[Eaker]

Note, I did not say the pope did it, just that I've seen it asserted ~ hence the word "supposedly".

In Texas that is called bullshitting.

In more polite phraseology it is called spreading unsubstantiated rumors or lying.

I have seen it asserted that my tagline is an actual Lincoln quote is no different than what you are doing.

[muawiyah]

You are seeking discord where there is none. We are not writing a doctoral dissertation. I've done extensive readings in history ~ including hundreds and hundreds of books about the Middle Ages and the period of the Reformation and Counter Reformation. i have encountered the claim in more than one book.

As far as i'm concerned it has been claimed as fact and it's up to you to disprove it. Your pet beliefs about how neat the past must have been really aren't sufficient in this debate.

BTW, most of Martin Luther's nastiest statements have been so widely peddled that first graders can quote them. You really need to cut back on them.

BTW, I had ancestors on both sides in just about every major engagement in the French Religious Wars. All I can imagine is yours moved in from Italy after the tough fighting was over, am I right?