Religion

Despite the attack on the church by philosophers of the time, most Europeans were Christian, and for most people, the church was central to their lives. The local church kept records of birth and deaths, ran the schools, and cared for the orphans. While many philosophers of the period preached religious toleration, heretics were burned alive as late as 1781. The Jews remained the most significant despised minority. They were restricted in their movements, usually forbidden to own land. Often they were massacred for very little cause. While many thinkers favored an acceptance of the Jews, most would accept the Jews only if they converted to Christianity.