Christianity,Complicated and Confused by Protestants.
The Roman Catholic clergy take Vows of Obedience and Celibacy. Many take an additional Vow of Poverty, though all promise not to become entangled in business enterprises for personal gain.
That system worked. By 500 A.D., most of our ancestors in Europe were Catholic. They remained Catholic for a thousand years. Then, others wanted to become clergymen without taking the same vows. Their movement gained traction in the 1500s. Soon, Europe was fragmented, Protestants vying with Catholics for theological and political dominance.
Compare the process to professional sports. At one time, the players on a big-league ball field were required to be professionals who devoted their lives to the game. They had rigorous selection procedures. Tough rules for the players had to be followed.
Only those who agreed to play by the team’s rigorous rules could be selected. Only those who lived up to their agreement were allowed to play. Imagine that, suddenly, a bunch of little-leaguers decided “We have just as much right to be on the field as the professionals!”. With the support of armed stadium guards, they take the field.
Suddenly, there are lots of people running around the field, with several teams playing at a time. Chaos emerges.
The corrupting viruses are happy.
Catholic Fundamentalism sees it as another manifestation of The Loving Programmer’s power. He has downloaded a system in which the garden continues to weed itself, where the sheep are provided with all the opportunities needed to separate themselves from goats.
