Were Catholics during the Middle Ages more pious than today?

[Saxum]

Yeah, let’s put that on the same level with “nuclear holocaust, concentration camps, mass genocide”. SMH.

I didn’t place them on the same level. God gave us the 10 commandments and he placed murder and sexual immorality in the same list.

Also, what does “SMH” stand for?

 

[AndrewAxland]

Also, what does “SMH” stand for?

It means that nobody is going to fall for your bluff because you flashed your hand and everyone got a good look at the cards you are holding.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

It actually means “Shaking my head”. Internet acronym. Sometimes SMDH on forums where people, unlike here, cuss.

 

[Saxum]

It actually means “Shaking my head”. Internet acronym. Sometimes SMDH on forums where people, unlike here, cuss.

Thanks Tis. And although I listed a bunch of sins together, I know there’s differences in gravity. My point was to highlight the extent of sin in our western culture.

 

[SeriousQuestion]

Shake my head is what it means and it is used as a sign of disapproval.

 

[SeriousQuestion]

We aren’t playing any card games.

 

[ConfusedLucy]

I think it’s fair to say most people follow the path of least resistance.

 

[Athanasiy]

Is it possible to find out on the example of modern theocratic Arab countries?
Born children instead of unborn children is more piety?
Five times a day devout public prayers instead of not even a single prayer in a day, is that more piety?
Mass willingness to live and die a warrior for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven, instead of the vulgar contentment of life, is it more piety?
Even if the theocratic society also generates a lot of crazy, foolish people, there’s still more piety, isn’t there ?

 

[Athanasiy]

I am just thinking why I am as a Ukrainian, dream to live in the EU, and not in the Orthodox Empire led by Moscow. ((even if we do not touch upon the issues of national, national and spiritual identity, territorial integrity…)
The European Union is a risk of losing mass religion. The more secularism, prosperity, change of location in more secular societies, the less traditional religiosity in the people.
Why not listen to the Orthodox thinkers of Muscovy and fight for the establishment of Orthodox civilization?..something like a “New Middle Ages”?
Probably because I belong to the pesimists who believe that it is unlikely that something worthy can be built outside of a United Europe.
A United Europe called the EU is a unique experiment.In the United Europe it is possible to achieve such atchievements that the Slavic Orthodox world in itself for certain will not be able to reach.
Even if the age of mass piety is a thing of the past, it seems to me that a person should grow from the status of a child to the status of an adult and move towards progress, and learn to live in faith while in a secular society.

 

[kill051]

They didn’t have to contend with world wars, nuclear holocaust, concentration camps, mass genocide, abortion, widespread homosexuality and transgenderism. We live in the most evil time ever. It takes real heroism to be even slightly holy nowadays.

Hmmm…don’t know about that last sentence. The early Christian martyrs surely exhibited a degree of heroism of which we know nothing, faced as they were with death by burning, by being sawed in half, by crucifixion, by being roasted in brazen bulls, by being torn apart by wild beasts, &c. There is nothing even approaching this level of vicious, organised persecution of Christians by the ruling powers in our time. At least, not yet.

 

[friardchips]

I don’t know any people from the Middle Ages.

People who believe that abortion, gay marriage, and contraceptives is right, people who support politicians who do, and people who don’t attend Sunday Mass, are not practicing Catholics.