Religious Punishment Quotes
The logic of this quotation is irrational and faulty but exists the world over. Someone is told to refrain from certain activities because others will be offended and resort to immoral and illegal activities. This is what was said to the Orangemen of Ireland parading in Catholic areas and the reverse. Or women were warned against certain kinds of dress less they be raped. See {623723} .
Answer to criticism that beheading was a violation of the Declaration of Human Rights stricture against cruel and unusual punishment.
This amazing pronouncement separated the right of citizenship from religion. This was opposed by most clerics as to them excommunication meant that the person should have no rights whatsoever. There was a practical side to the Chancellor’s view. At the time there were bitter religious civil wars in France. Each sect would castigate and excommunicate its religious and often military enemies. Things had reached such a point where anybody who was anybody had been excommunicated by somebody. If citizenship were to be nullified by excommunication, then the state would have to take sides. If it treated all excommunications as equal, too many people would be denied their citizenship. Therefore the only practical solutions were to have a single state religion or to separate excommunication from citizenship. France was beyond the possibility of a state religion with Catholics, Lutherans, Huguenots--all had large established congregations of followers and there were smaller sects.
