[Conservative til I die]

It wasn't called the Dark Ages for the reasons you think. Tell me how if, Christians living in the first 5 or 6 centuries after Christ believed the same things that Christians believed through the Dark Ages, how that can be the reason FOR the Dark Ages? I think something else was involved.

Quite a reach there.

[Iowegian]

Quite a reach there.

Let's just say that in my personal opinion the Dark Ages were much longer and had a much more profound meaning than that which you find in an encyclopedia. Darkness is the absense (in whole or in part) of light after all.

[Iowegian]

Tell me how if, Christians living in the first 5 or 6 centuries after Christ believed the same things that Christians believed through the Dark Ages.

Christians in the apostolic age and the next few generations thereafter didn't believe what the current RC church today believes. In fact, the early RC church doesn't believe the same things that the current RC church believes. Most honest catholics will admit at least the second statement.

[Titanites]

Tell me how if, Christians living in the first 5 or 6 centuries after Christ believed the same things that Christians believed through the Dark Ages, how that can be the reason FOR the Dark Ages? I think something else was involved.

I think that's a good point. I've seen it implied here in this thread before that the so called Dark Ages were somehow the fault of the Catholic Church. I think a little refresher of history may be in order.

The Dark Ages is a term that was once used to describe the early Middle Ages, from approximately A.D. 400 to 900, and referred to a supposed lack of learning during this period. But in reality, the early Middle Ages were not completely "dark."

The advent of the Middle Ages occurred when the Germanic barbarians took over the Roman empire and destroyed their system of civilization and laws. Education and culture were all but eliminated by these barbarians and the existing system of city and state schools were destroyed.

The Church was the primary civilizing force of the early Middle Ages. It provided leadership for the people and saved western Europe from complete ignorance.

Gradually, the Church converted the barbarians to Christianity. Although the Europeans didn't honor a single ruler any longer, they did gradually begin to worship the same God. Church missionaries spread the Christian faith, and they helped civilize the barbarians by introducing Roman ideas of government and justice into their lives.

The popes, bishops, and other leaders of the church took over many functions of government, to fill the void, after the Roman emperors lost power. The church collected taxes and maintained law courts to punish criminals. Church buildings also served as hospitals for the sick, and as inns for travelers.

Just so people don't get the wrong ideas.