The inquisition was a
series of trials held in the 16th century questioning writers,
philosophers, and peasants who spoke of god in a manner that was not Catholic.
This was during the Renaissance period and it was a great time of reformation
of religion. People began to live openly on their own independent religious or
spiritual beliefs. I find it interesting how the book expresses at this early
time period “anyone who questioned religious doctrine” was commonly called
Lutheran. Lutheran is now a religion practiced by many people. Noel Journet
questioned The Book of Moses in the Bible claiming he could not have written
the Book of Deuteronomy because it talks about his death. He claimed it was a
“fable”. The Inquisition burned him with his books. Menocchio was a peasant. He became mayor of
his village. He spoke of the air being God. He explained God was made up of
different combinations of things and how people perceive them. He felt it was
impossible for the Virgin Mary to give birth to baby Jesus. There were many
secret Lutheran groups. Geneva was a town where people could openly express
their religious beliefs. Menocchio was sentenced to solitary confinement for years.
Bruno was a priest who spoke of the position of bodies being relative to one
another. He was accused of having an outrageous scientific theory. He believed
God was “the same thing as the universe, and the world as we know it”. He was
thrown in a dungeon for six years. He then attacked the professors for mocking
his ideas and he was burned at the stake. By the end of the 16th
century the king had his Catholic noblemen kill about “100 reformed church
friends and family members”. He feared what they might do. It started more
killings by Catholics that grew to 3000 people.
Fact: What term was used commonly by people to
describe anyone who questioned the religious doctrine? Lutheran
Discussion: The king having killed because people
had reformed from the Catholic religion and were independent is a prime example
of how someone can use religion to gain power over large masses of people. Do
you think the trials would have ended in death if they were more evolved? Or do
you think the idea of having power and control over people by killing the
accused would have been more important? We must live under a system that
operates for the better of society. I think exceeding the limitations of power
by denying people of their rights and their freedom is reversing the idea of
evolving into a better life for society.
I had added this last Thursday and it was deleated from the blog or I just cannot find it on the March blog.
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