Reformation

The Reformation:

In a nutshell the Pope was told to sod off when he asked for more money, and a Priest - Martin Luther (not of "I have a dream" fame ) looked at the theories behind the Roman Church and decided it was all bollocks.

More specifically this all has to do with Pope's special 'Pay as you Sin' policy. You could pay the church to get off having sinned (these were called indulgences - half an egg for wiping your knob on the cutains up to several kings ransoms for invading a country then claiming god told you to ... when the pope hadn't). The whole of the Renaissance was paid for by these. Bit like using a tobacco tax to pay for the NHS!

Led to all kind of religious unpleasantness. (see Religious wars)

For a deeper more meaningful insight please go too... [1]