Lost Star said:
Amberion said:
Well, the church did oppress and have their hands in multiple cookie-jars where they didn't belong. And that went on for many, many years. If you look back, how many years has the church actually been for the betterment of the people and not themselves?
So it's kind of easy to see authors use it as such.
You know, it's always interesting to see this attitude in a sad sort of way. This really isn't true for the most part. The catholic church (What most people refer to when they talk about churches) is actually responsible for a lot of our modern day learning. They funded and preserved a lot of material after the fall of the Roman empire, and in fact are responsible for a lot of the best colleges.
Here's one counter argument to exactly what you've just stated:
http://www.theobjectivestandard.com/issues/2006-winter/tragedy-of-theology.asp
For every Pro church argument, there's an Anti-church argument, and both sides will seem well argued and cite dozens of sources, well except some for the bit where people try to convince you that Jesus was riding velociraptors 4000 years ago (yes, someone apparently 'proved' this)
I personally dislike the representation of the church in fiction, simply because Its over-represented, and appears everywhere, regardless if its as a force for good or bad. As a completely non-religious person it annoys me to have it shoved in my face no matter what I read or watch.
I don't think the church is any more corrupt than any other ancient organisation with a top heavy power structure and total control over the lives of millions, but I don't think its any LESS corrupt either, I like to think I'm a realist, and I think that its only human nature for power to corrupt.
There are lots of well educated people who say that the Church was the direct cause of the dark ages, with its militant attitude to burning heretic knowledge, and branding of early Pseudo-scientists as 'witches' and burning them (amongst other things) and there are those who claim the church is a bastion of knowledge, wisdom and kindness, which fought back the darkness with reason and kindness.
I know which I believe, and its not because I'm any more educated than any of the people arguing either side of this, or because I don't believe in god.
Its because I know what Humanity is like, and if you give one group of people absolute power of life and Death over another group of people, it
WILL BE ABUSED. ESPECIALLY if you're living in a medieval society where anything that isn't understood is suspect, at best. People fear the unknown.
Perhaps the church IS treated unfairly in fiction, I don't know, but in the end, the only thing that I really want is for it to appear less.
