Is the Catholic Church Responsible For the Dark Ages?

Eugene Shubert

The Church started out as a powerful witness to the world. As the church gained political power, its own spirituality declined. When the church gradually attained the highest point of political power in the Christian world, simultaneously, it gradually also became the Dark Ages for the Christian world. Today, Catholics blame the atrocities committed by the church in the Dark Ages on the low level of spiritual perceptions in the general culture of the times. How can that be an excuse? True Christianity derives its power from God’s word and God’s Spirit. You can’t blame the failures of the church on an unconverted society. Pagans were killing Christians in the first century and the church was pure.

Why was there less spiritual power manifest in the church in the dark ages as compared to the first century? The answer is obvious. There is no other way to explain it. The church lost its original devotion to the truth; it allowed the unconverted to come in and take control and, as a result, the church became corrupt and apostate.

The Protestant historian J. A. Wylie once wrote, “the noon of the papacy was the midnight of the world.” —J. A. Wylie, The History of Protestantism, b. 1, ch. 4. Do Catholics even understand this remark?

richard speed · is under review Joined: 30 Dec 2002 Posts: 5

Hi, My question which now that i'm getting the hang of this thing might be more than one. 1) Are you saying that at one point in time the Catholic Church was the true Church? Even to say the one established by Christ? 2)When did the Church attain the highest point of political power? 3) Can you give me the survey that was taken that shows the Catholics who blame the atrocities committed by the Church in the Dark Ages on the low level of spiritual perceptions in the general culture of the times? 4)Are we not in similiar times spiritually today? 5)Do you think Protestant churches[which seem to represent a divided Christ] are guilty today of allowing worldliness{a different shade of paganism}infiltrate and weaken the faith of believers causing"lukewarmness"? 6)Are Protestants guilty of the same crime and atrocities that they throw on the Catholic Church(beam and speck in the eye formula)? 7) Is J. A. Wylie an anti-catholic or is his history unbiased? Could one say that the noon of protestantism today is the midnight of the world? Thanks and sorry for so many questions. Hope I haven't irritated anybody. GOD BLESS...richard speed

wise seeker

Have you ever noted that wherever the Catholic Church abound and the bible was a closed book that nation(s) went into poverty and trouble including Italy, Spain, Mexico, Central America, Peru, Ecuado and Brazil

The rejection of truth and light doesn't give more truth and light but rather lies and darkness. Jesus clearly told us that this would happen to some people especially in His generation and Rome is founded on seven hills:

MT 12:43 "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 12:44 "Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 12:45 "Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation."

MT 13:12 "For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

MT 25:29 'For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.

More was given only to humanity by God only after the bible was printed and openly distributed to all people and then we came out of the dark ages.

Bouchard · Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2003 11:58 pm Post subject: Church of the End-Times

Sorry I haven't participated in awhile Eugene, been real busy Exclamation

I've been "catching up" (more or less) and it occurs to me that the "World Church" in the "end times" far from being some "New Age" type of thing but will probably be a combination of a few existing ones like how about "The Church of Catholicism/Islam? Having been brought up Catholic, I can easily see how these two "faiths" could mesh. Don't laugh, the similarities are striking. For instance, both place much emphasis on "tradition". Their Theological differences could be worked out with Catholicism giving the most ground.
OK, I'll go away again 8-)

thanks,
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Jesus is alive

Bouchard · Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2003 9:05 pm Post subject:

I'm baaaack!

Call me crazy, call me insane, call me anything! (just don't call me late for dinner:-)

I was noticing today while watching this progam on the History Channel that those things that the Pharoahs wore on their head bear an amazing resemblance to a "Mitre" which Catholic Bishops and the Pope wears.
Anything TO this or is it just some coincidence?

thanks,

Ken
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Jesus is alive