> At any rate, there's a difference in Christianity and the Church as a political force (most of the heretical and scismatic confessions born in Europe started as a need to regain the true Christian values, opposing them to the more and more richer and politically influent Roman Church).
> [SNIP]

> > The Anabaptists, Waldensians, and others
>
> These "heretical" confessions, breaking with the Roman Church, were -expecially in the Middle Ages- seen as the real salvation by the poor and oppressed people, while the Roman Church was a rich and strong political force that imposed taxes and ruled on every aspect of people's life.
>

Well... I'm not so sure that it was the case that "heretics" were uniformly seen as "the real salvation" by the poor. Sure, the Church levied taxes in the Middle Ages, but they also assisted the poor, ministered to the sick, and served as pretty much the only centers of education. Yeah, people had to work for the Church, but as I understand it the major impediment to liberty was the feudal landlord system.

And, yes, I'm Catholic.

Do svidaniya,
Jannette ("I didn't buy it when Bertrand Russell said it, either.")