When Christianity ruled Europe it was called the "Dark Ages" ?

Question

Is this why the founding fathers stressed so much in keeping Christianity AWAY from the reigns of govt rule ??

Answer 1

EXACTLY. Christians put the dark into the Dark Ages.

A triumphant Christianity was the active agent in destroying knowledge and access to learning. The priestly "protection racket" required the criminalizing of the whole of humanity through the doctrine of Sin. In a world run by clerical gangsters, the writ of Holy Mother Church was enforced by sadism and torture. For more than a thousand years, the henchmen of Christ inflicted a cruel barbarism on every community they encountered. Law was replaced by Divine Right, scientific method criminalized, ancient medical knowledge lost for a millennium. Women, fortunate to be domestic slaves, might find themselves in enforced celibacy, joyless marriage or burnt as a witch. Roasting heretics became popular entertainment and a religious duty.

The Christians have always lied – and one of their biggest lies remains that of "blaming the barbarians" for the destruction of ancient civilization which they themselves caused. The Roman empire, for its part, had turned in on itself, had wasted its energies on the indulgences of a theocratic tyranny, had narrowed its vision, had ruined itself – a process that began with Constantine and his plans of a Christian dynasty. Imperial edicts required the burning of non-Christian books. Many libraries of antiquity had been attached to temples, academies, and public baths and therefore suffered in the general attack by Christians on these Pagan edifices. Plato's Academy, and the last of the pagan schools, were closed by Justinian in 529.

Christianity set back civilization back hundreds maybe even thousands of years. And although some might find this controversial, it was the Muslims who saved a lot of the knowledge that would have otherwise been lost.

Answer 2

The so called Dark Ages refers to the time of cultural dislocation that immediately followed the collapse of the Roman Empire in the West. However, in the East, the Christian civilzation of Byzantium continued to flourish, and further, in the midst of the West the Church served as a source of stability and conservation of culture that would create the conditions for the possibility of the cultural flourishing and achievements of the 13th century. The idea that Christianity achieved nothing but obscurantism and tyrrany is a conceit of Modernity, which has a difficult time admitting that Christianity is the condition for its own possibility. Recommended Reading John Milbank "Theology and Social Theory."

Answer 3

Well, not quiet, but close. It was when the Holy Roman Catholic Church ruled Europe, not Christianity. Biiigggggg difference!
Ever hear of the Holy Roman Empire (Germany). They attempted to take over Europe again in WW I and WW II.

The founding fathers did try to keep our government from being ruled by the church, like the Catholic church did Europe. They also tried to keep the government from ruling the church, like England did.
Unfortunately most people today only remember "half" of our so-called "separation clause."

Answer 4

Admittedly, I don't have extensive knowledge of the Dark Ages, but I do know this: that had nothing to do with Separation of Church and State.

They decided to keep religion out because the main reason the Puritans left England and came to America in the first place was to practice their religion in peace, while in Britain the King chose what religion you had to follow.
Monarchies then regulated religion; the founding fathers thought to have such an imposition in their country would demean the whole Revolutionist cause for freedom.

Answer 5

in part
Dark Ages
"light versus darkness" is a metaphor used by Christians.

This was coined to describe a "lack of Christianity"! By a Christian.

It was the church in Rome that kept people in darkness. This was considered a very pagan time by Christians (before 1300 or so).

Over the next 200 years Kant and Voltaire began to break religious shackles and a lot of Christians were freed by the printing press(Gutenberg, 1440) and then translation of the bible into native languages(Gutenberg, Wyclift, Tynsdale and others).

People began to think for self rather than be slaved to a dictatorial church.

Being deistic in approach, and not wanting the church of the King! to dictate, the founders of the United States ruled and wrote, in agreement with each other, that each may worship as they may and neither government nor the populace may force religion on the people.

Answer 6

It was called the Renaissance and is considered the peak of European culture. The Europeans have culturally declined in tandem with the decline in Europe of Christianity; they will never again produce a Da Vinci,a Michaelangelo,a Georgione,a Titian,a Vermeer or a Durer. They are a dying culture. Paganism run riot almost destroyed civilization; the Catholic Church single-handedly brought life and order and meaning back to Europe. You should've gone to college. Oh,as to your "founding fathers" - a bunch of wealthy sleazeball slave-owners who killed a million people so they wouldn't have to pay their taxes. Mostly atheists and freemasons,in any event deeply antiChristian. As for independence,Canada got it without bloodshed so don't say it was necessary to cause all that destruction. They were just evil,that's all.

Answer 7

Correlation does not imply causation. It's not Christianity that caused the dark ages, but the despair of people during these difficult times that lead them to Christianity.

Answer 8

Christianity ruled Europe way longer then the "Dark Ages" how do you think European Civilization proceeded?

Answer 9

I agree with Lókasenna, The Crocoduck Hunter

Answer 10

You've got it backwards. When The Dark Ages occurred, Christians were being killed in every cruel manner possible. That was why it was "dark". They were being killed for their beliefs. The Reformation period was when the killing stopped and people were allowed a bit of freedom to worship. Christians during The Dark Ages were being slaughtered because they would not succumb to the rule of Catholocism and Church and State were linked.