God Will Spank You

The Catholic Church is one of the most powerful religious institutions in the world. Its members number in the millions and between the Catholic faith and its various branches of belief structures, they account for roughly 33% of the world population. Many laws in the United States and other countries are directly influenced by church laws and sanctions. How did this holy giant come to such power? It has successfully converted more people to the faith it promotes than any other religion today, although perhaps the methods the Catholic Church has used to expand herself should be questioned. Could our own fears be the primary tool the Catholic Church has used for its massive expansion? The Catholic faith has been exploiting the fears of various peoples for centuries to convert them and preserve the faith of those who believe in its teachings.

Perhaps the earliest example of how the church has used fear to control the masses comes from back when the catholic faith first rose to power around 452 AD. When Attila the Hun was terrorizing the Roman Empire pope Leo I traveled to negotiate with him, hoping to quell Attila’s desire to invade further into Roman territory. Shortly after the Pope’s visit, the mighty Attila died mysteriously, soothing the fears of Roman citizens while bestowing more power to the Catholic faith which was seen as responsible for the death of the Hun. It was the Pope who had last spoken to Attila, was it not God who had struck Attila down? Historians now believe it was a nosebleed or poison that caused Attila’s demise, but at the time it was viewed as the mighty hand of God. It would be difficult not to respect and fear a god who had brought such a powerful foe to ruin. It’s hard to resist the prospect of being protected by an all powerful being that is able to punish the enemies who pose a threat to one’s way of life.

Catholicism has not only exploited peoples’ fears in an indirect way by claiming responsibility for the removal of what has caused them, but in a very tangible way as well, by directly causing the fears itself. At many points in history it was extremely dangerous in some areas of the world to be anything but Catholic, the Spanish Inquisition and various accounts of witch burning during the middle ages are prime examples. There are many documented records of how the Catholic Church has persecuted those of different faiths (particularly Judaism and pagan religions) and forced them to convert to Catholicism. From methods as benign as assimilation to those as extreme as burning at the stake and torture, many people had little option but to convert. During the time period of the Inquisition it was a dire mistake to show faith in anything but the powerful Catholic Church and her representatives here on earth. So-called heathens such as sodomites and gypsies were brought to the fires, gallows, and dungeons to rid the world of their wickedness and corruption. Jews were weeded out through rigorous spying and testing of faith. In his article Inquisition Confessions and Lazarillo De Tormes, David Gitlitz gives a chilling account of a Jewish woman, Maria, trying desperately to convince the Catholic tribunal that she was a devout Catholic and her husband was responsible for forcing her to participate in Jewish beliefs. Her claims were refuted by her own family and Maria was burned at the stake in 1484.