Did the Dark Age religious create the problem that resulted in the Black Plague?

Question

As many of you know the anti-witch heyday led into the Black Plague and there has been a lot of discourse that because of this time periods fear of witchcraft that the cats who would have kept the rat population down were destroyed because of their connection to witches as familiars. I don't think we are going to have a return of the Black Plague, but could religious misinformation cause another disaster?

It has been stated that the United States is a Christian country and that the 9/11 incident was a result of America trying to convert the world using Democracy as the goal?

There are a lot of ideas that religion is trying to deny, so what might happen or could happen as a result of this narrowing of scope in this world?

It is very interesting to see how people react to information contrary to what they choose to belive. I stated a valid point that has been discussed by historians and many decided that point was a personal one and I should be taught differently in a snide way. In asking the question I was asking for each of your opinion about the question and not about me. So all snide comments aside...

Majakeen, not one incident was held accountable for the BP and yes santitation was a huge factor.

NoName, good handle. Remain the way.

Schneb, lighten up and read more. The church was the source of almost all recorded history of the time. The cat theory was proposed and your opinion wasn't consulted when it was written.

Patsue69, I have never watched that video because it states only one opinion. My statement came after watching the CBS news when they did a series on the Many Faces of Faith. A Californian Imam (sp?) made that statement about Muslim fears.

Good answers all, its a question!

Answer 1

I think it was mainly the extremely poor sanitation control during the time.

Answer 2

I think it's overstating the matter to say that religious fears created the Plague, but modern scholars (despite what many on here seem to think) do believe that fears let the plague spread more quickly and completely.

In those days, the VAST majority of the cats were black. Black cats were associated with 'witchcraft' and destroyed nearly en masse. That's actually why black cats are quite rare today - most of them were slaughtered. This meant that the rats had free reign, and the fleas spread quickly. The poor sanitation and crowded conditions of course helped not at all.

I'm not fond of the Christian conversion methods I frequently see employed, but honestly think the only thing we're trying to spread as a nation is a free-market economy. 9/11 was the result of decades of poor foreign policy, mixed with an intolerant, outmoded set of beliefs. There's no excuse for the violence that was done, but in this case the religious misinformation comes from Islam, not from Christianity.

Again, I'm not a fan of much of Christianity, but unlike Islam, it has actually progressed in the past thousand years. We're in more danger from our own Western ideal of tolerance at all costs (some things SHOULDN'T be looked at with tolerance) than from Christianity.

That said, the 30-40 year backward slide of laws regarding reproduction here in the US thanks to a few vocal right-wing Christian groups is not at all encouraging.

Answer 3

Yes, to some extent.

They not only killed cats, but also dogs like terriers, which made the rat problem that much worse. They killed these animals out of ignorance, but not necessarily religious ignorance.

And yes, misinformation can cause disasters, which is why reason and evidence are so important.

I'm not sure about your 9/11 theory. It's certainly relevant to the Iraq catastrophe, but the role of religions is more complex than that, and the underlying conflicts are political despite the religious affiliations of the various groups.

Answer 4

Infested fleas and rats caused the black plague, The fact that people lived in close quarters with filth and squalor and the rats caused it to spread rapidly. I think the cats may have been able to help a little. but not much. But it couldn't have hurt to have a cat, except you would be thought of as a witch and they would kill you in your cat. Maybe. Just don't know how much it could have helped. But I think what your saying for now is true. One of the reasons for other countries not liking us is becouse we are so arogant to assume that we are the "might of right" to the rest of the world.

Renewed religious fervour and fanaticism bloomed in the wake of Black Death. This spelled trouble for minority populations of all sorts, as Christians targeted "various groups such as Jews, friars, foreigners, beggars, pilgrims",[14] and lepers,[15][16] thinking that they were somehow to blame for the crisis.
Maybe it's the other way around?

Answer 5

I don't think that particulary theory would hold much water, given that the plague seems to have had its origin in the steppes of Russia and having moved by sea to European ports. The Anti-witch heyday was somewhat later then the earlier plagues.

Answer 6

No, the plague came from fleas on Asian rats hitch hiking along the silk and spice routes, on to European ships and into Europe. People were unsanitary in many parts, hardly cleaned their posteriors and bathed a few times a year.

Blaming religion for the world's woes is much like credting the blacks and the Jews for our big messes today.

Regards,

Michael Kelly

Answer 7

Shows what you know. The Black Plague was spread by trade. The witch hunt kicked into effect WELL INTO the Black Plague.

Answer 8

Nope, the Black Plague would have been every bit as bad if Christianity had never existed.

Answer 9

No. Other regions in which the Black Plague came (and originated) had the same or worse results.

Answer 10

What there weren't any tabby cats or white cats around? That's the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Do you know what stopped the plague? They looked to the Bible and started following its laws regarding separation of the infected from the clean--that is, quarantine. So there, the Bible was the cure.

Answer 11

the fleas on the rats caused the plague, right? 9/11 happened because of evil men who killed innocent people. I can't understand how anyone can try to justify their actions or intentions.

You need Jesus!