Here is the relevant excerpt from Laux's Church History: "The total number of men and women, priests, monks, etc., who suffered death in England for the Catholic faith from 1535 to 1681 is over six hundred, several hundred of whom have been beatified." (p 454) Of course, Fr. John Laux's book is the Roman version of the story so it doesn't tell you that Bloody Mary, Henry's daughter who adhered to the Church of Rome, killed comparable numbers of Christians, usually burning them alive.
200,000? Seriously? Wow. The worst internecine slaughter of Christians during that period occurred in France, during the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre: The number of Huguenot's murdered is estimated to be between 5,000 and 30,000. Unlike the English persecutions, which were confined to specific cases, that particular bit of Roman treachery was a deliberate decapitation strike against the French Reformers, whose leaders had gathered to honor a royal wedding.
however, what did the Huguenots do? In the affair of the placards they posted placards all over Paris and even on the bedchamber door of the king (a security breach that angered him and made him change his tolerance position) -- these placards were attacks on Catholics.
So, instead of discussing, the Huguenots went to attack the Catholic majority who until then were content to let them live and debate and discuss and debate. Incidently, until this time the Huguenots were increasing, like the Moslems in Bradford, but then they started to get shrill and wake people up with their attacks
This polemic was an attack and the Huguenots started this retaliation.This was in 1534
Next, came the French wars of religion in which the Huguenots conspired against the King. This, added to the previous attack meant that they now publically came to attack the conservative forces. The progressives of the Huguenots were the precursors of the Revolutionaires
The people who became Huguenots were primarily the urban elite, like our present-day New Yorkers who take a fad and they saw that this was a means to oppose the King, so Huguenotism became a political tool
A group of Huguenots tried to kidnap the Prince Francis II when his father died -- causing more antagonism.
Huguenots in 1560 attacked Catholic Churchs and destroyed properties in Rouen and La Rochelle -- thus the FIRST salvo was lobbed by the Huguenots. -- the Catholics retailiated with mobs at seeing their places of worship attacked and defiled by Huguenots
Next, in 1562-70, we have the wars -- now political-religious, so no, it was not a simple case of "persecution" --> The Huguenots were one side of a civil war, which they lost
Now, let's come to the juicy part, the St. Bart's day massacre -- this occured in 1572, 40 years after the first provocations by the Huguenots and 12 years after they started destroying Catholic Churchs (just like the Moslems in America they were quiet until their numbers grew)
now, King Charles XI was openly in favor of the Huguenots -- so a political moment. Hence the attacks on the opposing side
So, let's see in conclusion -- Huguenots first start their provocations in 1534, then in 1560 start attacking Catholic Churchs (with no provocation), then start their political support against the conservatives and start a civil war. After 12 years their side loses the civil war and yet they are still allowed to live and practise their faith (note this is the 1500s, not a nice time, yet they get this tolerance) -- but they still play political intrigues. So, one faction starts to attack and massacre the other faction
so, stop the entire "poor persecuted Huguenots" -- they brought it on themselves.
And lets see more about these Huguenots. They went to South Africa to set up the apartheid system, they went to Prussia to form the beginnings of the Prussian system which directly led to Naziism...
You are such a tool. So far the muzzies have killed but a mere fraction of what Middle Ages Christians did. Don’t forget there are no statistics for the number of deaths in the Christian torture chambers. I’m not proud of the Church’s past but you can’t just ignore it. Men really are sinners and we are just as bad as the muzzies. Don’t cast stones!