Thanks.Alias wrote: In point of fact, there is. A lot. Start here or with Bullfinch or Campbell, or any of the comprehensive overviews, then read into their bibliographies for more detail on each religion's practices.
I'll try to look into that when I have a moment, but I didn't find any references to heretics in the one page you gave me. still it is useful for other info.
I think the only thing I have to go on is that I believe it is mentioned a couple times while reading about the various tortures or ordeals people went through while being accused during Christian inquisitions is that such practices where no worse than what some societies did if they caught a witch before being converted to Christianity. And some either mention that such practices carried over even after they were converted to Christianity or even that some forms of torture were banned after Christianity was in place. At any rate either non-Christian or pre-Christian were supposed to be worse than even the methods done by the inquisitions. Of course this is just from what I can remember while reading stuff about the inquisitions; however some methods used such as being drawn and quartered are probably as anything done even by savages.Alias wrote: This is your surmise. Have any reference?
The only other things I know is the Christians , as well as many non-Christians, where sentenced to be crucified by Romans before Christianity became accepted, certain central and/or south American tribes would sacrifice enemies (and potentially other victims as well) by placing them on a alter and then ripping out their hearts, and that some tribes in Indonesia (as well as other places) would punish anyone they believe was practice witchcraft by cannibalizing them; which is sometimes even done up to this day. However this very little to go on on such a topic that I'm sure is much, much bigger than this.
Even if I had urls that I could give you, the forum bans new members from posting them.
Alias wrote: So, you're interested only in confirmation?
Confirmation and knowing more about it. I doubt that if I found something to confirm what I read that there would be nothing new learned in the process of trying to verifying some of what I read. Also I'm hoping that such information could lead me to other sources to look at.
Maybe.Alias wrote: Pretty much like saying, "My dad can lick your dad."
But 'the ancient world' was nothing like a single entity. Many people, at various stages of social development, most of them unaware of the existence of most of the others, each tribe or nation with its own beliefs, attitudes, legal codes and responses.
I'm not sure if any of the Europeans themselves did as much harm as the various diseases they brought with them did. My memory may be wrong but I think I read over fifty percent of the population in North, Central, and South America was wiped out by plagues that where carried by people and animals in Europe that came over to the new world. Also since the Europeans came over in waves so if they tried to kill one or more of them, they would still have to deal with future ones who would likely be more hostile and militant than previous ones. On top of that often one tribe would ally the Europeans to fight a rival tribe only be betrayed by the Europeans after the other tribe was wiped out. So between plagues, a more populous/advanced/resourceful Europe, and existing rivalry and wars between the tribes it was unlikely that just targeting the missionaries (which may have actually happen from time to time) could have changed much.Alias wrote: Frowned, possibly. Boiled in kettles, very rarely. Why do you think the Christian missionaries were able to do so much harm?
Had the natives killed missionaries on sight, as a matter of principle, the world might have spared a lot of strife.