Any history "gurus" out there?

Question

I have to write an open response about whether King Henry VIII was or was not justified in splitting from the Catholic Church for my Honors World Civilization classes. The question reads:

"Evaluate the situation Henry VIII was in and explain 3 reasons why Henry VIII was/was not justified in splitting from the Catholic Church."

Can anyone give me pros and cons (or 3 reasons [either justified of unjustified]) about his decision to split?

Any help is appreciated.

=)

Answer 1

Try this site you should be able to get info

Answer 2

Pro : By splitting away from the Catholic Church and starting his own, He could do whatever he wanted without having to answer to anyone i.e. marrying Anne Boelyn

Con : The rest of Europe was on a different "page" and he was ex-communicated which put him "out of the loop"

I know tons more about King Henry VII but thats the only thing that could help you with your questions bYE

Answer 3

I personally believe he was not justified, this are the reasons why:

Unlike a free thinker, an independent mind or a revolutionary with more "altruistic" reasons, Henry VIII only chose to split from the catholic church for very personals reasons.

(Wanting to please his lover by divorcing his wife ).

He was willing to disregard the obvious consecuences of the loss of his country's religious equilibrium gaining the scorn of many including broken relations with SPAIN (Due to the detroned Queen Catherine) only because it interfered with his sexual and amorious plans, he wouldn't have taken such a drastic step for anyone else's "happines", such mundane and petty reasons (a pouting spoiled child-lover who just "had" to be queen) shouldn't have been reason enough for him to risk the lives and future of an entire country.

The split cannot also NOT be blamed on the joining of "soul mates' as Anne was also the brunt of the king's anger and was executed eventually, further proof that he acted out of pure selfishness and not true love's undomitable spirit.

The King's pursuit for a rightful male heir also contributed to the massacre of the catholic bishops that stood in his way or the women who where killed, when unable to produce a proper Heir they where sent way in disgrace (as Queen Catherine was) or simply beheaded like two of his other wives, again another selfish reason he used as an excuse for his murderous ways.

His egotism was profound, However his selfish reasons did change the world with innovative policies that have contributed to our now implemented: Separation of church and state, so, in other words, he just wanted some new nookie and his idea rippled throughout history.