Whenever the question of separation of church and state, freedom of religion or even that Christians have not committed mass murders, remember the 30 years war. To understand why Christianity became a tamed-ish religion and why it did not reflected in American continent or in other religions is important to understand this period where all Europe wasted an entire generation fighting over religion.
This video talks about one of the subdivisions of this free-for-all battle royale in real life. (And the music is pretty awesome in Swedish, German or English version)
Today is the 12th July...so in a not unconnected way to the 30 Years War...here in Northern Ireland we are having our annual public holiday when we commemorate the Battle of the Boyne when the army of Protestant William of Orange defeated Catholic James II troops on the banks of the River Boyne at Slane in Ireland on 12th July, 1690, thus securing a Protestant British monarchy in perpetuity. The irony is that the Pope helped finance William’s campaign...politics playing as big a part as religion in this alliance, as was the case in the Thirty Years War...and most of the numerous other European wars over the centuries. One of the reasons why the EU is a force for good in Europe despite all its flaws, it has brought a hitherto unknown unity between formerly bitter enemies.
We will be having the usual triumphalist marches here today...with Bowler-hatted, Orange-sashed, Banner- waving, grown men strutting behind drum-banging, flute-playing bands in an anachronistic display of religious bigotry and tribalism, all wrapped up in the Union Jack and supposed Britishness. It strikes me as sad, as they have much more in common with their catholic compatriots here in Northern Ireland than they do with anyone in the Home Counties of England. I suppose it’s needless for me to add that I will be staying at home and not participating!
@Matias precisely....but I’ve lived here long enough to realise that these people are really insecure....they feel they must assert their identity because they feel under siege. They have to prove that they are more loyal to the Crown and more British than even the most ardent little Englanders on the mainland. They are shit-scared of being sold down the river by the British government....and being handed over to Ireland.
@Matias I have some friends who are not so wedded to their British identity and agree with me that they have more in common with people from the Republic of Ireland than they do with most people in England. Most of my other Protestant friends don’t agree with that and have a deep seated fear of anything Irish, some have rarely, if ever, travelled south of the border. I have Catholic friends too, they don’t all want to be reunited with the south either....so it’s a very complex situation. The Republic has become a very progressive country in recent years, throwing off the yolk of Rome and Catholic influence in government, by introducing laws legalising divorce and same sex marriage, and reforming the laws on abortion. I find it ironic that the Protestants who were adamant about never being part of an Irish State ruled from Rome and mocked the Irish for being so backward in social mores, are now finding themselves in a part of the UK ruled by the DUP who are now the party holding back reform in social issues that the rest of the UK and Ireland enjoy. They don’t have any justification for their fears in any case because the Anglo/Irish agreement enshrined in international law British sovereignty over Northern Ireland until a majority wishes to reunify with the Republic. Up until the present that is not the case, but Brexit has reignited the border issue which had become less important when both countries were members of the EU.
Audio didn't work. Sabaton is an awesome band. Met them many times.
Don't you know that there are parts that say that there are people that will still be alive when "Jesus" returns.
Just to give a part of my learning and reading, would still not have passed the galaxy that us homosapians are a part of. To also give a small application of time "Jesus" has still not left the Milwaukee Galaxy.
I really have no idea how to react to this