Thomas_More
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But by the time of Gregory the Great all these usages and rites were already an old tradition in Christianity.
Surely incense and candles were already used in Jewish worship anyway, and hence used by Christians from the start, not a ploy to win converts.
The idea that all these things, which Christianity evolved with, were later “brought in” by “a corrupt papacy” is a protestant notion. Protestants require there be an “original Christianity” that agrees with their fantasies. There never was. All these ritual forms we associate with Roman Catholicism were in place long before the bishops of Rome became independent. The much older Churches of the East all use them.
I believe the Roman emperor held the title of Pontifex Maximus in his role as High Priest of the Empire.
The early Christian missionaries in Europe found the way to win converts was to absorb local practices.
In the Byzantine east, customs we now accept as essential to Christmas – holly, mistletoe – were forbidden by the Church Fathers as symbols of the Saturnalia; but in western Europe they were embraced by the Church rather than combatted. Constantine had changed the date of the Nativity from March to December in order to facilitate conversions, in spite of Christian discomfort. Even now, Christmas in the East is much humbler than the main feast of Pascha (the Passover), which only Nordic and Germanic/English countries call by the name of the pagan goddess Easter; but the world has embraced Easter’s symbol the hare and the Celts’ Druid’s Egg. Indeed, Christian symbols of both Christmas and Pascha are completely buried by the pre-Christian pagan ones.The Fronde, the revolt against the emerging French centralised state.
Google: “Witch-hunting in early modern Europe (roughly 1550–1650) was more intense in many Protestant areas due to a combination of religious, social, and economic factors following the Reformation. While both Catholics and Protestants prosecuted witches, Protestant areas often experienced higher trial rates due to intense competition for souls, a literal interpretation of scripture, and the abolition of older Catholic spiritual protections.Key reasons for the intensity of witch-hunts in Protestant areas include:Religious Competition: The post-Reformation era created a competitive “market” for churchgoers. Protestants and Catholics sought to prove their superior piety and protection against Satan. Prosecuting witches became a way to demonstrate to undecided “consumers” that a particular church was actively fighting evil, which was especially intense in regions with strong Catholic-Protestant rivalries, such as Germany.Theological Shifts (Elimination of Spiritual Defenses): Protestantism removed many Catholic rituals that offered comfort against evil, such as the use of holy water, saints’ relics, and exorcisms. In their place, reformers emphasized a personal, inward piety and a terrifying view of witchcraft as a direct pact with the devil. This made people feel more vulnerable and more desperate to find and punish the “witches” responsible for their hardships.Literal Interpretation of the Bible: Many Protestant groups, including Puritans, believed in a literal interpretation of scriptures, such as Exodus 22:18 (“Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live”). This created a direct theological mandate to prosecute witchcraft as a capital offense.Anti-Catholic Rhetoric: Protestant leaders often painted Catholic rituals as a form of “sorcery” or “enchantment,” equating the Pope and Catholic priests with sorcerers or witches. This heightened the focus on finding “magic” in their communities, often identifying Catholics or those practicing old rituals as satanic minions.Regional Instability and Social Upheaval: Germany, which saw the highest rate of prosecutions (nearly 40% of all Europe’s witchcraft trials), was ground zero for the Reformation. The political and social upheaval, along with religious conflict, left communities looking for scapegoats for disasters, wars, and disease.Greater Authority of Local Churches: In many Protestant regions, particularly in Scotland and parts of Germany, local, zealous pastors and secular councils had more power to drive witch trials, often without the curbing, slow-paced judicial oversight of the centralized Roman Inquisition, which was sometimes more skeptical of witchcraft.While Protestant Scotland, Germany, and England had high rates of execution, and the New World saw the famous Puritan trials in Salem, it is important to note that witch-hunts were not exclusive to Protestants. Rather, they occurred most frequently in areas of intense religious, political, and social stress, which was often brought on by the Reformation.”
And still at it:
State pension triple lock under threat if UK goes to war with Putin
Bristol was the main centre of the colonial trade in English slaves because until the end of the 17th century the English trade in African slaves was monopolised by London.
Enclosures produced modern proletariat.
https://portside.org/2026-05-03/capitalism-was-built-ruins-commons
Stalin was the Henry VIII of Russia (he even set up his new, Soviet, Patriarchate), as was Mao of China. The peasants were expropriated so they would be forced to work for the capitalist state.
In England’s case, so they would have to become a propertyless work force for merchants, burghers, upstart gentry etc. Most would be vagrants, beggars, petty thieves, or bonded to planters and sold as slaves to the colonies.
Volunteering oneself as a slave in the colonies would become a legally accepted way of escaping the gallows.
Before 1660 the Quakers were not pacifists. They urged a belligerent foreign policy and demanded to know why Cromwell had not attacked Rome. (Hill, The English Bible).
https://tass.com/politics/2125543
War with Russia inevitable is EU/NATO conviction.
It was considered a duty in the Middle Ages and into the Early Modern era for farmers to leave a measure of the harvest for wild birds.
Google: “… enclosure of common land and open fields continued during the Interregnum (1649–1660). While the period was marked by political instability, the underlying economic pressures and the trend towards consolidating land into private ownership persisted throughout the 17th century.Key details regarding enclosure during this time include:Continued Momentum: The decades surrounding 1640, including the 1650s, saw ongoing enclosure, with significant portions of counties like Leicestershire and Durham being enclosed, alongside 90% of Welsh lowlands.Shift in Power: Following 1640, government attempts to prevent enclosures or make money by fining enclosers—a practice previously used by the Stuart kings to control the gentry—ceased.Capitalist Development: Landlords and developers continued to drain fens and enclose common lands, often facing resistance from locals who relied on those lands for grazing and foraging.Regional Differences: In some areas, particularly in parts of central England, the conversion of arable land to pasture continued, driven by the profitability of sheep rearing.”
29 Apr, 13:18Updated at: 14:41
Zelensky provoking nuclear conflict, not seeking peace — Zakharova
The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman pointed to Vladimir Zelensky’s earlier remarks that Ukraine should be given both NATO membership and nuclear weapons as security guarantees
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Sofya Sandurskaya/TASS
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova
© Sofya Sandurskaya/TASS
MOSCOW, April 29. /TASS/. Vladimir Zelensky is sabotaging any and all peace initiatives and is now creating conditions for a potential nuclear conflict, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.The diplomat drew attention to Zelensky’s earlier remarks that Ukraine should be given both NATO membership and nuclear weapons as security guarantees.
“He, in fact, continues to provoke a nuclear conflict with such statements. Moreover, Western Europe risks becoming the first victim of this very nuclear blackmail,” she told a news conference.
“Zelensky clearly does not want peace. He seeks to prolong the fighting indefinitely and is ready to risk a dangerous escalation of the conflict.
“The Europeans need to understand that if they don’t stop him, their protege, to whom they allocate millions of euros every day, and he doesn’t stop in this frenzy, they probably won’t be able to avoid the consequences.”
The diplomat noted that Zelensky extended martial law in Ukraine again, “this time until August 2. This is how he conducts this violent campaign that is now not just a mobilization, but the snuffing out of the Ukrainian people.”
In 1644 the English parliament, purely for political reasons, promised to adopt Presbyterianism as the state religion, so the Scots would join them in fighting the King. The Presbyterians immediately demanded an end to all religious toleration and urged the suppression of Independency in religion, even though the Independents were also Calvinists.
Needless to say, they failed to persuade the English, although Thomas Fairfax, commander-in-chief of parliament’s army, resigned in protest at parliament’s suspicion of the Scots.
(Hill, The English Bible).The numbers of Englishmen who fled the colonies of New England to join the native Americans were huge! If recaptured by the New England authorities they faced burning, hanging and breaking on the wheel. Yet still more fled to live with the native people and get away from the repressive Biblemania of their fellows.
(Ref: Stannard; Hill).
