The church used interdicts and excommunication to maintain power over the people?

Answer 1

Yes. There is no doubt about this. Just about all religious scholars agree that such heavy-handed methods occurred expressly for the purpose of controlling the masses through fear and intimidation.

Technically speaking, excommunication still occurs to this day. In the past half century, the noted theologian, Hans Kung, was excommunicated for his views, some of which were quite critical of the Catholic Church hierarchy.

Answer 2

because if you where excommunicated back in the middle ages you where not able to do anything with the church therefor you could not receive the seven sacrament's, and if you didn't receive one of the sacraments before death, you where believed to go to hell.

Answer 3

Is that a question or a statement?

Are you inquiring about a particular church?

I cannot answer for others as to WHY they excommunicate; but I can respond to the basic purpose for the concept of excommunication.

The concept of 'Excommunication' has different forms. It is an acceptable form of punishment & discipline for wrongdoing. It's a custom which stretches beyond the Bible.

There are some indigenous tribes; and also some American Indian tribes; who use what they call 'banishment.'

Following are a few examples of tribes, councils, and Judges who have policies, and have ruled on the legality and benefits of 'banishment'.

· Atlanta Journal-Constitution Dec 11, 2003 "Municipal judge gets creative with sentencing" (Atlanta City Court Judge Gary Jackson)

· Dec 7, 2003 StarTribune Minneapolis / St. Paul "Indian tribes using banishment to handle troublemakers"

· The Bellingham Herald Dec 11, 2003 "COMMUNITY: Council has begun process of disenrolling and banning convicted crack dealer"

· The Associated Press Monday, November 24, 2003 - Page updated at 12:00 A.M. Seattle Times (Regarding an Alaskan Superior Court Judge Peter Michalski.)

While Banishment can be misused; basically it does serve a beneficial purpose in society.

ALSO: The Court system of most countries allows for a very rigid form of 'banishment'. They can impose 'a prison sentence'. People are placed in metal cages with bars, or a solid metal door. The purpose is to keep them away from the public; perhaps due to their violent personality. This form of punishment is acceptable to the general public, for their safety.

Some religions also take this concept seriously.

Jehovah's Witnesses for example practice 'disfellowshipping'. While other religions permit smokers, gamblers, adulterers, etc to remain in good standing in their churches; Jehovah's Witnesses try to maintain a semblance of purity and cleanness in their congregations. They do not 'banish'. They do not 'excommunicate'. They do not separate families by putting someone in a cage. They simply do not have 'fellowship' with flagrant law breakers until such persons repent and change. Often it is just such a serious stand, that causes such persons to rethink their conduct, and moves them to make the needed changes, so as to enjoy close 'fellowship' again. Many have expressed appreciation for their having been disfellowshipped. Still others return 30 or 40 years later after having lived the life they chose; and having become fed-up with it.

Answer 4

When a king was excommunicated, it was likely that anyone who had made an oath to him was excused from fulfilling that oath, any nation that had a treaty with his was freed from that treaty, anyone who had a claim on his throne was encouraged to exercise that claim, and any enemy had a licence to invade. Troubles such as these made it necessary for Emperor Henry IV of the Holy Roman Empire to use his energies and resources defending himself, and were so difficult for King John of England that he made himself a vassal of the pope as part of being welcomed back into the Church. Excommunication was a real problem for a king, unless his subjects just did not care and his position was secure, and the first English monarch who could really act without fear of it was Henry VIII.

Answer 5

Interdicts were a way for the church to restrict religious services and sacraments in a specific region or among certain individuals as a form of punishment or control. Excommunication, on the other hand, was a severe penalty that involved cutting off an individual from the church community, denying them access to the sacraments and potentially putting their soul in jeopardy. Both practices were used by the church to assert its authority and enforce obedience among the faithful.

Answer 6

sure