3 ms·

I don't entirely understand how burning some people to death and torturing others was supposed to encourage the rest to behave in a more civilised way.

• collaborative 6y ago
  The Inquisition was the first attempt at having a fair trial in an age of summary, brutal executions Only the church had the moral authority to step into the void used by kings and lords to have justice their way Burning and torture did occur, but what is missing from pop culture is that it also happened in a greater scale in territories not controlled by the Inquisition
  • anthk 6y ago
    Also "popular" trials were worse than the Inquisition, far, far worse. Do you know these countries today where they kill you in a horrible way for just stealing a hen? Heh, that was nothing about what would happen to you in the Middle Ages and later. People is delusional, as if the common Medieval folk was any better than the ruling powers. Hint: it wasn't.
  • phillc73 6y ago
    > The Inquisition was the first attempt at having a fair trial Except where it wasn't. Philip IV of France specifically sanctioned torture to obtain specific confessions of defined types of heresy, in order to support his wish to deband the Templars, allowing him to sieze their land, gold and other assets. This was done in the name of the Inquisition. Later Pope Clement V tried to step in and moderate things somewhat. Many Templars recanted their earlier confessions.
• bserge 6y ago
  It's a strong, clear message. And it worked even better in a time when the vast majority of people had nothing but their health and lives to lose.
• goto11 6y ago
  The purpose the the inquisition was to combat heresy.