I find it interesting that during the Middle Ages the Catholic Church actually

I find it interesting that during the Middle Ages the Catholic Church actually prevented lay people from reading the Bible. In fact, possession of a Bible written in the vernacular was a crime punished by burning at the stake. The Church maintained that only it was fit to receive the "Word". Consequently, it tried and fairly successfully maintained its' status as sole spiritual authority for a thousand years.
- Roderick W. Marling, CHRISTIANITY 101