PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME ):

Which of the following explanations best interprets the meaning of the following sentence? "The church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion."

a) The church was simply a common tool used by people.
b) Popular opinion had a great deal of influence on the church.
c) The principles and ideas of society needed to be reformed.
d) The church did not just reflect what was happening in society.

Question

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME ):

Which of the following explanations best interprets the meaning of the following sentence? "The church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion." 

a) The church was simply a common tool used by people. 
b) Popular opinion had a great deal of influence on the church. 
c) The principles and ideas of society needed to be reformed. 
d) The church did not just reflect what was happening in society.

anonymous · Answer

d) for sure

anonymous · Answer

It's like a paraphrase. The church is still the church in d), but the part about "did not just reflect" matches up to "was not merely a thermometer". The part about reflecting what was happening in society matches up to the part about soaking in popular ideas and opinions. It's quite clear if you look closely.