Re: Odd FT Idea

In a message dated 98-07-02 08:56:36 EDT, Jon writes:

<< > Could it not be feasible that by this point, the RCC would be
rather
 > powerful?  The NAC is probably heavily Protestant/Episcopal, The ESU
is
 Not necessarily true.	A large proportion of Uk residents are catholic
- and
the IR is one of 
 the most catholic nations on the planet. Whether the church has any
secular
power is a 
 different issue to this but the UK is a significantly catholic country,
more
as you head 
 north. I think it would depend on how much power you think the Royal
Family
represents 
 within the NAC - since technically the RCC and the Brit Royal Family
don't
have a great 
 history together..  >>

Actually, I was looking at the NAC in terms of both the Isles and the
North
American Continent.  I think that with all those populations taken into
account, it would be more heavily Protestant, but I dunno for sure.  If
the
NAC is supposed to include Mexico as well, I think that my calculations
could
be off.  Thanks for the info about the Isles - lots I still don't know.

As far as the Vatican Fleet, that the Vatican State(s?) is a separate
political entity makes this a little more feasible, if in a slightly
different
nature than I had previously assumed.  How about a medium-to-large fleet
of
smaller (cruiser or below) fast multipurpose ships, less heavily armed
than
line-of-battle units, but still able to take care of themselves. 
Purpose:
frontier ministry & assistance (Red Cross-ish), communication,
scientific
research (Church as knowledge repository), protection of loyal frontier
worlds; it might be worth it to a smaller colony to close ties to the
Church
in order to receive some measure of protection and support.  These ships
are
something that you would see buzzing around the frontier, but less so in
the
Core areas.

I've thrown this idea out because I think that as we (humanity) expand,
religion may become more important to us than we might expect.	And it's
an
interesting political entity, with a different slant & motives.

As far as the UN, I tend to envision a LARGE fleet of really powerful
ships,
with some crack troops available (all Powered Armor & Individual Power
Weapons, IIRC).  All of the ships painted a nice bright white, with
robin's-
egg blue insignia.  NOT something you want to see on the table in any
number.

Noah V. Doyle