Was Reformation Beginning of the End for Christianity?

[Horatio Nelson]

Do you think the reformation stripping the church of power caused people to think they could do whatever they wanted religiously, in turn paving the way for modern society?

[Stronk Serb]

Sort of, but the Enlightement really paved the way for the modern society. Austrian emperor Joseph II made a decree of religious freedom, which helped stabilize the empire because there were no religious revolts. It's a good thing because schools opened and even women were educated. At least in families who could afford a private teacher. Serbs in the Austrian empire benefited from those reforms.

[Gamma Male]

I think the real beginning of the end of Christianity was the dawn of the information age and Internet and cable TV.

It used to be if kids had questions about religion they had to go to their parents or friends or pastor, but now they can just go on the Internet and they have access to ideas like atheism that they never would've heard of before.

[Horatio Nelson]

I think the real beginning of the end of Christianity was the dawn of the information age and Internet and cable TV.

It used to be if kids had questions about religion they had to go to their parents or friends or pastor, but now they can just go on the Internet and they have access to ideas like atheism that they never would've heard of before.

True, but what I meant was, do you think Luther's and Calvin's actions made people realize the papacy was not as powerful as they thought?

Because we can both agree that the Catholic Church "ran the world" during it's time in power.

[Stronk Serb]

I think the real beginning of the end of Christianity was the dawn of the information age and Internet and cable TV.

It used to be if kids had questions about religion they had to go to their parents or friends or pastor, but now they can just go on the Internet and they have access to ideas like atheism that they never would've heard of before.

The Enlightement in which religious freedoms were introduced after a long time paved the way for scientific and other discoveries. After that the amount of scientofic discoveries skyrocketed.

[Miserabilia]

Do you think the reformation stripping the church of power caused people to think they could do whatever they wanted religiously,

Well that logicaly follows

in turn paving the way for modern society?

Well, paving the way sounds like it's the direct (and only) cause/origin of modern society or atleast a very important factor.
I don't like to see it as that.
I think society was already changing, which in turn caused the reformation stripping the church of power.

[TheN3rdyOutcast]

It wasn't the beginning or the end, it was the beginning of the end of the hur h's oppressive power over the people, and the end of the beggining of a mostly atheistic, agnostic and apatheistic society.