Besides burning people at the stake, what else has Christianity ever done that was good for people?

Question

In 1184, the Synod of Verona legislated that burning was to be the official punishment for heresy. This decree was later reaffirmed by the Fourth Council of the Lateran in 1215, the Synod of Toulouse in 1229, and numerous spiritual and secular leaders up through the 17th century.

Witch trials became increasingly popular through the 14th and 15th century in Scotland, Spain, England, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany. It is estimated that up to four million convicted witches and heretics were burned at the stake during this time.

Among the best known convicted heretics to be executed by burning were Jan Hus (1415), Joan of Arc (1431) and Giordano Bruno (1600).

Contrary to popular history, none of the executions in the Salem witch trials were carried out by burning, but rather by hanging (and in one case, by pressing under stones).

During the reign of Queen Mary in England (1553-1558), some two hundred and seventy seven people were burnt at the stake for heresy ...

Really, biased. I was not, and my people were not, the ones with torches and bonfires roasting heretics.

Protestants killed too and often burnt their victims to death. Pointing the finger at just the Catholics does not work here.

Answer 1

324 The emperor Constantine sacks the Oracle of the god Apollo and tortures the pagan priests to death. He also evicts all non-Christian peoples from Mount Athos and destroys all the local Hellenic temples.

335 Constantine sacks many pagan temples in Asia Minor and Palestine and orders the execution by crucifixion of “all magicians and soothsayers.” Martyrdom of the neoplatonist philosopher Sopatrus.

341 Constantius II (Flavius Julius Constantius) persecutes “all the soothsayers and the Hellenists.” Many gentile Hellenes are either imprisoned or executed.

354 A new edict of Constantius orders the destruction of the pagan temples and the execution of all “idolaters”. First burning of libraries in various cities of the empire.

359 In Skythopolis, Syria, the Christians organise the first death camps for the torture and executions of the arrested non-Christians from all around the empire.

364 Emperor Jovian orders the burning of the Library of Antioch. An Imperial edict (11th September) orders the death penalty for all those that worship their ancestral gods or practice divination. Three different edicts (4th February, 9th September, 23rd December) order the confiscation of all properties of the pagan temples and the death penalty for participation in pagan rituals, even private ones.

370 Valens orders a tremendous persecution of non-Christian peoples in all the Eastern Empire. In Antioch, among many other non-Christians, the ex-governor Fidustius and the priests Hilarius and Patricius are executed. The philosopher Simonides is burned alive and the philosopher Maximus is decapitated. Tons of books are burnt in the squares of the cities of the Eastern Empire.

372 Valens orders the governor of Minor Asia to exterminate all the Hellenes and all documents of their wisdom.

373 The term “pagan” (pagani, villagers, equivalent to the modern insult, “peasants”) is introduced by the Christians to demean non-believers. The non-Christians are called “loathsome, heretics, stupid and blind”. In another edict, Theodosius calls “insane” those that do not believe to the Christian God. The Christian priests lead the angry mob against the temple of goddess Demeter in Eleusis and try to lynch the hierophants Nestorius and Priskus.

381 At the Council of Constantinople the 'Holy Spirit' is declared 'Divine' (thus sanctioning a triune god). On 2nd May, Theodosius deprives of all their rights any Christians who return to the pagan religion. Throughout the Eastern Empire the pagan temples and libraries are looted or burned down.

385 to 388 Thousands of innocent pagans from all sides of the empire suffer martyrdom in the notorious death camps of Skythopolis.

389 to 390 Hordes of fanatic Christian hermits from the desert flood the cities of the Middle East and Egypt and destroy statues, altars, libraries and pagan temples, and lynch the pagans. Theophilus, Patriarch of Alexandria, starts heavy persecutions against non-Christian peoples, turning the temple of Dionysius into a Christian church, burning down the Mithraeum of the city, destroying the temple of Zeus and burlesques the pagan priests before they are killed by stoning. The Christian mob profanes the cult images.

392 On 8th November, Theodosius outlaws all the non-Christian rituals and names them “superstitions of the gentiles” (gentilicia superstitio). New full scale persecutions are ordered against pagans. The Mysteries of Samothrace are ended and the priests slaughtered. In Cyprus the local bishop “Saint” Epiphanius and “Saint” Tychon destroy almost all the temples of the island and exterminate thousands of non-Christians.

395 Two new edicts (22nd July and 7th August) cause new persecutions against pagans. Rufinus, the eunuch Prime Minister of Emperor Flavius Arcadius directs the hordes of baptised Goths (led by Alaric) to the country of the Hellenes. Encouraged by Christian monks the barbarians sack and burn many cities (Dion, Delphi, Megara, Corinth, Pheneos, Argos, Nemea, Lycosoura, Sparta, Messene, Phigaleia, Olympia, etc.), slaughter or enslave innumerable gentile Hellenes and burn down all the temples. Among others, they burn down the Eleusinian Sanctuary and burn alive all its priests (including the hierophant of Mithras Hilarius).

399 With a new edict (13th July) Flavius Arcadius orders all remaining pagan temples, mainly in the countryside, be immediately demolished.

401 The Christian mob of Carthage lynches non-Christians and destroys temples and “idols”. In Gaza too, the local bishop “Saint” Porphyrius sends his followers to lynch pagans and to demolish the remaining nine still active temples of the city.

405 John Chrysostom sends hordes of grey-dressed monks armed with clubs and iron bars to destroy the “idols” in all the cities of Palestine.

408 The local bishops lead new heavy persecutions against the pagans and new book burning. The judges that have pity for the pagans are also persecuted. “Saint” Augustine massacres hundreds of protesting pagans in Calama, Algeria.

409 Another edict orders all methods of divination including astrology to be punished by death.

415 In Alexandria, the Christian mob, urged by the bishop Cyril, attacks a few days before the Judeo-Christian Pascha (Easter) and cuts to pieces the famous and beautiful philosopher Hypatia. The pieces of her body, carried around by the Christian mob through the streets of Alexandria, are finally burned together with her books in a place called Cynaron.

416 The inquisitor Hypatius, alias “The Sword of God”, exterminates the last pagans of Bithynia. In Constantinople (7th December) all non-Christian army officers, public employees and judges are dismissed.

423 Emperor Theodosius II declares (8th June) that the religion of the pagans is nothing more than “demon worship” and orders all those who persist in practicing it to be punished by imprisonment and torture.

435 On 14th November, a new edict by Theodosius II orders the death penalty for all “heretics” and pagans of the empire. Only Judaism is considered a legal non-Christian religion.

448 Theodosius II orders all non-Christian books to be burned.

450 All the temples of Aphrodisias (the City of the Goddess Aphrodite) are demolished and all its libraries burned down. The city is renamed Stavroupolis (City of the Cross).

482 to 488 The majority of the pagans of Minor Asia are exterminated after a desperate revolt against the emperor and the Church.

515 The emperor of Constantinople, Anastasius, orders the massacre of the pagans in the Arabian city Zoara and the demolition of the temple of local god Theandrites.

546 Hundreds of pagans are put to death in Constantinople by the inquisitor Ioannis Asiacus.

556 Justinian orders the notorious inquisitor Amantius to go to Antioch, to find, arrest, torture and exterminate the last non-Christians of the city and burn all the private libraries down.

578 to 582 The Christians torture and crucify Hellenes all around the Eastern Empire, and exterminate the last non-Christians of Heliopolis (Baalbek).

And THAT, folks, is just the BEGINNING of the 1,000 year Christian 'Reign of Terror'... 'Holocaust'... whatever you want to call it.

Answer 2

First, burning people at the stake was not a good thing. Second, Christianity didnt do it people misguided while reading the bible because they misinterpreted it did that. Third, They killed as many as they could of my religion, made it go into hiding, stole most of the holidays and made them their own, took my religions symbol and made it something evil (yes I am talking about Satanists right now because you have to believe in God to believe in Satan therefore they are a form of christians they just choose to follow the opposite person in the bible). Fourth, The same can be said of most religions. The Al Queda are misled and felt that they were doing "Gods work" when they flew planes into the world trade center. The war between Israelies and Lebanese is felt to be following Gods wishes. ect. ect. but we cannot judge everyone based on the stupid acts of a few. or even the stupid acts of alot of people back in the past.

Answer 3

Why in the world do you believe burning people at the stake was good for people?

*****

I see Ergo Sumo Wrestler and Amaki Owlaf are the other two responders who read the question. A thumbs up for each of you.

Answer 4

Create a clean nuclear bomb! Use all the hairspray you will search out! Pour all your left over radioactive waste into the closest flow of flowing water. And somewhat of using timber for that new fireplace place you purely imported from Alaska, use COAL!!! Hell, who needs a planet to proceed to exist, besides? we ought to besides purely trash this place whilst we are nonetheless right here!

Answer 5

"Cynicism is merely another form of naivety."

The preservation of classical texts through the medieval period, the foundation of numerous universities and hospitals, the invention of the clock, Mendelian genetics, musical notation, advances in architecture. It's a very long list, really, and deny these accomplishments is puerile.

I'm an agnostic, and no follower of established religion, but I make an effort to see beyond my own prejudices.

Answer 6

hospitals all over the world (how many by atheist or anti-christians groups).
Street ministers feed and share Jesus in many cities.
Missions feed,provide shelter (in some cities even health care to needy).
Many missionaries spend their life, in the poorest parts of the world,providing food,medical care,and about any other need and yes some share Jesus.Most of these people don't have a major photo-op (by world media) like many in hollywood and politicians do (when they help).
Many churches provide food and pay bills for those in need.
Food banks store food to be distributed to needy.
What have atheists done (except worked to remove prayer and bibles out of schools(the USA),and support other agendas that sure haven't helped.

Answer 7

I don't see how burning people at the stake is good for people. But Christians do many things that are good. Like visiting people in the hospital when they are sick, visiting people in the jail. Visiting people at home and helping them when they are in need.

Answer 8

Since when is burning people at the stake a good thing???

Answer 9

Burning people at the stake was done by catholics, not christians.

Answer 10

It was not christianity,it were some evil leaders and priests!
Why did (holy?!?) Moses ask his soldiers to kill a whole nation including kids (excluding virgins,who the soldiers could use for their pleasure)...all in the name of God?
Some times religion helps ppl to change for the better,often not!

Answer 11

Well, since burning people at the stake was never good for people in the first place, that makes it never.