And what do these things have in common? The rules about birth control and divorce and child abuse to say nothing of Inquisition? Cruelty and not even apologies for how it affects people. As in I am sorry Mrs. O'Reilly that you are 48 years old and having your 14th child due to the church's teaching. An ability to enforce cruel rules, that somehow the Protestants, knowing the bible much better than any of us, do not see as necessary parts of religion. I just happened to get a book about Roman gladiators out from the library and was reading about the cult of the gladiator and martyrdom etc...and I went oh goodness..that sounds like what I was told. How much of the catholic religion is based on things like the cult of the gladiator? How much was the result of Constantine and his mother?   I think we have to look at the whole entire picture now, spare no one, including His Holiness, and take out what is criminal to be sure, what hurts people, what is just plain unnecessary because Constantine's mother put it in there long ago and leave what is decent and necessary. And put the pretty songs and frankincense back in..they were never the problem. mg