Religion in Kemr and Elsewhere

["Peter C. Skye" <pcskye@mindspring.com>]

I am the first to apologize for unintended slights.  Therefore, to those who
found offense in my remarks on Roman Catholicism I say now that I have the
greatest respect for those who wrestle with their Church and choose
nevertheless to remain in the fold.  I have no respect, however,  for
people who
follow anyone or anything blindly or by habit.

I know the words "capitulate" and "suzerainty" are loaded, but they are
accurate and I will not retract them.   When the Church acts in the world as a
political power -- the Holy Roman Empire, the Crusades, the Inquisition, the
Papal States -- it stands to be judged by the canons of history.  And
historically, the Church has pressured and continues to pressure non-Latin
Rite
(so called "uniate") bodies to conform to Roman practices.  If this isn't
capitulating to another's suzerainty, I don't know what is.

As for Ray's concern that I am retrofitting the Protestant Reformation into
the
Church of Kemr, I firmly believe that, given the warmer reception afforded to
women of power in Celtic lands, the Church of Kemr could have evolved
differently.  Also, the dogma of the exclusivity of Christ has had its
challengers within the Church throughout it's history.  I'd like to think that
those who weren't burnt at the stake found refuge within Kemr.

Peter

P.S.  Before I was initiated into the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, and
long before I thought up the Gorsedd of Latter-Day Druids -- pace Mormons
in our
midst -- I was an active Catholic layperson. 

I still miss my man...
  but my aim is getting better.