Mid-term, free response #2

Beginning with the Renaissance, there was much conflict over religious policies throughout Europe. Catholic countries outlawed other religions, and forced their citizens to convert. Some by harsher means than others. Spain and England were always in the middle of this heated battle, from the reconquest, up until the crushing defeat of the Spanish Armada. Although the religions of Elizabeth I of England and Isabella I of Spain were constantly at war with each other, they both had the best interest in their people thinking that the sword was not the answer,and that God should be the basis of their reign.
Elizabeth I of England was Protestant by birth, but succeeded a Catholic queen. Her sister and predecessor Mary I was raised Catholic, and known for her cruelty towards Protestants. She earned the nickname Bloody Mary for burning nearly 300 Protestants at the stake. She wanted to convert England back to Catholicism. However, when Elizabeth took the throne upon Mary's death, her first order of business was to clean up the damage done by Mary. She stopped the executions based on religion, and enforced her Protestant policies by more amicable ways. She was the center of a religious war upon the execution of her Catholic cousin, Mary Stuart. The pope saw this as the execution of God's chosen queen of England, and sent Spain in to crush Elizabeth. England defeated the Spanish, and its citizens remained loyal to the Church of England.
Spain was not always a puppet of the pope, in his scheme to have every country become Catholic. After the Spanish reconquest, Ferdinand and Isabella wanted Spain to be Catholic, and drive out the Muslims. Isabella however, did not believe in religious persecutions, and wanted Spain to tolerate other religions. Her husband Ferdinand was not so tolerant. He forced everyone in Spain to convert to Catholicism, or to leave. He even appointed Tomas de Torquemada as head of the Spanish Inquisition to bring down anyone accused of not being Catholic. Isabella was opposed to all of this, but the king had final say. Today, many want Isabella to be canonized because of her actions, and faith.
Elizabeth and Isabella's tolerance showed that they only wanted what was best for their people. Isabella did not want executions based on religion, and neither did Elizabeth. Both queens believed that people of different religions, and beliefs could live together in peace. That dream was not true. Before the end of Elizabeth's reign, Spain attacked England. To make matters worse, the pope himself convinced Phillip I, the king of Spain at the time, to attack England because of the execution of a Catholic with a tie to the throne.
Both had similar policies. Even though they were of different religion, they wanted the persecutions to stop. Neither believed in burning at the stake, and opposed an Inquisition to bring people to trial for religious beliefs. Isabella and Elizabeth were both generally tolerant towards other religions, and their neighbors. However, what Elizabeth said, is what happened, and it was not so for Isabella. Isabella had a husband who had other ideas, and Elizabeth was single.