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In reply to the discussion: Christian leaders denounce Trump actions, warn of 'crisis of faith' [View all]Ol Janx Spirit
(902 posts)Despite the teachings of Jesus, it isn't pretty.
At its core, Christianity has been just another political movement wrapping itself in the text of a peaceful prophet.
And that political movement has been cruel more often than not in its quest to maintain power.
The evidence for this is voluminous, but the death of William Tyndale is a great way to highlight it:
William Tyndale was strangled and burned at the stake near Brussels on October 6, 1536, for heresy after translating the Bible into English. As a key Reformation figure, he defied authorities by producing the first English vernacular Bible directly from Greek and Hebrew. His last words were "Lord, open the King of England's eyes".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Tyndale
Many American churches use the translation of Tyndale in their services.
And there were dozens of wars of religion in Europe between roughly 1524 and 1648.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_wars_of_religion
These were a large influence on the creation of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution enshrining religious liberty in an effort to curb its influence in politics.
But historically, "a cruel and oppressive government" has often been the result of Christianity, not the thing it seeks to resist.
"I didn't expect a kind of Spanish Inquisition!" -- Monty Python "Spanish Inquisition" sketch.