Absolutism And Protestantism Research Paper

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Pages: 3

Religion
Catholicism and Protestantism
The two acknowledged religions in England during the early sixteenth century were Catholicism and Protestantism. The main religion had been Catholicism until the religious, political, and social movement known as the Reformation. The Reformation gave rise to Protestantism.
If a person did not practice Catholicism, which was the favored religion at the time, their punishment had the the ability to be imprisonment, torture, or execution.
Religion was highly valued among people and rulers at the time, Church attendance was even a legal requirement.

The Reformation
The Reformation began approximately November of 1516 when people such as Martin Luther began to ignite controversy surrounding the Catholic Church. This religious, political, and social rebellion occurred during the Elizabethan era. Reformers wanted a religious and political redistribution of power. This disruption caused wars between Catholics and Protestants as well as the systematic persecutions of
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However, Protestants believed that they should be in a language that even the ordinary “every-man” could understand.
Catholics believed that priests and the Pope had the ability to forgive sins through the sacrament of Reconciliation. However, it came at a price; gifts or a type of payment were often given to the church in return. Protestants believed that only God could forgive their sins and that the Catholic Church taking money from people to “have a place in heaven” was wrong.
The Catholics wanted lavish churches with shrines and statues to show their love and celebration of God. The Protestants however, believed in a more simplistic kind of worship, they kept the church simple to focus more on the messages present in the sermons.
There are very distinct differences between the two regarding the way religious worship is