[Binkie]

More about being ignorant? ... So what? They had access to the information? I guess there were Americans who were in Boston too that were totally ignorant of the Revolution back in 1776? Local laws are one thing (hell... for the longest time I didn't know it was illegal here to walk backwards on Grant St while eatting a doughnut in city), but revolution is a little hard to ignore. Especially in urban areas, where it's not only being recruited for, it's being fought. I suppose there were ignorant folks in Tehran too that had absolutely no idea that the Shah was being overthrown back in '79 too?

I know that A.) they were in rural areas, and B.) they weren't entirely too active in the political arena, due to the fact they didn't have a clue what was going on half the time. Especially with their own religion. Why? Catholocism was banned from broadcast in '81. Not a whole lot had TVs in the first place out in these areas, but it was the one way they did keep in touch with the Catholic Church. So what was that programing replaced with? State run crap that involved camera crews traveling around with police when they just happened to stumble across, of all things, Catholic priests doing questionable things under fishy circumstances. Yeah, I'd say they weren't too in touch with the otherside.

You're the one who keeps bringing up LT, a belief that the Vatican condemned not once (1984), but twice (1986). It was too close to Marxism, officials said, which only contained a "kernal of truth" (according to John Paul II). And in fact, John Paul II again condemned clergy members who supported the FSLN in Nicaragua when he visited Managua. So you can tie it in on the local level to some degree, but not to the Vatican, or for that matter, the Catholic Church as whole.

I'll ask you to check into this information - unless you want me to come back with a list of official quotes and sources. The Vatican did indeed condemn Liberation Theology and support for the FSLN, not only through John Paul II, but the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF). So priests who did actively oppose the FSLN were actting on orders from Rome. So yes, take a moment to look over your facts again.

They called on the assassinations of government employees? So when did Archbishop Miguel Obando, President of the Department for Religious of the Latin American Bishops’ Conference at the time, ever call for the assassination of anyone associated with the FSLN? Again, I already cited the worse thing some of these church officials did against the FSLN, which was to protest against unlawful arrests, not call for assassinations. The laywers that were also arrested for trying to legal defend these detentions? I know they certainly didn't do anything of the sort either. So don't try to sell me on different information, especially since I'm pretty sure you can't name the people I'm refering to. Not if you're only going off of once source of information.

Yes, I stated that they fanned the flames, which they did, but did I say they started the fire? No. But again, that's part of my over-all point (not what I was saying your quote directly asserted), which has simply been that there was obvious conflict between the Catholic Church and the FSLN durring the 80s. So yeah, what I said that quote supported was one of the quotes I brought up from Daniel Ortega, himself. That quote was:

"The conflict with the church was strong, and it cost us, but I don't think it was our fault ... There were so many people being wounded every day, so many people dying, and it was hard for us to understand the position of the church hierarchy [who refused to condemn the Contras]."

I urge you to look into other sources as well for information on Nicaraguan relations with the Roman Catholic church as well while you're diving for information. Going off of just one source isn't always the best thing to do. I mean, hell, I've gone off of maybe 20. But yeah, if you're able to find a verifiable source, I'll concede that point in a heartbeat. I was just not able to find it. :P