[Apple Pan Dowdy]

"If not for the Catholic Church, neither you, me, or anyone would have the scriptures."

I beg to differ here...... if not for the Protestant Reformation, the only Bible you and I would have would be the One in use before the Reformation, written (translated) in Latin so that the common man would not be able to read it himself, but rather would need the Catholic church Hierarchy to interpret it for him.

[Wyrd bið ful aræd]

The scripture was compiled by the Church. Had the Church not compiled it, it would not exist today in the form it does.

"...written (translated) in Latin so that the common man would not be able to read it himself, but rather would need the Catholic church Hierarchy to interpret it for him."

Latin, English, or otherwise, how many of the "common man" do you think could read, period? England had a literacy rate of about 30% in the early 1600s IIRC (counting males only, for women it would have been even less.)