the Church from the Godless heathens, (usually Muslims). At the same time that these crusaders (including the Rosicrucians) were saving peopleÆs souls, they found that there was a great deal of profit to be made from also saving their property. Most of this property which was ôsavedö by the Crusaders was turned over, for safe keeping, to the Catholic Church (Gies & Bunn, 1997).
The history of the Catholic Church is basically a history of Popes striving to control all aspects of human behavior. If, for instance, a person was having a problem of any sort, the church wanted that person to come to one of their priests for aide. And most Popes were terrified of those wiccans who used the Tarot, or the Ouija board, or any other method to determine a personÆs future, since this went against a basic teaching of the church. OneÆs future was predetermined. One would either go to hell, and live with Satan for committing any one of a number of ôsinsö (ôvenal sinsö -- those of the mind and spirit, or ôcarnal sinsö -- those of the flesh) or one would go to heaven. If one died and wasnÆt in a state of grace, one would go to purgatory. This was a predetermined route, and no options were allowed. And wiccans, who sometimes told people ôyou can live your life as you chooseö were considered a major threat to the church. The reason was more financial than spiritual. If a person thought that there were other choices to life, he or she might not be willing to turn some or all of their money over to the church.
Until the Tenth Century, Witchcraft was not a crime, and a witch could get in trouble only if he or she caused physical harm. And then in 906, a curious document appeared, called the Canon Episcopi, sponsored it is believed by Pope Clement, that discussed the evilness of witches for the first time. The church stated that
It is also not to be admitted that certain abandoned women perverted by Satan, seduced by illu...