Quote:
Originally Posted by prometheus
Islam started as a Christian heresy.
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I don't think that this is exact. However, after the first notices about the Islamic beliefs, the Church prompted to label it as a heressy, as it had many elements in common with the heressy of Arianism, to which most Eastern Germanics adhered.
Elements of Arianism also influenced to a lesser extent branches of Protestantism.
Arianism (or, rather, its remains) is central to understanding the acceptance of Islam in Spain, from 711 AD onwards.. and probably even before that date.
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'Dardanidae duri, quae uos a stirpe parentum
prima tulit tellus, eadem uos ubere laeto
accipiet reduces. Antiquam exquirite matrem:
hic domus Aeneae cunctis dominabitur oris,
et nati natorum, et qui nascentur ab illis.'
We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.