. Are you against criticism aimed at the Catholic Church? rhett o rick Mar 2013 #10

No, and I have engaged in some measured criticism of the church. As you can hear from my latest show stevenleser Mar 2013 #12

Sorry, I didnt get that at all from your post #4. Seemed to me that you were trying rhett o rick Mar 2013 #17

I wouldn't try to do that but I am wary of the potential consequences of doing it awkwardly. stevenleser Mar 2013 #22

I would support any effort to discourage attacks on any DU members. Religions, policies, programs, rhett o rick Mar 2013 #25

a reach out liberal_at_heart Mar 2013 #28

I'd be interested to hear what you think of that segment. nt stevenleser Mar 2013 #33

Sure. I haven't listened to it yet but you have peaked my interest. liberal_at_heart Mar 2013 #39

I think that you are exactly right. AnotherMcIntosh Mar 2013 #80

Haven't you seen the MANY posts recently condemning rank and file Catholics pnwmom Mar 2013 #18

Yes I have seen them. And I have stated over and over that I object to rhett o rick Mar 2013 #27

I think the post you were responding to was reacting to the many posts attacking pnwmom Mar 2013 #30

Yes, I have reread the post and might have been mistaken. I will support any effort rhett o rick Mar 2013 #36

+1. n/t pnwmom Mar 2013 #14

I'm not sure you could have said it any better. liberal_at_heart Mar 2013 #16

I totally agree. Attempts to stifle discussion is certainly "freeper-esque". nm rhett o rick Mar 2013 #21

attempts to stifle bullying yes liberal_at_heart Mar 2013 #23

Yes I agree. nm rhett o rick Mar 2013 #29

If some Catholics want to leave the church no one here is telling them no to liberal_at_heart Mar 2013 #32

Funny. No one objects when DUers make fun of Pat Robertson for his JDPriestly Mar 2013 #63

Good points. Perhaps blue-collar Catholic voters is another constituency Eleanors38 Mar 2013 #68

They already are gone to a great extent. JVS Mar 2013 #113

Unless they were born yesterday, they might realize this is a discussion board and if they.. Tikki Mar 2013 #6

I consider the source and move on..n/t monmouth3 Mar 2013 #7

I only wish all of us on DU BainsBane Mar 2013 #8

. hrmjustin Mar 2013 #9

Easy question for ME to answer Rider3 Mar 2013 #11

respect is pretty rare on DU liberal_at_heart Mar 2013 #13

This seems like an excellent way to get Catholic lurkers to decide this isn't the place for them. pnwmom Mar 2013 #15

If the ratio of denunciations of DU bigotry/actual instances of DU bigotry geek tragedy Mar 2013 #19

We are all full of contradictions my friend. hrmjustin Mar 2013 #26

I myself have difficulty with people picking their battles geek tragedy Mar 2013 #31

Saying the church is wrong on those issues is my opinion too. hrmjustin Mar 2013 #34

Meh. People can identify how they want as far as I'm concerned. geek tragedy Mar 2013 #37

I wonder why people focus on the noise of the DU Johonny Mar 2013 #20

Well said. Some here are righteous bullies. They think they are solidly right rhett o rick Mar 2013 #35

Thanks for saying that. timdog44 Mar 2013 #24

Nope. Not even a little bit. Zoeisright Mar 2013 #40

Your point about financial support is interesting but what about a person who just goes to mass? hrmjustin Mar 2013 #41

That Catholics are unwelcome. onehandle Mar 2013 #42

Last time I looked you could be any religion you want and still be Pakid Mar 2013 #43

I have probably posted some less than polite comments MynameisBlarney Mar 2013 #44

Since brown Christians (and lot of black ones) are mostly RCC, DevonRex Mar 2013 #47

Thank you for your post. hrmjustin Mar 2013 #48

great post. liberal_at_heart Mar 2013 #50

Thanks. DevonRex Mar 2013 #85

Exactly! BainsBane Mar 2013 #92

IMO, "liberal Roman Catholic" is an oxymoron... SidDithers Mar 2013 #49

Just like not all democrats or republicans agree on every issue not all RC believe in what the hrmjustin Mar 2013 #51

That is a bigoted statement. You are going on ignore. liberal_at_heart Mar 2013 #69

Virtual yawn! corneliamcgillicutty Mar 2013 #78

millions of people are BainsBane Mar 2013 #91

What, people can't question the practices of the Catholic church? Apophis Mar 2013 #52

That is not what i said. hrmjustin Mar 2013 #54

Because that is exactly not what the OP posted. nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #77

Absolutely not what the OP said. Agschmid Mar 2013 #90

Some people are more devoted to Atheism than wercal Mar 2013 #79

Well the person who is ignoring you is making the mistake. Just FYI. n/t Agschmid Mar 2013 #89

Thank you my friend. hrmjustin Mar 2013 #109

I agree. liberal_at_heart Mar 2013 #111

Thank you my friend. hrmjustin Mar 2013 #112

Can't they talk about the Protestants & Lutherans a little.. Historic NY Mar 2013 #104

I hate a great number of things about the Catholic Church, and yet gollygee Mar 2013 #106

I don't get it canoegirl Mar 2013 #107

Your exactly right about that... Historic NY Mar 2013 #108

Some would like to make it an all or nothing, all evil or all good, thing liberal_at_heart Mar 2013 #110

Want the truth from a Liberal Roman Catholic? Lady Freedom Returns Mar 2013 #115

I am sorry that some are posting some hurtful stuff. hrmjustin Mar 2013 #124

I am so sorry you have been the target of hate on this board. liberal_at_heart Mar 2013 #127

+1000 hrmjustin Mar 2013 #128

thank you hrmjustin liberal_at_heart Mar 2013 #129

NO ONE xfundy Mar 2013 #118

People have told people to leave there church. hrmjustin Mar 2013 #125

+1 n/t Lady Freedom Returns Mar 2013 #130