What period would that have been and who was it that enforced such a position?
Most of European history. The enforcers were the common folk, the priests, local authorities, local nobles all the way up to the Monarch or Pope.
That is just not true. Where are you getting that? The Bible was possessed by very very few of the common folk, most of those who did possess it+ in hiding from the Roman Church, such as the Waldensians who lived in the valleys of the Alps, and they were nevertheless subject to murdering rampages there too because they DID possess the Bible and were considered heretics for it. It was those who HAD the Bible, and preached from it to others, who were persecuted for "most of European history," not the other way around. Few people were educated at all, and even those who were had been stuffed full of Roman paganisms, NOT the Bible. None of them were interested in enforcing the Bible, quite the other way around, particularly the priests and the Pope. The priests could read the Bible though not all did, more interested inrelics and indulgences and masses for the dead and all that superstitious nonsense, though some of them preached from it, in Latin.
Actually the opposite was the case for centuries when the Roman Church insisted that the Bible be read only in Latin...Most people were illiterate before the Protestant Reformation, which made sure they got the Bible in their own language as well as instruction in how to read it.
I was referring, as you did, to educated people. Educated people would likely have studied Latin, the Bible and a variety of theological works as part of that education.
But there weren't many educated people and most of them were priests, and in any case until the Reformation there was NO interest in the Bible that would have been forced on people, quite the opposite as I said: they were persecuted for following the Bible, or for not living according to the Roman supersititions -- that could get you persecuted.
Intelligent people who are told by a priest about the contents of the Bible - would likewise too run into problems if they expressed overt skepticism.
But that did not happen. The Bible was NOT revered until the Reformation. After that if you can produce some historical information I could maybe see your point to some small extent, but not before it, not in any Roman Catholic context, which was of course the dominant influence in Europe until then.
And after the Protestant reformation intelligent people would still risk significant problems - including torture and death, to question the reliability of the Bible.
It's possible after the Reformation because the Bible had become the authority over Church tradition, but also the Bible was a powerful liberating force in people's minds, the minds of the intelligent people I'm talking about. The intelligent people were strongly FOR he Bible, so that your idea of there being some kind of class of intelligent skeptics just doesn't wash during that period. Not earlier and not in the early years of the Reformation either. Now by the time we get to the Enlightenment and all that yes you've got your anti-religion skeptics, most of them against the Roman Church, however, not the Bible, and I still don't see any enforcement of the Bible against anyone. You are making all this up Mod.
I'm sure that could be although I don't personally know of it. What are you talking about?
Running for office in the USA is commonly difficult for a known skeptic. Most politicians profess faith of some sort - even as their actions often suggest otherwise.
OK so it appears you aren't talking about "most of European history" at all, you are talking about very modern times. However, I'm not sure about your focus on the Bible even then, a focus on Christian principles in general, Protestant principles, OK, but the Bible? Not particularly. Unfortunately the strong Reformation Protestant underpinnings of much of Europe and also of America, were undermined by the Enlightenment trends even when the Protestants were strongest, and by the 20th century were falling behind. America did enforce blasphemy laws early on, perhaps you could focus on that to some effect. In any case you need some, yes, evidence, for your claims, this isn't holding together as you've presented it.
As a matter of fact I think it is far more likely for someone who does believe the Bible, or confesses to being a Bible believing Christian, whose career could be threatened.
I've not seen that. I've seen cases of people inappropriately proselyting or failing to perform duties citing their Christianity run into problems.
There is no law against proselytizing except one made up in the feverish heads of anti-Christians, and I have no idea what you mean by "failing to perform duties" so I'd probably disagree with you about that too. Perhaps you'd like to take another run at this topic with more specificity?
Edited by Faith, : No reason given.
Edited by Faith, : No reason given.
Edited by Faith, : No reason given.
Edited by Faith, : No reason given.
Edited by Faith, : No reason given.
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