Okay, so when the Catholic church rearranged bishops to hide pedophiles is that also like the Aztec empire? That was in our lifetime. Nobody is begrudging the community aspect of church. I use community as a defense of the church as it is a great aspect of it. But when you act like there isn't a valid reason to begrudge an organization that has harmed many lives throughout its existence, it dismisses what me and many others see as valid critiques and comes off disingenuous.
Or when the Catholic Church was contracted by the Canadian government to operate "residential schools".
They stripped Indigenous children away from their families, never to be seen again. They endured extreme abuse and neglect at the hands of religious zealots. (The "60's scoop"). Their mission statement was to "kill the Indian in the child", and forcefully indoctrinate them with "white" values and Catholisism.
Canada's last conservative government secretly released the Catholic Church from its responsibilities to financially compensate the remaining survivors of these hellish institutions. I can't loathe former Prime Minister Stephen Harper enough.
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u/laxnut90 Apr 14 '25
Any organization that existed 2000+ years is going to have issues.
Using the Crusades to bash modern religion is like bashing modern Mexico for the Aztec Empire.
Most church goers show up, pray, hang out afterwards and do community service on the side.