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Wow, I never expected the Spanish Inquisition...!
Good job, posting all this, clarifying the history of a topic that has far more 'everyone knows' than historically accurate information.
One element that could be gone into in more detail is what actually comprised heresy in terms of the Catholic Church. Basically, it was anything that disagreed with the dogma approved by the Church Fathers in Rome.
However, there were degrees of heresy that ranged from the inadvertant to the deliberate and unrelenting. One could have been ill-informed, or misled, and so inadvertantly come to some erroneous ideas that were not dogmatically acceptible. Or one could have thought it all out and come to wrong conclusions. One might stubbornly cling to such reasoned and wrong conclusions. One could teach erroneous truths to others... One might claim to see the error of their ways, and repent and accept chastisement, but then relapse, or never actually repent from the heart, but just pretend...
There was no room in the Catholic world for individual thought, reasoning or conscience if it denied or altered any part of official Catholic dogma. The Church of Rome and especially the Pope were held to be infallible, and even questioning any declaration that issued from that source, any questioning of that infallibility, was heresy.
One could be an honored member of a community or a congregation one day, and a heretic the next, depending on the machinations of Church politics and expedience. The Faithful were expected to entirely accept their role as Flock: as unthinking, illiterate, uneducated masses; as sheep.
I paraphrase what I wrote elsewhere a few weeks ago: The metaphor of the Flock and sheep needs to be looked at without those rosy lenses that see soft white fluffies happily grazing, their wee lambikins gamboling in the fields... all nurtured and protected by the Loving Shepherd... All living without a care, because the Good Shepherd cares for them.
A shepherd does not nurture and protect the flock for the benefit of the sheep. He fully intends to sheer them repeatedly, and eventually devour them as mutton. He will sell them off and cull as he sees fit for his own purposes. He is not the least bit interested in their thoughts, feelings or opinions. He only cares about what they care about to the extent that they continue to make themselves an available and useful resource for his well-being. He certainly doesn't want them to take a good look at their situation, and seek to improve conditions. He doesn't want them having ideas, or wandering off alone to commune with or go with some other Shepherd
For the record, I am referring to the Church as the Shepherd: the Church representing itself as Christ. I have my own thoughts about Jesus, and his teachings and intent. Heretical, to be sure...
posted by
Ciel
on September 3, 2005 at 9:28 AM
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Hey, yer an old fart!
What year were you born, maybe I overlooked it on yer "about me" page. I could about be your twin but wasn't born a bastard. I don't think, unless the iceman got frisky during one of his visits. I guess that would count? Anyway, I'm new to this mess and am struggling to just get by, but most of all, to find a way to communicate one on one with interesting people like you. Maybe you are wise enough to enlighten me. Thanks zarro
posted by
zarrothepaun
on September 1, 2005 at 8:22 AM
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Xeno -
Interesting stuff. Thanks!
posted by
sannhet
on August 30, 2005 at 9:32 AM
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