From Ken Smith on Usenet, 28th March 2009:

You can count me among those Christians who, like Rowland, refuse to lend indiscriminate support to some other Christians.

Would it pour oil on troubled flames if I mentioned Northern Ireland? Which only exists as something separate from Eire because the rabid Protestants refused to be part of the Irish Free State whenit was set up in the 1920s.

Or the Inquisition?

Or Serbia, where for centuries the Catholics, Orthodox and Muslims were at each others throats (literally).

And how about some modern-day fundamentalists who cheerfully sing

Faith of our fathers, living still,

in spite of dungeon, fire and sword.

just before listening to a sermon ranting against Roman Catholicism. They are quite ignorant that the author was RC and had in his mind, as well as the early church, the centuries of oppression RCs suffered in England.

Are you even aware that until the late 19th century the universities of Oxford and Cambridge were closed to all except communicant members of the Church of England?

I could go on and on about this. People who criticise people like Rowland should go and read a lot of church history, and discover that Rowland is quite mild compared to some prominent people of the past.