The History of the Church has been one of a pas de deux with the state, and a series of accommodations with a view to temporal peace and prosperity. Most often, the formula is quite wrong. At times the Church has the upper hand, at times the state. If and when there is a time and place approaching a proper balance, say present day Hong Kong, it goes unnoticed. People like to read the racy stuff, as with daily news, for history, if it bleeds, it leads.
We seem to be in a time of change, but where the church was once abusive, now it is reversed, the state is abusive. Here is Luther talking of the Church hierarchy, but it could be an citizen of the west today speaking of the government heirarchy.:
What good are they, except to live in lust from the sweat and labor of others and to impede the word of God? They are afraid of physical rebellion and do not care about spiritual destruction. Are they not intelligent, honest people! If they accepted God's word and sought the life of the soul, God would be with them, since he is a God of peace. Then there would be no fear of rebellion. But if they refuse to hear God's word and rather rage and rave with banning, burning, killing, and all evil, what could be better for them than to encounter a strong rebellion which exterminates them from the world? One could only laugh if it did happen, as the divine wisdom says, Proverbs 1[:25-27], "You have hated my punishment and misused my teaching; therefore I will laugh at your calamity and I will mock you when disaster strikes you."
Now recall, Luther was speaking of and to the Church at its height of temporal power, his life was in danger, from various leaders if not the Pope.
The Pope replies directly to Luther, Pope Adrian VI (1522-1523),
We know well that for many years things deserving of abhorrence have gathered around the Holy See; sacred things have been misused, ordinances transgressed, so that in everything there has been a change for the worse. Thus it is not surprising that the malady has crept down from the head to the members, from the Popes to the hierarchy.
We shall use all diligence to reform before all things the Roman Curia, whence, perhaps, all these evils have had their origin. Thus healing will begin at the source of sickness. We deem this to be all the more our duty, as the whole world is longing for reform.
It took a few hundred years for the church to be divested of temporal power, but it seems that the catholic church is about where Jesus would want it, reduced to a hilltop in rome consisting of a few museums in a anarchic totally voluntary state.
It takes time to get into trouble, and it takes time to get out of it.
For all of Luther’s talk of murdering bishops and leveling monasteries, when it got down to specific acts of violence, he had this to say:
The mad mob does not ask how it could be better, only that it be different. And when it then becomes worse, it must change again. Thus they get bees for flies, and at last hornets for bees.
I would add those who lead the mob do not really want change, they only want to be in charge. those to be overthrown spot the leaders, and in some measure cooperate to share power, that is give the impression of change with a change of faces, if not regime.
We are no where near the crises that Luther and the powers-that-be of his time faced. The welfare check is keeping a lid on things. We are seeing both inflation and deflation, both properly defined as monetary events, occurring in asset specific categories. these means are extending the problem and will result in a faster, worse dislocation. I say yikes!
Get self-employed, it is the best harbor in the coming storm. have something to trade.
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