Fun fact: Most witch trials happened outside of the scope of the church as a centralized institution, and were instead pursued by town councils or mobs.

Oftentimes an inquisitor’s job was exonerating Innocents. The most famous case would be Joan of Arc.

That said, there’s a difference between early cases and late cases and the church as an institution did burn people, but in most cases it was mob “justice”.

In fact:

“Pope Gregory VII, in 1080, wrote to King Harald III of Denmark forbidding witches to be put to death upon being suspected of having caused storms or failure of crops or pestilence.”

That said, Heresy was super punished in the most extreme ways (see the Cathars).

So in reality it wasn’t religion itself but people that are super duper shitty.

Edit: I think this is related to Hypathia, so:

“Rumors spread accusing her of preventing Orestes from reconciling with Cyril and, in March 415 AD, she was murdered by a mob of Christians led by a lector named Peter.”

A lector is a guy that reads, which was uncommon but he didn’t have any place of authority IMO.

Screams in Giordano Bruno

Almost like it’s a patriarchal cult used to oppress and control people.

Church MAN penis felt smol