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Religions Fall from Grace

The Roman Catholic Church use to dominate most of Europe from one A.D. (after death)
until the middle of the sixteenth century. The church state, as it was called, was a major source
of repression and persecution in the middle ages. It was not until the 14th century that the church
was put on the fast track to losing its overwhelming control of Europe. The Roman Catholic
Empire fell due to the Renaissance, dawn of science, the persecution of other religions, and many
years of war. Although the Roman Catholic religion still exists today, it is not nearly as
influential as it once was.
The Renaissance period began during the 14th century and lasted until the middle of the
17th Century. During the Renaissance, the demands of society shifted. The church had a difficult
time adjusting to the new ways of thinking. For example, the parish priests and monks had long
served as the religious teachers of the peasants, but as the commercial class began to grow, the
priests found that they knew very little about the needs of this new class of people. This period
also inspired many writers from Giovanni Boccaccio to William Shakespeare. These writers
wrote many pieces which the church saw as satanic, dark, and unholy. Works like Twelve Angry
Men, Romeo and Juliet, Amoroso Visione were influential in inspiring people to revolt against the
church. The Renaissance also inspired artist like Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael, and of
course Leonardo Da Vinci to create works of art that caused people to question the teachings of
the church. This time period, also known as the Age of Enlightenment, was the first time people
stood against the church. It also caused people to question the churchs teachings; leading to the
fall of religion.

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The Renaissance started the ball rolling and the dawn of science kept it rolling. The
dawn of science caused many new, and at that time, radical ideas to form. Many wonderful
inventions were constructed like gunpowder, the printing press, and the telescope. Many more
inventions were planned, but due to limitations of available technology could not be constructed.
Sir Francis Bacon created the scientific method which helped scientists like Sir Isaac Newton,
Galileo, and Nicolaus Copernicus. The Ideas of these men included natural selection, gravity,
the world is not flat, the universe does not revolve around the earth, the earth spins and we are
not the only planet, started people thinking about the creation of the world. These ideas made
many people turn away from the church, and seek the truth about why we are here and who we
are.
When people started to realize that the church was not teaching the truth, many people
left the church and began teaching their own religion. The major three that came out of this
were the Protestant, Judaism, and Pagan religions. The church hated these new religions and
persecuted people for not following the Roman Catholic views; hence, causing people to leave
Europe.
In 1492 Christopher Columbus sailed on his three ships, the Nina, the Pinta, and the
Santa Maria, away from the control of the Catholic Church. His community thrived on the
newly found freedom of religion. Much like a parasite, as the persecuted religions grew and
thrived; the Roman Catholic Empire began to grow weaker and weaker. The people the church
feared and persecuted, began to fight back against their oppressors.
The Roman Catholic Church helped fight in many wars. In 1618, the war that destroyed
the Roman Catholic Empire began. The already weakened state continued digging itself into a
deeper hole when it joined the Thirty Years War. The Thirty Years' War was a series of wars in

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Central Europe spanning from 1618 until about 1650. It was one of the most destructive
conflicts in history, and certainly one of the longest. The war between the Protestants and
Catholic states took place in the fragmented Holy Roman Empire.
The war caused devastation to may regions of Europe, with famine and disease leading
the charge. The war also bankrupted most of the countries involved. The Thirty Years War
ended with the treaties of Osnabrck and Mnster in 1648. The war allowed the Protestants to
practice their religion freely, and destroyed the Roman Catholic Empire.
Thanks to the fall of the Roman Catholic Church the world has found a new place in the
glow of logic and reason. From our new spot in the universe we have found flight and traveled
amongst the stars. We have evolved into a species that can use our thumbs to play videogames,
surf the web, and make wonderful music. While religion is not quite perfect and some things are
not yet explained, we have still come a long way. With an average lifespan of about 102 years,
we are conquering disease and understanding the motives that drive us. We are tackling our
problems like pollution and global warming. We have explored the icecaps and the depths of the
seas. We have reached the moon, and even placed a rover on to mars. We have created giant
nuclear reactors and know the components that make up the atom. Our world might not be the
most extravagant, but it is our home.
All of these factors helped to bring down the church. It helped diversify and explain the
universe. The renaissance shaped many countries like Italy, France, and Spain. Science has
developed cures for diseases, helped connect the world with the internet, and make places more
accessible through the advances in technology. The defeat of the Roman Catholic Empire helped
grow a new age of logic and reason. The world is accessible, spinning around our beautiful sun

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as the birds and other wonderful creatures evolve and change. Looking at these fantastic sights,
one cannot help but think, What a wonderful world religion has created!