what was the direct association of pagans with the inquisition. What was the inquistion?
965607
The Inquisition proper was inaugurated by Pope Lucius III at the Synod of Verona, Italy, in 1184. \nIn collaboration with Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, he decreed that any person who spoke, or even thought, contrary to Catholic doctrine would be excommunicated by the church and duly punished by the secular authorities. Bishops were instructed to seek out (Latin, inquirere) heretics.\n\nThose not strictly, strictly catholic were deemed heretic ....pagan.
497587
There was apparently a small sect of Jews who followed a rabbi they called "Christ" which would be really odd since "Christ" is Greek.\n\nBut, ignoring Hebrews who used Greek to describe their rabbi, in 325 CE (ad), Judaism was grafted into paganism by Roman Emperor Constantine and became known as "Christianity" although Constantine never referred to his brand new religion as "Christian," he called it the "Universal (Catholic means universal in Latin) Religion."\n\nThe original "Christianity," assuming it actually existed, died long before Constantine invented his brand new religion and banned its practice (if it existed in the first place).\n\nAnd anyone who refused to adopt Constantine's brand new religion was executed.\n\nThat's a summary of what most people call "Christianity."
330038
Well to answer the question posed by Julia\n\nLet’s see\n1) No Inquisition\n2) No Crusades\n3) No Holocaust (Yes it was most definitely related to Christians)\n4) No Priests raping Children\n5) No Blood Libel\n6) No Bonfire of the Vanities\n\n\nThat is off the top of my head in less then a minute, I am sure I could add hundreds of more given some time.
655167
Watched a programme about the Di Vinci Code last night and one of the dudes on there was from the Catholic Church. He said something quite profound 'to remove error' which was used to describe how they managed to convert people to Christanity. In other words pagans were removed from the equation thus ensuring that people followed the 'path' or were sentanced to death. \nUnder the light of death would you convert to such a belief system?
799310
Europeans had an Alliance with the Jews way back during the time of the Crusaders.  They cooperate to control the European economy.
279949
Well, look at what the xtians have done to humanity over the centuries. Spanish Inquisition, selling of indulgences, subjugation, murder, hypocracy. REally, there is no greater blight on humankind than this farce, and the ones who propagate it on are guilty of racism and of being a bigot.
1115563
This controversy has existed from the very beginning, and\nthe writings of the "Church Fathers" themselves reveal\nthat they were constantly forced by the pagan\nintelligentsia to defend what the non-Christians and other\nChristians ("heretics")4 alike saw as a preposterous and\nfabricated yarn with absolutely no evidence of it ever\nhaving taken place in history. As Rev. Robert Taylor says,\n"And from the apostolic age downwards, in a never\ninterrupted succession, but never so strongly and\nemphatically as in the most primitive times, was the\nexistence of Christ as a man most strenuously denied."5\nEmperor Julian, who, coming after the reign of the\nfanatical and murderous "good Christian" Constantine,\nreturned rights to pagan worshippers, stated, "If anyone\nshould wish to know the truth with respect to you\nChristians, he will find your impiety to be made up partly\nof the Jewish audacity, and partly of the indifference and\nconfusion of the Gentiles, and that you have put together\nnot the best, but the worst characteristics of them both."
1187382
i'm sure there are equivalents in many animist and ancient cultures, but i'm mostly aware of the concept of "two-spirit" people in the Native American tradition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berdache\n\nprejudice against homosexuals is a fairly new phenomenon in general, dating to about the 1100s in Christian society. before that, if they weren't exactly considered "holy," there were certainly a fair amount of christian priests and bishops who were gay, and who wrote poems and songs about it that were excised from the tradition during the time of the Inquisition. read John Boswell for more information.
602308
There was a time in European history where the Church held absolute sway in the appointment and endorsement of political rulers, as well as their own "police force" of inquisitors where free-thinkers and political opponents were burned, tortured, and murdered.  Wars were repeatedely fought against the Muslim in Muslim lands to distract and divide the folks at home and to keep the people militarized and the money flowing into the coffers of the tyrannical kings.  This period was affectionately known as "The Dark Ages" and "Medievel Age" appropriately.  Woe betide the man who willfully repeats disastrous history.
1156467
Convert them all to paganism!\n\nMissionaries are perfect nuisances and leave every place worse than they found it." -  Charles Dickens (1812-1870). \n\n" A creed religion like Christianity... is constantly competing against all other religions — and, what is more, doing so on their own home grounds. Its success is measured in terms of the number of converts it makes."  \n\n                                          ~  Michael Arnheim author of Is Christianity True (Skeptic's Bookshelf Series).\n\n\nIndrani Rampersad, a woman activist in Trinidad writes:  \n\n“Christians see it as their duty to save the soul of the non-believer, who is seen as inferior. Such religions are inherently predatory and destructive of the cultural systems that they encounter in their role as the aggressor.”\n\n"unless you attend my church, accept my God and study my sacred text you cannot be a moral person."\n\n"What could be more bigoted than to claim that you have a monopoly on God?"\n\n(source: Jewish Leader blasts Evangelical "zealots" - yahoonews.com).  \n\n"The illogical idea of one single religion for all mankind, one set of dogmas, one cult, one system of ceremonies which all individuals must accept on pain of persecution by the people and punishment by God, is the product of unreason and intolerance. A religion represents the soul of the people, its peculiar spirit, thought, and temperament. It is not a mere theory of the supernatural which we can put on or off as we please. It is an expression of the spiritual experience of the race, a record of its social evolution, an integral element of the society in which it is found [Radhakrishnan 1969:81-82]."
1052083
A pagan one. :-P Pagan religions were the majority until Christianity came along.
332079
Deicide\n\n&#92;De"i*cide&#92;, n. [L. deicida a deicide (in sense 2); deus god + c[ae]dere to cut, kill: cf. F. d['e]icide.] 1. The act of killing a being of a divine nature; particularly, the putting to death of Jesus Christ. [R.]\n\nEarth profaned, yet blessed, with deicide. --Prior.\n\n2. One concerned in putting Christ to death.\n\nSource: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. \n From Dictionary.com\n\nSo, in context with your question, it is the charge that the Jews are responsible for the death of Jesus.\n\nThe implications of this have been huge- the accussation was frequently stated, and used to exhort violence against the Jews.  many of the most violent pogroms (attacks against Jews), were as a result of a local priest preaching on this theme at Easter.\n\nThus this claim can be linked to numerous persecutions of the Jews.  The Dominicans were very active in preaching on this accusation - and the murder of 4000 people in Lisbon in 1506AD is directly attributed to preaching by Dominican priests.
1074110
zaphira is WAY off base.  Constantine mixed a lot of pagan rituals into Christianity.  The day of worship became 'Sun'day.  There are some other changes but the main problem is that he allowed paganism to be mixed in.  This led to Easter (an ancient fertility celebration for the 'goddess' Isis) being celebrated as resurrection sunday.  Christmas was also supposed to be some other 'god's' birthday.  When persecution ended, Christians let their guard down to let pagan worship get mixed in.  It's not popular, but it's the truth.
926978
paganism is a huge thing, it simply means anyone not believing in the biblical god, so buddhists, shinto, native american religions, native african religions, aboriginal austrailians, eskimos, as well as wiccans and the followers of the ancient viking traditions are pagan, so which sort of pagan do you want to be? there are thousands of books out there.  drop me a line if you want more info. Blessed Be.
1108545
To answer this you need to ask if the root of Catholicism, Judaism was influenced by paganism.  Well if you consider the fact the Old Testament contains stories which were prevalent throughout the Near East regardless of the religion, then yes there is proof that some aspects of paganism were used in founding the religion.  \nThe problem with the pagan argument is that the amount of paganism influencing the creation of the early church rather minimal in comparison to lets say Judaism.  \nFor example, eliminating circumcision is a result of pressure from pagan converts, as it was seen as barbaric (in fact outside the US not many are circumcised.)  The same can be said about kosher laws.\nI suppose to some extent you can say the architecture of pagan temples resulted in the design of Christian churches, although that's probably pushing it.\n\nHolidays such as Christmas are believed to be placed during the time of winter festivals.  Since the pagan celebrations were so popular it would be almost impossible to prevent people from celebrating.  So adding a Christian holiday in place of the former would solve this problem.  However any left over customes incorporated into the christian holiday would be dependent on local customes.  Not everyone had the equivalent of a Christmas tree, infact most our holiday traditions originated in England and Germany and might be rather odd to those outside the cultural influence.  \nAlso there is to some extent the coincidence of christian/pagan traditions.  Eating eggs on easter would come to no surprise since for thousands of years our food was dependent of the season and hens would have just begun to lay during this time.  The concept of only one God is not unheard of outside Judaic religions.  \n\nAnd if the lure of pagan holidays seems odd, then consider how many people; atheists and non-christians celebrate Christmas and Valentines day.  \n\nIf you want to know more about what the early church thought of paganism pick up the book City of God by Saint Augustine.
417443
Christianity started first and was wiped out by Christiandom (Catholicism) . . . which forced all Christians to follow them . . . or face torture and death.\n\nExample . . . the inquistion . . . the crusades.
686701
Although they were originally pagan, the Negro pagan slave traders sold them to white Christian (and a lot of times Jewish) slave trades. When imported to the Western Hemisphere they converted to the dominate religion which of course was and still is Protestant Christianity in what was the British colonies and to Catholicism in what was the Spanish colonies.