Heh, mostly that religion is LESS influential than most people make it out to be. IE: If you don't have a few dukes on your side. . . you're nothing.
Which is, basically the same as saying if you don't have a Realm on your side, you're nothing.
Which, if we use the Vatican as an example is REALLY not at all how it worked. The Anglicans only got away with it because they were VERY far away - failing that real nations were bullied around by faiths and religions for the mere threat of religious repercussions, or not being of the right "faith".
No Faith I've ever seen (except maybe SA, who really is an abnomally) has any kind of power even relating to the level of the Anglican, Orthodox, or Catholic Church, Islam, or Hindu faith in being able to alter how entire nations function.
Reallly, unless you have a Realm or a few dukes . . . any faith at best is an annoyance if you don't like it, generally just the sound of a gnat.
Yes but as Tom said in that other thread, Religions in BM are not supposed to correlate to the dominant religions of our world. Had at any time the powerful nobility of ALL catholic realms decided to leave it, then what power would it really have had? A religions power in the game is meant to be tied to the power of the faithful nobles, so yes for a religion to influence politics it is probably going to need the support of Dukes and/or rulers.
Also with respect to the Vatican, it certainly was not all powerful all the time, the Avignon Papacy was pretty much under the control of the french crown before Gregory XI returned to Rome. Throughout history the Papacies control over secular matters waxed and waned and was challenged by European monarchs. Pope Boniface VIII was even arrested by the French Crown to be put on trial for sodomy, simony, sorcery, and heresy.
