Replies

Cronos, There will always be propaganda by some on both sides of the Inquisition issue. Some will narrow it down to one of the three Inquisitions, others will cover the full time frame of years and years where these atrocities were committed. The Vatican Website has some interesting articles as does other Catholic sites...and I was surprised they too admit and speak candidly of the church History regarding the Inquisition and frankly understand the church's role in what took place...as well as accepting it was indeed a dark side of the catholic churches History.

Additionally they speak of it's memberships struggle to admit this....so those on the thread who are trying to somehow to make lighter of it than it really was are mistaken to do so... according to the Vatican leadership.

As for Protestant Pastors who have or go to websites about the Inquisition. Well they have that right as much as Catholics do who only refer to Catholic sites and generally disregard all other religious sources as faulty one way or another. This is why I do not post my sources for the most part....they get trampled on and divert from the topic...and the arguments then turn to who is credible or not. I have and will arrive at my own conclusions based on the evidence I find...and that includes books and resources I have here in my home as well as on line. BTW the numbers are of less interest than what was done and by whom, and where, and why these attrocities were committed and all claiming this from God at that time. We know this was not of God....anymore than the Muslims who claim that very thing of their God today.

Well, firstly of the "sides" of the Inquisition, in spain there was never any Protestant population of significance, so that "side" is not the Protestant side, but those who were put on trial. That side did not include Jews or Muslims either, only those who were baptised as CAtholics and who secular authorities or folks accused.

Net-net, you aren't representing them

Secondly, and more importantly -- I never asked you to refer to Catholic websites and for this argument I never posted from CAtholic websites. I only referred to impartial, dry, scholastic observers and to statistics and encyclopedia. And, I did not ask you to take my word for it but to read these IMPARTIAL observers on your own.

Try these IMPARTIAL views and websites instead of wtc.org and you will see just how much truth the pastors and anti-Church folks tell you historically. then, you would really wonder what else are they lying to you about? Are they lying to you about what Catholics believe (note that what you think Catholics believe is what the websites and pastors etc. tell all, which is their own distored idea), but that is a discussion for a later date, right now, see how they lie, fudge and give you incomplete statements on history.

Also, do note that at no point in this discussion has the Catholic side denied that the Inquisition took place or that it is, when seen from 21st century eyes, deplorable. We only point out that what you have been fed that it was somehow worse than what else went on (or, as in one post of yours where you incorrectly compare it to the Holocaust) is wrong

I'll repeat the statistics to you: only a 2% conviction rate. That is lesser than modern day courts, far, far lesser than secular courts from any century from the 14th to the 18th.

Compare it to the times and you will see (check any and all IMPARTIAL, factual websites) that these were more than anything saving compared to secular courts (which viewed a heretic as denying the King's divine right to rule).

Next, compare the deaths -- all deaths by this are deplorable, yes, but it was 3000 to 5000 over 200+ years. That's lower than the number of executions in any European country in any century until 1800 (don't take my word for it -- compare the statistics, they're easily available at academic websites). And you compared it to the Holocaust???? that is so horribly wrong. There were 6 million Jews killed (78% of the Jews in occupied Europe), Porajmos for the Gypsies (who were treated worse than the Jews and probably had as high a percentage killed).