Tioga Herald

Rick Steves’s Best of Europe. Very educational program about Europe. Have learned many things about Europe, such as the Burgundy area of France. Love the wine from this area. I learned how the soil makes the flavor of the wind. Makes sense, but had never thought about it before.

Learned about the 100-year war along the Dordogne River in France. Learned about force-feeding of geese to produce the precious livers for a pate which is delightful among many people.

My disappointment? When Mr. Steves described the Cathars who were wiped out entirely by genocide of the Roman Catholics, he described the Cathars as “heretical” Christians. He took on the “norm” of the Roman Catholic faith which is wrong. By speaking with this tone of face, he encourages Trump and MAGA folk plus the billionaire Christians of mega churches and Roman Catholic bishops and others in encouraging them to move forward with murder of the LGBTQ folk. I find this disgusting and repulsive.

First of all, the Cathars, like the LGBTQ today, are only 10% of the population. They are not a large enough portion to impact all. The LGBTQ know how to love fellow human beings and have fellow feeling for one another than most of the population. So, if 10% of the population can influence others about love one another, what the hell is wrong with that? They don’t FORCE people to believe what they do, but teach what true humanity is by means of example. Same as with Cathars.

Taking this one step forward, it is also important to recognize that the Cathars saw human beings in this manner. Materialism (love of money) as being evil and in opposition to the true Christianity taught by Jesus Christ: “love God… love your neighbor as yourself.” Love your self for who you are, not to be condemned by wicked ones who dwell on sin. Those who judge on the basis of sin are the lovers of money and materialism who wish to control the population so as to maintain their own materialistic values.

I would argue there are more passages in the scriptures which talk about love of money as being the root of all evil than about homosexuality. Jesus Christ became VIOLENTLY angered at the money changers in the temple for making “His father’s house a den of thieves.” Paul explains to Timothy that “love of money is the root of all evil.” Paul may have quoted a passage from Leviticus about “men sleeping with men,” but only to convince the Gentile pagan-worshiping crowds that having sex in the pagan temple is wrong. And a local Baptist church had a pastor caught having sex with a church woman on the pews of the church, but will condemn homosexuals who are recognized by another denomination.

In all these examples, the heretics are not people like the Cathars who chose humanism over materialism, but like the wealthy fat pigs and an oligarchy which resemble the “dukes, lords, popes, and bishops” of Medieval days (and beyond) who worked to control the masses by falsely proclaiming who are the heretics. Because after all, to have a “divine right,” as they claimed, they could not possibly be heretics. Which is the reason the Founding Fathers created the United States of America. Now. Stop the brainwashing that violence and guns are better than views about anti-vanity love and sex which are more civilized.

Mr. Steves. I think you need to re-think how you present some of the religious information because you have a tone of a homophobe who thinks gay folk are “heretics.” Get a life, Mr. Steves. We enjoy your documentary educational presentations otherwise.