Religions do change?

Submitted by Stephen Berman (United States), Apr 12, 2006 at 11:41

Professor Pipes:

I think it would be fair to say that religions in the West did not change. Rather, an influential part of the population became vehemently anti-religious - decrying all religion as "priestcraft". By way of example, the original constitution of the State of New York disallowed any member of any religious clergy from voting, based on the sarcastic reason that these ministers had so much more important things to do.

This is not a change in the interpretation of Christianity. Rather, it is an outright rejection of Christianity. A spirit of rebellion against any kind of authority swept through the West, not merely a modified understanding of the Bible.

I think that political theory in the West changed, but I respectfully suggest that religions did not change at all, and if they had the authority to do as they pleased, they would indeed bring back all forms of persecution that were imposed in the past.

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