Well, ~I~ am not a Catholic, and I think this is a very interesting topic, likely closer to the truth than the various caricaturish Inquisition histories have been.
I've heard analyses like this before and I have no trouble believing that the legends grown up around the Inquisition are very probably inaccurate and overblown. Were some atrocities committed? Probably. Was it as bad as we learned in gradeschool? Probably not.
Many people blame religion for sponsoring atrocites throughout history. Rubbish. Men commit such things. Anti religious zealots of communism killed more people in worse ways than any "inquisition" or "crusade" could ever have dreamed.
History, in the final analysis, is driven by the hearts of men. Wars are fought for territory and resources-- whether it was Vikings, Moors, French, Germans, English or Americans. This is including the Crusades, and in fact, the Spanish Inquistion. None are quite so evil or so good as cast by storytellers, each with agendas of their own.
Correction: Except for Mohammed. He was one murderous S.O.B. :-)
Many people blame religion for sponsoring atrocites throughout history. Rubbish. Men commit such things. Anti religious zealots of communism killed more people in worse ways than any "inquisition" or "crusade" could ever have dreamed.
Good commonsense analysis, which is unfortunately rare these days.