This is the first of a series of blogs that outlines the origin of religious persecutions, the lead up to the development of the inquisition and it's decline.
Burning of heretics
This information was condemned by the cardinals and Inquisitors General at Rome. Their edict decreed that the contents were not to be read under the severest of penalties.
This information was condemned by the cardinals and Inquisitors General at Rome. Their edict decreed that the contents were not to be read under the severest of penalties.
Most people I interviewed showed little knowledge about the inquisition. The information they provided was sketchy and not altogether accurate. The cause for this lack of understanding is due to the particular way in which the inquisition was recorded. Information published about religious persecutions came strictly from a dogmatic perspective. The public was forbidden to discuss or write about such religious events. Individuals caught talking to those accused of being heretics were threatened with excommunication and often death.
Centuries before the Middle Ages, philosophers and Christians were hunted, tortured, and executed for refusal to practice the state impose religions. As the number of Christian groups grew, new laws were created to persecute anyone who didn’t observe the state religions. Books that were written and differed from state religions were ordered burned and anyone caught in possession or transcribing such documents were banned from the country and often executed.
The first Christians were Jews. Their refusal to worship idols of the state led to widespread persecutions by the Roman emperors. The Book of Judith written around 200 B.C., explained the story of God’s deliverance of the Jewish people who were persecuted because of their religion. It was recorded that Achior, the Ammonite general, spoke on behalf of Israel after he was captured by Holofernes, the invading general of Nebuchadnezzar. Achior informed Holofernes that he and his fellow Jews were descendants of the Chaldeans, an ethnic group who lived in Mesopotamia who journeyed to southeast Babylonia because they refused to follow the gods of their fathers - for they left the way of their ancestors. It was affirmed that Abraham, the founding father of the Covenant with God, suffered many persecutions because of his opposition to the idolatry of his country.
All the books that constitute the Old Testament were in existence in their present form at least by the year 100 BC, and were recognized as sacred writings during the time of Alexander the Great (330 BC). They were the sacred literature of the Jews, except for a small group of common people who had been recently deported to Babylon from their own country in 587 B.C. by Nebuchadnezzar II who was a Semitic leader. The Jews had returned to their city, Jerusalem and rebuilt their temple under Cyrus, a Persian conqueror who, in 539 B.C. overthrew Nabonidus, the last of the Semitic rulers in Babylon.
Philosophers were also persecuted. When Socrates was over seventy years old he was brought to a public trial and condemned to death for looking into the great mysteries of heaven and earth, and corrupting the minds of youth by offering more rational perceptions. The spreading of gossip against him led his judges to believe that he was prejudicing himself. When he was brought to trial several of his accusers were not named which led him to complain that it was like fighting a shadow. Not knowing who his accusers were made it impossible to prove his innocence. He maintained his innocence and said he did believe in a God. As proof of his belief, he bravely spoke to his judges saying: I will obey God rather than you and teach my philosophy as long as I live. After being condemned to death for impiety and atheism, he drank a draught of poison rather than allow the authorities to execute him.
The judges and accusers were members of the public. The priests had no share in the accusations or death of Socrates. Nor is there any evidence of their involvement in the affairs of the state. Religion was written in the constitution of the Athenian Government. One such law stated: Let it be a perpetual law and binding at all times, to worship our national gods and heroes publicly, according to the laws of our ancestors. No new doctrines could be introduced without incurring the penalty of death. When Socrates, pleaded in the Grand Council of Athens in 399 BC, it reminded them of the customs and practice of their ancestors. No toleration was permitted.
Legislators living in Sparta and surrounding area expelled foreigners and forbade their citizens from living in foreign lands because it was believed it would corrupt and weaken the civil laws.
The Galatian Christians, an independent branch of Christianity living in Galatia (now modern Turkey), was associated with a Jew and Roman Christian named Saul of Tarsus; later known as Saint Paul. In his Epistle, he mentioned other Christians came from different places and created divisions which caused the Galatian Christians to be persecuted because of the influence of immoralities. He believed the outsiders were enemies to Christianity; they raised perpetual disturbances and persecutions where-ever they came. He further wrote these outsiders might receive just punishment of their sins and be hereby prevented from doing further mischief. He spoke to his followers with great severity: If any man preaches any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. He taught the Christian religion was inadequate to salvation without circumcision and submission to the Jewish law and repeatedly pointed out; a man that is a heretic after the first and second admonition, must be rejected. Not being satisfied with his efforts to convert heretics, he informed his followers that he had received a message from Christ giving him the right to warn the churches against corruption and false teachers.
The Christians had become a threat to the whole system of ancient theology. Their increase in numbers led to stringent enforcement of pagan laws. Pliny, an author and philosopher, mentioned the Christians in his letter to Trajan, the Roman Emperor; all they acknowledged was that their crime consisted of meeting before daylight, sing a hymn to Christ as God, and take an oath that they would not commit any witchcraft, thefts, robberies, adultery, and other things. To prove his point, he examined two Christian virgins. It was reported that; although they were innocent in all respects, he only asked them if they were Christians. If they confessed, he would ask them the same question over and over again adding more threats each time. At the conclusion of his examination, he reported that he found nothing but a wicked and unreasonable superstition. Pliny believed their stubbornness and inflexible obstinacy deserved punishment and condemned them to death. Trajan, after commending Pliny for his actions, ordered those who were convicted of being Christians, be put to death unless they renounce the name Christian, and make a sacrifice to the gods. The persecutions were carried out by members of the public. It owed its rise to the religious zeal of Trajan, and justified by Pliny,
Nero 54 A.D. – 68 A.D. was the first Roman Emperor responsible for the public execution of the Christians. He made them his object of resentment and rage. It was believed he ordered the Christians to be executed because he wanted to clear himself of the blame for the burning Rome. He charged them with being enemies of the state and condemned them to death by various methods of cruelty. The Roman historian Suetonius 70 A.D. - 130 A.D., mentioned in his writings The Life of Nero, the Christians were a group of Jewish men who had embraced a new religion and under the curse of superstition. It was through hatred of the Christians that caused them to become victims of Nero. The persecutions ended after Nero’s death.
The persecutions were revived by Emperor Domitian in 81AD, but it did not last. He saw himself destined to guide the Roman Empire into a new era of brilliance. He ended the torture of Christians by writing an edict in their favor, and recalled individuals to whom he had banished.
Trajan, in 112 AD, began the third persecution. He ordered; not to seek out the Christians, but, if they were accused and convicted of being a Christian they would be put to death. On the other hand, if they show proof by denying Christianity and in worshipping state gods, a pardon would be given for their repentance. The Christians were publicly tortured; including crucifixions, beheadings, being stoned to death, and many other forms of murder..
Under Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius 86 AD – 161 AD, the Christians were persecuted in Asia and Greece. It occasioned Justin Martyr, a Christian apologist, to write letters to several of the civic leaders stating that they should create no new troubles to them. The method of promoting religion by cruelty and death owes its invention to public policy and craft. The priesthood thought fit to imitate the heathens but they never exceeded the pagans in rigor and severity.
Christians living in Asia were also persecuted. It was believed the persecutions were owed to some obscure imperial edicts whose origin was long forgotten. Although, there was suspicion that Antoninus Philosophus, successor to Pius in 142 AD, had covertly planned the torture and plunder of the Asian Christians.
Bishop Cyprian 201 AD, who lived during the last wave of persecutions described the conditions and behaviour of the Christians: It must be owned and confessed, that this outrageous and heavy calamity, which hath almost devoured our flock…hath happened to us because of our sins, since we keep not the way of the Lord, nor observe his heavenly command given to us for our salvation. Yet we do not the will of the Lord. Our principal study is to get money and estates. We follow after pride; we are at leisure for nothing but emulation and quarreling; and have neglected the simplicity of the faith. We have renounced this world in words only, and not in deed. Everyone studies to please himself, and to displease others.
According to Eusebius 260-339 AD, bishop, historian and theologian; it is an almost unheard of thing, that pious men were now persecuted and greatly distressed by new degrees throughout Asia; and that most impudent informers, who were greedy of other person’s substance, took occasion from the imperial edicts, to plunder others who were entirely innocent.
The persecutions under Emperor Diocletian 301-311 AD, was the last and bloodiest official persecution of the Christians. However, it did not destroy the Christian community. During the persecution of the later Roman emperors, the Christian religion became corrupt. Ambition, pride, and luxury prevailed among the clergy and other Christians which led Bishop Eusebius to write; the Christians had too much liberty. They grew negligent and slow at doing things. Many grew envious and blamed each other for wrong-doing; waging as it were, civil wars between themselves. The bishops quarreled with each other, were full of ambition, threatening, hate each other. and used their power like a tyrant. After 324 AD, Christianity became the preferred religion under the first Christian emperor, Constantine.
The Christian world cannot be blamed with the guilt of persecution. It was practiced long before Christianity came into existence. In fact, the Christians learned from the heathens. It was members of the public who gave the power to the Catholic Bishops to persecute those who refused to follow established Catholic Dogma. It was done by the authority of the civil laws, and employed lay people to execute the orders. The method of receiving payments and confiscation of goods from the accused had already been established by civic society and as a consequence, it made religion extremely profitable.
The inquisition was established to prevent individuals from separating from the Catholic Church. It was believed that such a person was wicked and had some kind of illness. The inquisition served as a warning that came from God to make the person think and reflect. The only cure was the destruction of the flesh, and by repentance and reformation, so that the spirit might be saved in the day of Christ.
Christian worship required proper persons to guide and regulate its affairs. Saint Paul said that Christ gave to apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, different offices according to the different state and condition of his church. As a result of St.Paul’s decree, the Apostles acquired extraordinary powers to perform the service to which they were called. - Larry Falls, Ed.D, ACS
Dr. Larry Falls is the author of When Sex Was Religion.
This article is the opinion of Dr. Falls. Questions and comments to Dr. Falls may be emailed to: larryflls62@gmail.com
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