Arsenio:

I think you attribute too much power and influence to the Pope.... He does not control the world.

How so?

Politico-religious beginnings

Catholic Maryland, the first colony in the New World where religious toleration was established, was planned by George Calvert (first Lord Baltimore), a Catholic convert; founded by his son Cecilius Calvert (second Lord Baltimore), and named for a Catholic queen, Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I of England. Except for the period of Ingle's Rebellion (1645-47) its government was controlled by Catholics from the landing of the first colony under Leonard Calvert (25 March, 1634) until after 1649, when the Assembly passed the famous act of religious toleration. The first three Lords Baltimore, George, Cecilius, and Charles, were Catholics. The last three, Benedict Leonard, Charles, and Frederick, were Protestants. Puritans who had been given an asylum in Maryland rebelled and seised the government (165868) and Catholics were excluded from the administration of the province and restrained in the exercise of their faith. When Lord Baltimore again obtained control (1658), religious liberty was restored until 1692.

Well, it shows that Catholics are not the only ones capable of experiencing religious bigotry. In fact, we should not be so harsh against that religion, after all, it was among the only things that gave some nations the will to resist foreign occupation/oppression until they achieved their sovereignity (among them Ireland, Poland, and our very own Dominican Republic). Although I have to say that I wholeheartedly share your hatred/distrust of the Jesuits, Arsenio, cuz' those vermins are at the forefront in the plans of destroying our nation. And we have a lot of reason to be distrustful of them, cuz' there have been a lot of countries that have experienced a lot of upheaval and destruction because of their meddlesome presence, an example of this being that child of Christianity called France, a country in which their heavy involvement in the affairs of government would be among the chief causes leading up to the revolution of 1789 and all its subsequent bloodshed.

The Church was the glue that held civilization together .Now to stand back and pick apart the bad things undertaken in its name during history is an intellectually dishonest exercise and demonstrates a lack of historical perspective

Last I saw, the Jesuit Order is NOT the Catholic Church (although it still holds a lot of power on its decision making). I might be a Catholic, but this doesn't prevent me from pointing out the things in which I disagree with the people running the Church, including their relinquishing such tremendous power in a group of power hungry anarchists. I'm a Dominican first, and if this enters in conflict with the people of my faith, then I'm sorry for them, but if I have to take up arms to defend my country against them, then I'll do so without any kind of hesitation whatsoever.

Everyone is fed up with the blue eyed elite in Amerika.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/26/brazils-president-lula-wh_n_179798.html
They have brought ruin for many this permitted in many cases by the supreme court. Unlike other Amerikans it seems she is not bespotted by greed. Hopefully the supreme court will regain some of its status now there are less white blue eyed males as members of the court. This will please the World.
S.
S.

I was referring to Historical perspective ie the middle ages the reformation etc Political trouble making by certain religious orders in Latin America in the last 50 years is fair game for criticism

Pre-Waterboarding days.....I wonder who taught (the Penta-gram) them the sadistic techniques?



Manhat:

So you are a Jesuit High School graduate: Whoopy! You're lucky they didn't recruti you, or did they?
You fail to realize this country was a haven fro the persecution or the Modus operandi of Europe; Wher the Holy Roman Empire or the Vatican superceded the authority of all the Monarchs; They moved and remove whom ever they pleased. You forget that the Protestants were the majority who deicded to seek a place to worship their Creator without any Canon Laws or Clerical dogmatic Dictates interfering in their provate lives....These European refugees came mostly looking for Religious Freedoms, that comprises the Pilgrims, the copy-cat Puritans that followed the Pilgrims to ensure they did things right, the Quakers, Mathodists, the Moravians, etc. Then, after the Revolutionary War, the Catholic Countries of Europe bergan to flood the U.S. with their peasants, such as the Irish, the Italians, the Poles, the Bavarians, and many French, and some Spaniards, and Portuguese. Prior to the Catholic hordes swarming towards the country it was almost completely Protestant, save MARY-land, and Delaware.

So, don't think that it has always been a Catholic country. No it was the change of pace; Plan B, for those that didn't want the guys in robes meddling in their lives. And as strange at it may seem to you from your roost on Broadway and 188 st; The U.S. is still a haven for those that refuse to vow to the Vatican and it's pagan priesthood.

Lautauro (My Chilean Idian Hero, friend):
Yes, you're positively correct, mom frere. The "Protestant" or Anglican church of England was just as its mother the Catholic Church. What separated the Anglican from the Catholic a denied divorce for Henry the VIII; That's all, a whim, other than that they were the same Churches.

The Calvinist of Switzerland were no "choir boys" either with their Reformed ideas and the perpetuation of persecution passed down from the church they belong to (Catholic) prior to Calvin setting himself as an reformer 'pseudo-pope".

The Lutherans of Germany were no saints neither; After, Luther nailing the 97 thesis, and his rejection of indulgences, idolatry, and a myriad of other blatant pagan practices. He and his movements became almost as bad as the Church in which he was priest, the Apostolic Roman Catholic Church.

Yet, these notable persecutions, wars, and executions do not amount to even a fraction of what the tyranical persecutions, exterminations of whole tribes: Heruli, Ostrogoths, and Vandals; Also they vanished the Cathars, and obliterated the Anabaptists, Waldenses, etc. Please do not consider 200 - 300 years of persecution by REFORMED Protestant to almost 1300 of endless anhiliation of people who refused to bow down to Rome and Constantinople (Byzantium) , now called Istanbul where the Romans fled and took their Emperial Seat after the Barbarians burned Rome. It's a good thing that the Orthodox and the Roman Church eventually split due to dogmatic differences (The behemoth was kept in check); if not the Holy Bible might have been iradicated were it not for God's providence and His dilligent faithful believers who risked live and welfare "contending for the faith once delivered unto the saints (Jude 1:3.). I don't excuse the Reformers and their persecutions, neither the Catholic ones. But, I make a distinction to the rich Protestant heritage that made the Uniteed States the land of the free and the home of the brave; and my humble opinion it was because of the "Christian values" that this nation once espoused: Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happines. No where else not even in fantasy books or earthly utopias wa such a nation ever duplicated. The reformers Calvin, Huss, Tyndale, Wycliff, Luther, Swingli, and many others became the vehicles that brought about the "Enlightenment to the whole world". The Light of the word of God; It found its home here in the USA; Now, 200 odd years after the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution we see the Roman Menace rearing its ugly head via its representatives in all offices, and capacities of government, and what it means to me and others that know the history of Papal Rome, is that they intend to subvert, rather than uphold the constitution, or defend it. That's all I see happening with the replication of Catholics in the Supreme Court.

Lautauro, you've never left DR; Why would you care what happens here in Mean olde-Yankeetown?
DR is a happy Catholic little nation, no questions asked!

Well, I care for the same reason that a good chunk of the population over here cares, namely, cuz' we have relatives on the States that might be affected (or not) by any crazy innovation that some people over there might try to implement on their every day lives.