reasonable reasons

[avemaria40]

[quote name='Ken' date='Nov 12 2005, 04:21 AM']I choose not to be catholic because I dont trust organized religion. And seeing as things like the crusades, the inquisition, and slavery seemed to have been connected to  catholics, I dont trust it that much more. I remember being berated by CCD teachers as a youth when I would question them.

I have no idea what religion, or faith I belong to, but I keep an open enough mind to listen, and discuss.
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Slavery in America was mostly practiced by Protestants, since there were very few Catholics in the South. And people running the Catholic Church were corrupt, yes, but there have also been brutalities in the history of the world at the hands of communism/atheism, as seen in Communist Russia and China. I'm not trying to tell you wat to believe, I'm just pointing out, that Catholics are not the only ones to blame when it comes to war and brutality.

[Socrates]

[quote name='Ken' date='Nov 12 2005, 02:21 AM']I choose not to be catholic because I dont trust organized religion. And seeing as things like the crusades, the inquisition, and slavery seemed to have been connected to  catholics, I dont trust it that much more. I remember being berated by CCD teachers as a youth when I would question them.

I have no idea what religion, or faith I belong to, but I keep an open enough mind to listen, and discuss.
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Well I hope you'll keep an open mind about the Catholic Faith, and hang around here a bit to listen and discuss.

The Crusades were originally a defensive war to take back the Holy Land from the agression of the Muslim Turks who had invaded the Holy Land and outlawed the Christians who had previously lived there in peace. Yes, atrocities ended up being committed by both sides (and were condemend soudly by the Church), as unfortunately happens in any major war, but this does not make the original cause of the Crusades wrong. If you want to blame someone, blame the Muslims.
The Inquisition has been debated elsewhere, but much of the horror stories about it come from anti-Spanish, anti-Catholic propaganda from Protestant England when it was at war with Spain. The truth is that more serious persecution was directed against Catholics by Protestants.
And blaming slavery on Catholicism is just ignorant.

And yes, the Church has always contained sinners who don't practice what the Church teaches. This does not mean what the Church teaches is false.