Gennadius Scholarius Quotes

The Christian Roman Empire was split in two—a Western (Latin) Empire led by the Roman Catholic Church in Rome, and the Eastern (Greek) Roman Empire led by the Orthodox Church headquartered in Constantinople (Byzantium). The two churches were not only in a theological conflict but violence broke out and the armies of the two religious empires attacked each other now and then. In 1439, leaders of the two versions of Christianity met in Florence, and they agreed to reunuion in which the Eastern Orthodox would again acknowledge the authority of the Pope. This was not a popular agreement with the majority of the Eastern Orthodox people and some of the clerical leadership. Constantine, realizing that he did not have pubic support at home for the end to the schism and the acceptance of the authority of the Pope, kept stalling on officially announcing and implementing the unity treaty. The Pope’s patience was wearing thin. Constantine did not adhere to ther treaty and the two churches have been apart ever since.

In 1877 Wasburn was dropped from the List of Ministers by the Unitarian Church. He had become very critical of organized and orthodox religion of all kinds.

Before the Protestant Reformation of Martin Luther, there had been a schism of the Catholic Church into the Western Roman Empire—the Latins, headquartered in Rome; and the Orthodox Church—the Greeks, headquartered in Constantinople (Byzantium). One of the main issues of the schism was the Papacy itself. As this quotation shows, Luther was by no means the first to attack the Papacy. Saint Mark’s quotation here was more than 50 years before Luther was born.

It took only 10 days after the First Continental Congress met for religious bigotry to arise. After hundreds of years of Catholic/Protestant strife, each sect looked upon the other, not only as theologically wrong, but dangerous to the liberty of the other. Unfortunately, the organied religions had acted so badly towards other religions, that everyone was justified in fearing the other religions. This quotation illustrates a then typical attitude of many American Protestants that the Catholic Church was a threat to national security. Ironically, in modern times, anti-Catholic bigots use this quotation to demonstrate that the United States was founded as a Christian Protestant nation—not a general Christian nation. A small, vicious anti-Catholic sentiment still exists, usually by a minority of right wing Protestant religious fundamentalists. Protestant England had just repealed the laws making Catholicism illegal, but this was regarded at that time as intolerable for the new America. This was one of the disputes which that the Founding Fathers were faced with later and one of the reasons that they were so absolute in the need for the 1st Amendment.

In April of 1689, Protestant William of Orange landed in England against Catholic King James I, in a Catholic-Protestant civil conflict which not only affected England but its colonies as well. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New York City were confused and wary as to taking immediate sides, but there was a strong anti-Catholic movement in New York City. This group, functioning as “The General Convention for the Province of New-York,” elected Leysler, its leader—later appointing him Lieutenant Governor of New York. Leysler’s forces seized the government and imprisoned the King James Appointed Officials who would not turn against James. Leysler actually governed New York for almost two years. The old guard of New York, after William had been crowned King, attempted to regain the status quo ante. Leysler and his extremist followers saw them as traitors and Papal supporters although they themselves were English Protestants. But their appointment, loyalty and wavering regarding James I made them traitors in the view of Leysler. When initial troops tried to regain power for the original governor and council Leysler, he simply dismissed them as Papists. Finally, in March of 1691 Governor Slaughter, arrived with more troops, and after a significant Battle for New York, captured Leysler and his major followers where were executed shortly thereafter. This incident, sometimes referred to as “Leysler's Rebellion,” represents these American “firsts.” First successful revolution in America; First military coup; First military dictator. First successful counter-revolution. There were some contemporary critics who thought Leysler as interested in custom duties as Papists.

What the historian did not know was how similarly the Protestants would behave against the Catholics when they had the power. Since the Catholics were the established church, and the Protestants the new “heretics” the Protestants were on the receiving end of most of the atrocities at the beginning. However, as if they had been scholled by their horrible experiences, they repeated them just exchanging the perpetrators and the victims.

The origins of the extreme religious intolerance of Spain occurred centuries before the excesses of the Spanish Inquisition. Before the Conference the Visigoths and their king had been converted to Christianity but not all cared for the new religion.

Hazrat Omar ibn al-Khatab

In 1859 Boston public school students were required to recite the Ten Commandments from the King James version of the Bible each week. Thomas Wall, an 11 year old Catholic refused to recite from the King James Protestant version of the Bible. His teacher then beat him until he complied. His parents filed an assault complaint against the teacher. The Boston police court not only exonerated the teacher but excoriated the Walls. Some day a Jew might ask to swear his court oath. The “slippery slope” argument that the court made referred to the fact that orthodox Jews pray facing Jerusalem often with a prayer shawl over their heads. The Pentateuch is the first 5 books of the Old Testament which Jews recognize as opposed to the entire Bible.

It was not until 1780 that Catholics were allowed to even be members of Town Corporations.

This was the beginning of the inquisition.

While not in the Koran, this attributed statement is the basis for the ban on non-Muslims going on a Hajj and going to the most holy Muslim places—Mecca, Mina, Muzdalifa, and Arafat as well as the anti-religious hostility to all religions but Islam which is present in some Muslim countries.

See Justice Richard Cox for a similar view.