The first thing you need to know is that the European Religious Wars had very little to do with Religion, other than as a motivator to the masses to become involved in struggles that only benefited the aristocracies.
The Reformation was bought and paid for with assets seized from the Church. Qui Bono!
At the time of the Reformation the Church was a major land holder. In Henry VIII's England the Church owned nearly 1/3 of all land. Henry used the division with the Church as the excuse to seize the property to finance his excesses. In the process he executed over 78,000.
Looking back on the action of any party to those episodes through the lens of 21st century sensibilities is completely disingenuous.
I found this old thread on Free Republic discussing that very thing: How Many Catholics Were Killed During Cromwell and Henry VIII In England?
It seems the learned consensus was nowhere near 78,000 Catholics were killed. Remember Henry was a Catholic until the Anne Boleyn hussy came into the picture. He was also very much against Luther and killed his share of Protestants in his day. I think the estimated 78,000 number just may be all the people that were executed regardless of religion. Many were clobbered due to crimes such as treason rather than religion. It was said that Bloody Mary (his Catholic daughter) killed more Protestants than all the Catholics killed by daddy or sister, Elizabeth.
I suppose these kinds of tit-for-tat arguments may never stop, but I think we can all agree that murder based upon religious choices should never be allowed again. Jesus told his disciples to shake the dust off their feet when they left towns inhospitable to the Gospel. I know he was appalled that so much violence was done by anyone naming Him.
And what excuse would you give for the slaughter of the Huguenots ?
What did the Pope do about it ?
He celebrated just like the Palestinians did after 911
(there is a pattern here)
Can’t even hide the fact that he certainly did as he even commemorated their slaughter in a painting and a coin
points -——> at the dead Protestant Frenchmen commemorated on the back of the coin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gregory_XIII_medal.jpg
so tell me again about how it’s just about getting back seized property ... yea some ones property was taken alright along with their lives and there is a coin to prove it.
