07-25-2006, 11:38 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->BUt the same church people are responsible for all the developments in all fields in the world.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Remember also, that <b>the Catholic Church was the richest institution in the world, before the Enlightenment</b>. Money entered its hands, mostly because of <b>tithes</b>. It also owned quite a lot of land, and it had its own ecclesiastical laws that people in Catholic countries were subject to (within limits). The power of the Church rivalled the authority of many kings in Europe.
Try to understand the magnitude of tithes here. <b>A tithe is supposed to be a tenth of a person's annual income. Most countries before the 20th century did not tax their populations more than 2-3%!</b>
Considering its enormous wealth and political power, sure, they were the only ones in a position to fund any venture. Nobody else had that sort of money.
Remember also, that <b>the Catholic Church was the richest institution in the world, before the Enlightenment</b>. Money entered its hands, mostly because of <b>tithes</b>. It also owned quite a lot of land, and it had its own ecclesiastical laws that people in Catholic countries were subject to (within limits). The power of the Church rivalled the authority of many kings in Europe.
Try to understand the magnitude of tithes here. <b>A tithe is supposed to be a tenth of a person's annual income. Most countries before the 20th century did not tax their populations more than 2-3%!</b>
Considering its enormous wealth and political power, sure, they were the only ones in a position to fund any venture. Nobody else had that sort of money.