Mining companies, secular governments, mercenary armies, oil companies, communists, cubans, islamists, englishmen, voodoo whackjobs and many other sorts of charmers all persecute/d people in africa. Singling out the catholic church on that basis is bonkers.

OK, lots of groups are important for promoting ‘social cohesion’ in africa – singling out the church is bonkers.

Mining companies, secular governments, mercenary armies, oil companies, communists, cubans, islamists, englishmen, voodoo whackjobs and many other sorts of charmers all persecute/d people in africa. Singling out the catholic church on that basis is bonkers.

I dont see many coming to the defense of some of the outrageous practices of this motley crew!

Indeed. The church does a lot of good and some (a lot of?) harm. Mercenary armies do lots of harm and no good. I regret that I do not see how this advanceas your argument significantly.

Grumm – I do not for a moment suggest that the church is the only or main force for social cohesion in africa and am not singling it out.

🙂

Well you did, in just the same way as I ‘singled it out’ for encouraging people to torture kids.

I do not agree, but I fear we are not assisting the broader argument by debating this point.