The Dark One
Auror
Hmm, it seems a number of my points have been misconstrued. I didn't talk about the extent or impact of the inquisition at all, neither did I mention witches and NEVER would I regard the middle ages as unenlightened, being a passionate medievalist myself - my last published novel was a historical novel set in the C11 - a reinterpretation of the Bayeux Tapestry which culminated at Hastings. A major aspect of the book was try and show the medieval mind, which meant there was much of the ambience of magic, without there being any actual magic. People believed in magic - both ecclesiastic and non-ecclesiastic.
I merely mentioned the fact of the inquisition as an attempt to control non-orthodoxy - to wipe out non-ecclesiastical magical thinking, which had a huge impact even on church orthodoxy. (Creation of patron saints, incantation as prayer, transubstantiation etc)
To return, again, to the OP question - if you create a religion, it might be a good idea to create its antithesis also. Novels are all about conflict, after all.
I merely mentioned the fact of the inquisition as an attempt to control non-orthodoxy - to wipe out non-ecclesiastical magical thinking, which had a huge impact even on church orthodoxy. (Creation of patron saints, incantation as prayer, transubstantiation etc)
To return, again, to the OP question - if you create a religion, it might be a good idea to create its antithesis also. Novels are all about conflict, after all.