I admire the noble start of the RC church where the main source of financing the Vatican with all of its elaborate, fabulous works of art and buildings was from their sale of indulgences when they would issue a get out of purgatory certificates for various amounts of time after you die and the amount of time that they, the RCC, would grant you depended on how much you paid for these certificates.
I can't help admiring the outstanding ethical and moral example the RCC gave to the world with the issuing of these certificates, what a wonderful organisation.
Regards, ippy.
Well, at least the RCC eventually gave up on the sale of indulgences, once their bluff was called. Okay, it took till the 16th century for it to do so, probably because of the influence of Martin Luther and the Reformation. It might be argued that the latter was a mixed blessing, since it came along with the "Bible Only" doctrine, which in turn led to the barmy army of American fundamentalists of our day who are so influential in presidential elections (to name but one of the horrors they contribute massively to). Child abuse is of course rife in the "Bible Only" brigade (the Jehovah's Witnesses have an appalling record in this). Not to mention utter hypocrisy in regard to all kinds of sexual behaviour, which such fundi groups publicly condemn, whilst indulging in to excess in their private lives*.
It could be argued that in other respects The Reformation set social progress back several hundred years, since the "Bible Only" brigade were initially more anti-science than the Catholics were - but that's another argument.
*Check out the Reverend Ted Haggard, who had a notorious confrontation with Richard Dawkins. I don't know which is the more contemptible - Haggard's anti-evolution beliefs or his utter sexual hypocrisy (at least the latter might cause some amusement, and I certainly can't avoid a degree of Schadenfreude).
P.S. checking out the YouTube video of the above, someone has commented of Haggard's appearance "Lips made for meth pipes and fellatio".