[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Inquisition. Why were they the smart ones? If anything, the Church promoted learning and education in this period.

https://history.stackexchange.com/questions/39443/what-was-the-death-toll-during-the-inquisition.

The Moorish invasion of Spain did more to mess up Spain and Europe than the church. (Still is!) Do not forget the Mongol invasions and their effect on Eastern Europe.

"Henry Kamen was a historian attacking the Spanish inquisition. His views changed after in 1960s he started to work on his 'Spanish Inquisition' book. Based on historical evidence he concluded that the inquisition was not made up of fanatics who rejoiced in torture and executions and that, for example, Inquisition gaols were better run and more humane than ordinary Spanish prisons.

For the period prior to 1530, Henry Kamen in 'Spanish Inquisition' estimated there were about 2,000 executions in all of Spain's tribunals.

Available source shows that the number of people executed between 1500-1700 could be reconstructed as 1303. The real death toll is probably slightly higher.

Those are numbers for Spain, in other countries the inquisition was not as powerful, so accounts saying that Inquisition killed millions could be put on the same shelf as "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" ".

There is additional information at the link with different total figures that cover different areas and periods. (S. France, the Albigensenes z.b.)

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

The Moorish Jews were known as “Sepharadic”.
They have parallel histories with the Ashkenazi’s of NorthEastern Europe.