Okay - in your World History classes, you all should have probably learned about indulgences, right? Well, I do believe in our text book that indulgences are defined as "purchased pardons for punishment from sin" or something extremely similar to that. Our book said that the Catholic Church sold indulgences to people for money so that they would be pardoned from sin. That is very incorrect. The Catholic Church DID NOT sell indulgences. Well, I shall be honest - surely there were some people who took advantage of the indulgences and did get money, but the Catholic Church had not intended to do that. Those people were crummy poop-heads. Shame on them! Anyway, our book taught 100+ students that the Catholic Church practically tricked people into paying them money so that they could be relieved of some of their sins. Some unlearned non-Catholics believed that they were licenses to sin! I am setting the record straight by typing this. I read a part of a book today called Father Smith Instructs Jackson (<-- that should be underlined). It said that the indulgences were received by worthily receiving Holy Communion and Confession. That was a type of penance, which WOULD (as it was and is believed) shorten their time in purgatory. (Think about it - Confession... forgiving sin...) Now some people did DONATE money to the Church, but the Church (the true Church - NOT people like John Tetzel) did NOT SELL INDULGENCES!! Our history book is wrong!!! And a short thing about the Spanish Inquistion - NOBODY KNOWS HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE KILLED, so nobody can say that "95 million people were killed" or "more people were killed during the Spanish Inquisition than any war in history, such as the Civil War". Hobos... Sheesh. Maybe you don't know what I'm talking about, but our history book is wrong!!! It's wrong! It's wrong!! It's wrong!!! If you don't believe me, then I can SHOW you the book that I got this information from! And honestly... I'll give you fair warning - you probably wouldn't want to talk to me about religion b/c everything the Catholic Church believes has been proved by either the Bible or actual appearances of Jesus or Mary. For example, Mary has appeared to people and told them that she is the Immaculate Conception. I cannot remember the Saint's name, but there was a male Saint (somebody Diego??) that Mary appeared to and gave the medal of the Immaculate Conception to him!! Come on people - if you don't have the faith to believe in the actual appearances, then... I'm sorry for you... And if you don't believe that the Eucharist bled at Mass, then - once again - I'm sorry for you. And if you don't believe that Jesus started his Church on earth and made Peter the shephard of his flock and that that church was a church that we have today (the Catholic Church), then I would encourage you to do some research. The more you read up on it, then more you'll understand where my faith comes from. Oh so many of you disagree with my statement that Jesus started the Catholic Church. Just do some research. I'm reading the Bible this summer. I've already decided. I'm going to read it and make notes of what I read. This is the time in my life where I am going to look back on and say, "That was when I opened my eyes and really had true faith in the Catholic Church. That was when I KNEW that the Catholic Church was where I belonged." Now I don't plan on becoming a nun. In fact, I don't want to become a nun. I will do as God wills. I have always wanted to become a successful veterinarian, marry a Catholic, and have many wonderful children. Unfortunately, not all of that may happen. But whatever does happen happens. Makes sense, eh? Well, I need to go to bed b/c I'm playing in the freshmen game tomorrow at Slade at 12:00. We're playing Conroe. We'd better win! Goodnight, everyone! God bless you.