De Spectaculis

In a debate with George Smith over the merits of pagan Rome versus the Christian period that followed, Ralph Raico writes: “Men openly carried amulets of the male genitals around their necks and touched them often, for luck.”

Thank goodness that dreadful practice was replaced with amulets of a half naked man being tortured to death.

He's not the Vicar of Christ, he's a very naugthy boy!

He’s not the Vicar of Christ, he’s a very naugthy boy!

Ralph also writes: “One may be excused for sympathizing with G.K. Chesterton when he wrote that, given the moral standards prevalent in the Roman Empire, a period of cleansing of society was called for.”

It would have been nice if the ‘cleansing’ had targeted only the perpetrators, and not also the victims, of Roman oppression.

Ralph further writes: “The major Christian denominations were also oppressors, with the notable and noble exception of the Baptists ….”

As a resident of North Carolina for eight years and of Alabama for fifteen, I have the sad duty to report that the Baptists have managed to find their way into the oppression business.

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3 Responses to De Spectaculis

  1. JFF September 18, 2013 at 12:41 pm #

    Raicco’s referring to the European Baptists, not the Southern ones.

  2. Jonathan September 18, 2013 at 4:18 pm #

    Why not look at both sides of the ledger? As per Dawkins, Sam Harris and Hitchens who seem unable to find anything positive about religion it rather reveals what they want to find.

    • Roderick September 18, 2013 at 8:17 pm #

      I take it that’s George’s point.

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