h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Especially the part about the sex philosophy. No meat and lots of sex: sounds like the cult for me.

I'd say you were being a little hard on the Church, but even though, as a Catholic, I get a lot of discriminatory (and often just plain illogical) remarks from people, you are absolutely right about how they operated back then in matters of heresy. Little good it did them though. Christianity is probably the most factionalized religon on Earth today.

I hope you took this to the h2g2 historical society. I'm sure it will be accepted. Just talk to Mustapha, preferably in the "More History on H2G2" thread, and he'll make a link. If you need the URL, let me know.

Great work, Alighieri! You sure are getting into H2G2 fast!

Doh! Just did a huge response and the computer crashed 2 seconds before I was gonna submit.

a) Thanks for very much for comments - I feel there isnt enough time to do everything I'd like to on h2g2...
b) yeah I'd love the URL to the history group - I saw it a few days ago but could probably never find it again (this place is huge!)
c) on knocking the Church - I'm a lapsed Catholic and I will always defend the Faith and the majority of the tenets. I rarely if ever defend the Organisation/Hierarchy. The really corrupt period of Catholicism, leading to the Reformation, is fascinating. Dante was outraged at the French Catholic Church's influence on Rome (this was before they had a Pope in Rome, Avignon and a third in Germany!) as the French used the Church to gain political and geographic power - rather than just concentrating on the spiritual side.
d) oh yeah the sex part - I left out for sake of size - that the Cathars loved to bonk, but thought that having children was evil... so the Church could have left them for a few generations and they'd have died out anyways - like the Shakers (I think it was the Shakers... no-sex Quakers basically)!!

Sure. Here it is: http://www.h2g2.com/A240058

There are lots of great articles there. Go to the forum thread titled "More History on H2G2" and type the URL and a brief discription. I'm sure he will add it.

Cool article... I love heresies...

Wasn't the Albigensian Crusade begun just after the mass arrests of Knights Templar? I know the two events were linked together. In fact, there is evidence that the Knights had gnostic tendencies, even if they weren't specifically Cathars. And the Knights held massive tracts of land in southern France, which is also where the Cathars resided.

The two are linked, yes.
The Templars got a lot of the land which was taken from the Cathars by force (and taken from people who were conveniently called Cathars in order for their land to be taken).
Once the Templars had a huge amount of land - the Church turned their attention to them... land=influence back then, and the Church didnt like the competition. But this is more conspiracy than heresy.

I am a sucker for both (heresy and conspiracy!)

Mmmmm, conspiracy!

I have a million conspiracy theories. My latest one is that Frank Zappa and Yanni are long lost brothers. I was looking at some junk mail from a music club and I was shocked at what I saw. Look at their noses and other facial features; they are strikingly similar. And how many people do you know that can grow thick black moustaches? It makes perfect sense in light of the fact that they are both successful and creative musicians. And the difference in complexion can be attributed to Zappa's "recreational activites".

Of course this is pure crap, but I love noticing things like that.