Urban Seduction: Housewives Club

Ophelia smiled playfully at Meyer, whose pretty face showed a hint of pleading.

"Alright, I won't push you!" Ophelia finally relented out of sisterly affection, casting a sideways glance at Eric, who seemed oblivious, before changing the subject, "What is it that you need?"

Grateful for Ophelia's leniency, Meyer smiled but didn't dwell on it, getting straight to the point, "We need a new place to stay where we won't be disturbed. As a local, I'm sure you can help with that."

"No problem!" Ophelia replied without hesitation, "There are guest rooms at the church in Jelin's city center. You can stay there, and we can be together more easily. That's where I'm staying during my visit to Jelin..."

"Church?" Eric's brows furrowed slightly.

"What's wrong?" Perhaps due to Meyer's earlier jabs, Ophelia didn't use formal speech with Eric. She tilted her head slightly and asked in a friendly but not frivolous tone, "Is there a problem, Eric?"

Leotis, feeling ignored for too long, chimed in, "Mr. Eric, the church in Jelin might not match the luxury of a five-star hotel, but the environment is elegant. Staying there will be much more comfortable than a presidential suite in a five-star hotel! Most importantly, you won't be disturbed by outsiders there..."

Eric didn't look at the winking Leotis; he just stared at Meyer.

Meyer ignored Leotis's ambiguous remarks and explained to the puzzled Ophelia, "We had a misunderstanding with the Vatican, so it's not convenient for us to stay in a church."

"The Vatican?" Ophelia frowned slightly, "Do you mean the one in Rome?"

"Of course."

"Then it's no problem!" Ophelia smiled brightly, "Our churches in Denmark worship God and Jesus, but have nothing to do with the Vatican!"

"That's right!" Meyer clapped her hands, "I almost forgot. You, Danes, follow 'Protestantism.' Although not enemies with the Vatican's Catholicism, you rarely interact..."

"Aren't Catholicism and Christianity the same?" Eric asked, puzzled and confused.

"They're different!" Meyer shook her head and explained, "Catholicism is just the largest branch of Christianity; it's not synonymous with Christianity. The 'Christianity' in Denmark is a branch within the broader context of Christianity, commonly referred to as 'Lutheranism.'"

"Meyer, you got it wrong!" Ophelia corrected seriously, "'Lutheranism' is what outsiders call our denomination. Within our church, we believe we follow the true Christianity, while those in the Vatican are self-serving interpreters of God's teachings..."

"Yes, yes. I misspoke. You're not Lutheran; you're Christian..." Meyer placated Ophelia while looking at Eric.

"I understand," Eric nodded, "It's like the difference between Tantric and Zen Buddhism..."

Meyer smiled, about to agree, but Ophelia interjected, "No, it's completely different..."

"Oh?" Eric raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Probably intending to educate them, Ophelia eagerly began her explanation, "As you might know, since the 6th century, all of Europe was under the control of the Vatican. Whether it was the change of kings or the implementation of national policies, everything needed the Vatican's approval. Back then, the Vatican was incredibly powerful, unmatched in the world..."

"I've heard about this," Eric nodded, "I believe France was controlled by a cardinal named Richelieu during a certain period, and there's a movie called 'The Three Musketeers' that tells this story..."

"Exactly!" Ophelia smiled, "It wasn't just France. During the Middle Ages, all of Europe was under the Vatican's shadow. The Vatican's influence permeated the entire social system of Europe. However, the ruling classes in Europe weren't content with being restrained.

After centuries of effort, they finally established centralized princely rule in the late 15th century, significantly weakening the Vatican's power. It was during this 'weak period' of Catholicism that we, who inherited the true teachings of God, could spread Christianity rapidly among the common people, creating a significant impact.

With decades of accumulation, by the 1520s, the prophet Martin Luther initiated the Reformation in Germany, officially establishing the denomination and developing followers.

In just a century, Christianity swept across Northern Europe, becoming the state religion of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and other countries, standing toe-to-toe with Catholicism..."

"I remember that Catholicism had an institution called the 'Inquisition,' which was specifically designed to suppress non-Catholic believers. Why didn't they target you?" Eric paused and then added, "Even if the Vatican's power was weakened in the sixteenth century, with their years of accumulation, dealing with a new sect like yours shouldn't have been too difficult."

"The Inquisition targeted heretics, while we are a 'brother' sect that also worships God and Jesus. Even if some Catholic leaders saw the threat we posed, they couldn't deploy the Inquisition against us!"

"Why not?"

A hint of pride flashed in Ophelia's eyes, "The Inquisition holds a very special status. Although funded by the Vatican, it doesn't follow the Pope's orders.
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The inquisitors are the most devout followers of God, spending their days in prayer and practice, ignoring all else.

However, when they do act, it's a fight to the death. Fortunately, they only target those who question or blaspheme God. They are very kind to 'Christians' who share the same faith, regardless of whether they are Catholics. Many inquisitors later converted to our Christianity."

"Oh?" Eric asked curiously, "What is your Christian doctrine? For it to cause such staunch believers to 'defect,' it must have some outstanding qualities, right?"

"We believe that all humans are sinful and cannot save themselves and that salvation comes from God's grace. The biggest debate between us and Catholicism is how to obtain this grace."

"Tell me about it."

Perhaps intending to convert Eric to Christianity, Ophelia enthusiastically explained, "Catholicism teaches that in addition to faith, one must also rely on rituals like Mass and receive 'salvation' through the clergy.

However, we believe that this approach, where the Church mediates God's grace, violates the teachings of the Bible and brings many disadvantages. It gives the clergy an undue sense of superiority, which is detrimental to spreading God's light.

We believe that the true path to salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ, with direct prayer allowing believers to unite with God. When this happens, God's salvation naturally manifests in the believers."

Eric nodded, understanding the fundamental difference between Christianity and Catholicism—the former deliberately downplays the distinction between clergy and ordinary believers, while the latter emphasizes the special status of the clergy.

Seeing Eric agree with her, Ophelia grew even more excited and continued, "In addition to believing that every believer can become a priest, we Christians also hold that the Bible has supreme authority. Every believer can understand God's revelation and truth through reading the Bible.

While Catholicism acknowledges the authority of the Bible, it reserves the right to interpret it to the Church, concentrating all religious authority in the Vatican and the Pope. This is highly criticized, as no mortal, even the Pope, has the right to interpret or comment on God's teachings."

Eric nodded again, showing a hint of admiration for Christianity in his eyes.

Seeing Eric's reaction, Ophelia was thrilled and moved closer, "So, Eric, how about joining us Christians? I can be your sponsor!"

Eric was slightly taken aback, not expecting such an offer from Ophelia. He turned his head to look at Meyer.

Before Meyer could speak, Ophelia misunderstood, "Don't worry, Eric. We Christians do not practice celibacy. Even clergy can marry..."

Ophelia's eagerness made Meyer chuckle, prompting her to tease, "Olivia, are you implying to Eric that you, as a Christian knight, are also available for marriage?"

"What are you talking about?" Ophelia rolled her eyes dramatically, "I'm just making sure Eric doesn't misunderstand that joining us means he can't enjoy your charms!"