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| | ===Effects of the Reformation=== | | ===Effects of the Reformation=== |
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| − | The immediate effect of the Reformation was to strengthen the nation-state. Rome was no longer the center of power, as England and Germany had their own churches now. Education improved, as Catholics and Protestants tried to increase their numbers by building better schools. Also, the translation of the Bible into local languages increased the used of vernacular and decreased reliance on old Latin. | + | The immediate effect of the Reformation was to strengthen the nation-state. England and Germany acquired their own churches, and that meant Rome was no longer the center of power. Catholics and Protestants began competing against each other, seeking to increase their numbers. Both started building better schools, and overall began trying harder. |
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| − | But for more than a hundred years, and even longer in England, religious wars occurred between Catholics and Protestants. Tragically, Christians killed other Christians in furtherance or defense of the new religious denominations. To this day the division between Catholics and Protestants weakens Christianity in several respects and makes it easier for enemies of Christianity to prevail.
| + | The Reformation resulted in the translation of the Bible into local languages, which increased the use of "vernacular" (local languages) and decreased reliance on old Latin. |
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| − | The competition between Catholics and Protestants may have some benefits. In modern times the Catholic Church was the original leader against [[abortion]], with the Protestants eventually agreeing. Protestant evangelicals have been the leaders against teaching evolution (e.g, the American William Jennings Bryan in the 1920s). In the papal encyclical “Humani Generis” (1950), the Catholic Church prohibited teaching evolution contrary to the biblical Adam, but Catholic schools routinely teach evolution anyway. However, recent signs suggest a Catholic shift against evolution. Most Christians oppose same-sex marriage and agree on most social issues. Protestants are on average wealthier than Catholics and tend to support free enterprise more, and evangelical Protestants are often more vocal on social issues. Catholics generally prohibit divorce, while Protestants allow it. American Protestants tend to oppose immigration more than Catholics do, while Catholics tend to oppose the death penalty more than Protestants do. Perhaps the competition makes everyone try harder. | + | The bad news is that for more than a hundred years, and even longer in England, religious wars occurred between Catholics and Protestants. Tragically, Christians killed other Christians over religious differences. To this day the division between Catholics and Protestants weakens Christianity in several respects and makes it easier for enemies of Christianity to prevail. Often anti-Christians will try to drive a wedge between Christians and cause disagreements that would not otherwise arise, in order to gain advantage against all Christians. |
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| | + | The competition between Catholics and Protestants continues to this day, and may have some benefits. Both Catholics and Protestants face internal challenges and the competition may help them rise to their best. In modern times, the Catholic Church was the original leader against [[abortion]], while Protestants were the leaders against teaching evolution (e.g, the American William Jennings Bryan in the 1920s). In the papal encyclical “Humani Generis” (1950), the Catholic Church prohibited teaching evolution contrary to the biblical Adam, but Catholic schools routinely teach evolution anyway. Most Christians oppose same-sex marriage and agree on most social issues. |
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| | + | Protestants are on average wealthier than Catholics and tend to support free enterprise more, and evangelical Protestants are often more vocal on social issues. Catholics generally prohibit divorce, while Protestants allow it. American Protestants tend to oppose immigration more than Catholics do, while Catholics tend to oppose the death penalty more than Protestants do. Perhaps the competition makes everyone try harder. |
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| | + | Politically, Catholics voted for Barack Obama in higher percentages than Protestants did, but those percentages do not take into account different levels of religious commitment, economic level, and ethnicity. The more reliable indicator is that the more time one spends in church in each week, the more conservative he or she votes, regardless of his Christian denomination. That statistic suggests that one's specific Christian denomination has little effect on determining for whom he votes; it is how often he goes to church that matters most in predicting his political views. |
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| | ==Asia in the Middle Ages== | | ==Asia in the Middle Ages== |