LOL, so the Cathars attacked the representatives of the Church who were trying to judge them as heretics and burned them at the stake. A full 90 times over 90 years? Why, that's once a year! How did the Catholic Church stand it?
It's such a mystery. Why would they do such a thing? You mean some of them actually broke under the strain of someone trying to kill them, and fought back, against their pacifist beliefs? Well then, that means no Cathar was pacifist! Kind of like the French Resistance in WWII. Did you know they actually attacked Gestapo agents? What other choice did the Nazis have than to murder entire villages? So you can see the source of the terrible choice those poor inquisitors were forced to make by the savage Cathars.
Not to mention the fact that the inquisitors were there to save the Cathars souls - so that makes any attacks especially bad. You know, the more you point these things out, the more I realize that Jesus Christ Himself wanted those millions of Cathars killed. I mean just LOOK at their attitude! You don't let people live who act like that. Especially when they influence the peasants not to pay tithes and taxes to your Church! It's not only heresy, it's the collapse of civilization itself.
The acts of violence against common everyday Catholics were even more numerous is not as noteworthy.
But you also say that the Cathars attacked even Catholics who were NOT attacking them - even though you don't have any records of that. But you KNOW they attacked Catholics everywhere BECAUSE there are no records of this. Now that's what I call true scholarship. Any layperson would think that the lack of records within the environment of meticulous recordkeeping of the inquisition meant that nothing happened. But a true Catholic scholar understands that that is the where the most horrible sins are to be found. Those records that don't exist are why millions of Cathars had to die. Just as what a person doesn't actually have in his mind is precisely why a good inquisitor would know they had to be burned at the stake to save their souls.
Historically speaking, these have been the true mysteries of the Church which have perpelexed and enraged millions - and thereby identified them as heretic who needed to be destroyed. See the brilliance? And they still work, for they are being exhibited here in their full glory on this very thread by YOUR monumental efforts, at which I stand in awe.
Talisker, I realize you probably have no factual information to oppose anything I am saying with so I’ll help you out here:
“LOL, so the Cathars attacked the representatives of the Church who were trying to judge them as heretics and burned them at the stake. A full 90 times over 90 years?”
That was what was discovered by one historian writing one book about one region - and he doesn’t claim it is a complete list. And, as I pointed it out, the list included acts of violence against those who were converts, church officials, etc. who were viewed as associated in some way with the inquisition. The list does not include the numerous other acts of violence against people NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE INQUISITION. Also, it is merely your assumption that any of the suspected Cathars would have been executed. Executions were rare considering the total number of cases. The overwhelming, vast majority, of Cathars were not burned at the stake. Most only had to make an abjuration and do penance for a period of time and that was it.
“But you also say that the Cathars attacked even Catholics who were NOT attacking them - even though you don’t have any records of that.”
That’s false. I never said I have no such records. I have no convenient LIST as the one compiled by Given. I have read dozens and dozens of books and articles on the inquisition over the last few years. A number of them have stories of acts of violence by Cathars but I did not compile a list as Given did (and his is only on acts specifically against those associated with the inquisition in ONE region only). One day perhaps I’ll do that, but not today.
“But you KNOW they attacked Catholics everywhere BECAUSE there are no records of this.”
It amazes me how cornered Protestants always turn to making things up. I know there was Cather violence against Catholics because I have read numerous accounts of it. I never said there were no records of that. I have no convenient list of it. Again, one day perhaps I’ll compile one, but not today.
The rest of what you posted is essentially little more than nonsense because so much of it predicated on something no one even said.
Why do Protestant anti-Catholics almost routinely make false claims as to what Catholics did and did not say? I never once claimed I had no records of Cathar violence against non inquisitors. Yet you completely make that up by saying, “But you KNOW they attacked Catholics everywhere BECAUSE there are no records of this.” FALSE. I never made that claim. EVER.