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Waldenses

Twelve years ago today I married my best friend of 2 years.
In honor of that momentous and life-changing event, we're taking a vacation! By the time we get back next week, I should have pictures to show of the wonderful town of Valdese, NC. 
One of the things I love about my husband is that he loves history, which is quite funny considering I hated history in high school.
The town of Valdese was created by Italian immigrants, known as Waldensians, who were escaping religious persecution from the Catholic Church in Rome and France. Here's an interesting excerpt from a Catholic encyclopedia about them:
Among the doctrinal errors which they propagated was the denial of purgatory, and of indulgences and prayers for the dead. They denounced all lying as a grievous sin, refused to take oaths and considered the shedding of human blood unlawful. They consequently condemned war and the infliction of the death penalty.

Sorry for all the underlines, as I copied and pasted, but that also allows you to click on the word and it will take you to the source.  I don't agree with all their doctrines (vowing a life of poverty, divorcing a spouse once you convert in order to live a life of poverty and evangelism), but were it not for people like them, willing to acquire copies of the Scripture in their own language and determine for themselves what God's truth was, then the church as we know it today might not exist. I'm curious to see how much of their outdoor drama about their history includes religion, and to see how secular the town is.

So until next week, ciao!
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sara said…
Congratulations! Happy 12 years!!! :) Hope you have so much fun!
July 30, 2011 at 11:14 AM
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