The world and all its current cultures have, in many ways, been influenced by cultures of the past. One of the most influential aspects of life has been that of religion. When it comes to religion of the Middle Ages, one thinks of Catholicism. The religion during that time dominated all aspects of life, from birth to death. Although this religion was a form of Christianity, it was the only acceptable form of Christianity to be practiced during that time. Yet despite the domination of the Catholic Church over people during those times, the Catholic Church has influenced and continues to influence every culture from that time forth.
During these days, the Catholic Church is one of the largest in the world with an influence in many countries around the globe. However, despite much of the influence from the middle ages… This catholic church of present time is not nearly as dominating or aggressive as the church of old. The church may no longer have a dominating rule over people’s lives, but they do have a strong influence over how people act and live their lives. The influences may range from personal faith to fear of eternal damnation, each influence challenging an individual’s moral character and encouraging them to do well and live by the standards of the church.
Fortunately, the church is no longer seeking to purify the world in the same ways as the past… mainly speaking of the crusades. However, there may no longer be physical fighting for purity and bloodshed like the crusades, but there still exists the endless fighting for our souls through countless debates and protests of other religions who are guiding the souls of the world to eternal damnation. This view is not just that of the catholic religion but of other religions as well, which fuels the fires of all the endless debating and bible bashing to prove each other wrong.
The Catholic Church during the middle ages may have influenced much fighting among other religions from that time forward, but it has also influenced people to seek to live good lives. Similar to how the monks of old devoted their entire lives to living the laws of the church, so do people today devote much of their lives to it. The monks of the Middle Ages may have taken the devotion to the extreme, but people have shown during these days similar dedication (as much as modern society will permit).
The influence of religion has had an astounding impact on every culture and every society from the dawn of time. Yet the impact of the Catholic Church has had an influence which is by far more astounding than preceding religions. The church went from having complete and utter control, to giving up that control but becoming one of the largest and most influential churches in the world. The church has touched billions of lives, crossed over many countries, and influenced countless societies since the middle ages and will probably continue to do so for years to come.
Resources:
No comments:
Post a Comment