Kent Hovind's Doctoral dissertation

Depends on the high school. If you went to one of the Christian Cult of Ignorance avoidance schools that would not just pass muster, it would be A+ material.

I believe you are talking about "Indulgences". If so, of course they could be sold even today but most folk don't understand what an Indulgence was.Indulgences only relieved the temporal punishment that had been assigned and did not effect any eternal judgements. The person simply paid a fine instead of being whipped or stoned or losing land or titles or having to make a Walk About. Since actual value was given in the process of Indulgences they would certainly still be legal.Edited by jar, : fix sub-title

The Indulgences were not a scam and Indulgences could not be sold to shorten the time in Purgatory. That is just another Urban myth.What could be done was higher intercession, a number of services or number of priests or a particular individual to intercede for you to ask for a reduction of time in Purgatory. Again, this would not be illegal even today as long as the Church performed the services and duties that were proffered.

Actually I described the description of Indulgences as an "Urban Myth" which is somewhat different than simply myth. An Urban Myth is something that actually can be tested to check it's veracity.

If you believed something bad was going to happen to you and you asked me to pray and intercede to prevent it or at least reduce the pain, and I did just what you asked, how would that be extortion?

LOLToo funny.If it was because not just I told you but rather everyone told you would it still be extortion?How is it extortion?

Except no one offered relief from a hazard they created.

Not quite because they do not offer relief, only a service, an attempted intercession.It's closer to what a defense lawyer does. The person knows that he is guilty and believes he will be judged and asks the lawyer to intercede on his behalf with the hope of a reduced sentence.

Again, that is simply not true.Remember Indulgences involve temporal forgiveness. There you most certainly did find judges.When it comes to Intersession, you may well believe there is no judge but you have no evidence there is not a judge. The person asking for Intercession does know that intercession is needed if there is a judge. The person asking for Intercession knows the reasons it is needed, and they do believe there is a judge and those providing Intersession do provide the service.

Of course it could.The church most certainly did have the power and the right to impose penalties. In the case of Indulgences the punishment was seldom stoning. But the penalties the Church might impose could be loss of title, holdings, property or imposition of pilgrimage.AbE:We're wandering far afield from the joke that is Kent Hovind but it is somewhat interesting. Should it move to a new thread?Edited by jar, : see AbE: