Anything that leads to murder should raise doubts about its legitimacy when put in service of so-called spiritual truth. That killing was done "for God" and yet didn't lead to a complete re-think about the theological "approach" to a relationship with God is simply insane. Yet this madness persists today. Every time a sermon is preached where someone says "the Bible says God says" the lie continues to be spread. The answer to all such claims is a loud "Says who?"
Listening to the BBC Radio 4 program In Our Time, hosted by the always wonderful Melvyn Bragg about Foxe's Book of Martyrs (1563) one story hit home -- hard! One of the show's contributors told the story of Perotine Massey, a Guernsey woman burned for heresy by the Roman Catholics. She gave birth while in the flames. The baby was tossed back into the fire after it burst from her burning stomach and landed -- alive -- at the feet of a soldier guarding the pire.
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