The Roman Catholic Church

As a historical institution, what do you think its effect on the world was?

The church was full of relegouis and corrupt idiots.

There is two catholic churches. The humanitarian work of priests and nuns in the 3rd world. And the rigid half that will only allow married couples to use a condom if one of them has AIDS.

The church is supposed to be religious.

It's effect on the world is immeasurable, it may well have decided 500 years of history in itself.

Still corrupt though.

The Church was the one that actually saved the knowledge of the western roman empire after they fell, of course the byzantines had it as well. Second it created a united Europe, which saved us from becoming all muslims.

Well they did a pretty crap job. Also, it wasn't exactly a united Europe, there was always warfare between them. The only powers that fought significantly against Muslim powers were Spain,Portugal, and the Balkan states.

Are you talking about Roman and Eastern Orthodox?

I think he means that some Catholics are nice people, who volunteer and help the poor, and other Catholics are assholes on their high horse who preach about sex being evil and whatnot.

The Frank empire disagrees with you.

you got it, the catholic church is seen as this evil moralistic empire but people forget all the contributions made by individual people and churches

Oh. Because when you said 2 Churches I thought you meant the actually towo Catholic Churches.

DUR HUR CATHOLICS R EBUL N NOT EVN CHRISTIAN RICHARD DAWNKINS TOLD ME. THOSE DUMB EBUL CATHOLICS R SO STOOPID I WON'T EVEN ARGUE WITH THEM CUZ THERE BELOW ME CUZ RICHARD DAWKINS TOLD ME. ALSO RELIGION IS EBUL N DUMB HAHA U STOOPID BACKWARDS RELIGIONS RICHARD DAWKINS TOLD ME.

EDIT: O YA AND IF IT WERNT FOR THOSE DUMB RELIGIONS AND CATHOLICS WE WOULD BE IN SPACE AND I LIKE SPACE IT'S COOL RICHARD DAWKINS TOLD ME.

Also, of course some Catholics are hardasses and some are perfectly fine. Some Muslums are complete assholes too and others are perfecly fine. Some Athiests too. It's beyond me why people only focus on bashing Catholicisms extremists.

The Balkans were pretty much overrun no problem at all by the Ottomons. It was the Austrians tjat gave them trouble. There's a pattern here, Spain, Portugal, and Austria were/are all Catholic nations which had extreme loyalty to the Church.

I volunteer at a Catholic mission, so I come into contact with quite a few religious types such as priests and nuns, and they do a heck of a lot more for their fellow man than those who like to give them stick all the time.

Ah The Roman Catholic Church. The second most corrupt organization of the middle ages. (Spanish inquisition was the most corrupt)

I dont think all or even the majority of Catholicity are mean and terrible. I just cant stand the ones that preach about God being so forgiving and then saying you are damned to hell when you dont go to church on a Sunday

Oh the Middle Ages over 500 years ago.

You do know that you can be forgiven for the whole Sunday thing too.

No one is exactly fond of the Middle Ages Church, or extreme Catholicism.
The same way no one is a big fan of those many Islamic Khaphates or extreme Islam. Or extreme anything for that matter.

Not to mention, the Chruch wasn't corrupt for the greater part of the Middle Ages. It was just really, really corrupt during part of it. It would be like hating the Roman Empire because they were the most corrupt people ever when it was falling apart.

Who are you addressing this to?