Gregory of Nazianzus Quotes
Let your inimitable perfection in virtue stand up at a crisis like the present, and teach our most pious Emperor, that no gain will come from his zeal for the Church on other points if he allows such an evil to gain strength from freedom of speech for the subversion of sound faith.
Note the opposition to freedom of speech for contrary theological views. This has been typical of most religions whenever they could exercise or influence state power.
Gregory of Nazianzus, 325-389, Orator, Theologian, and Saint, Letter to Nectarius, Bishop Of Constantinople on the Apollinarian Controversy
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Ingersoll was considered to be the greatest orator and political thinker of his day, but his overt atheistic views curtailed his elected political career.
Anne Hutchinson was tried by the Puritan religious and civil court for heresy. She started with Bible Study classes in her home and drew a substantial following. The clergy at the time were threatened and outraged. It was one thing for a woman to teach Bible Study to other women, but to also have men with the women was too much. The decision of the court was that she was banished from the colony. See {584753}.
She was tried by the Puritan religious and civil court for heresy. She started with Bible Study classes in her home and drew a substantial following. The clergy at the time were threatened and outraged. It was one thing for a woman to teach Bible Study to other women, but to also have men with the women was too much. The decision of the court was that she was banished from the colony. John Winthrop, Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, presiding, answered: "Say no more. The Court knows wherefore, and is satisfied." See {584754}. In 1987, Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis pardoned Anne Hutchinson, revoking the order of banishment by Governor Winthrop 350 years earlier.
Curtis had at first arrested Samuel B. McPheeters a St. Louis preacher for pro-Southern sermons. Lincoln had countermanded the arrest order. Curtis released the pastor, but prohibited him from preaching in his own church. It took Lincoln many months to find this out and Lincoln then instructed this second instruction to Curtis not to continue the ban.
The King, a religious exremist fanatic, was a great supporter of the Inquisition whose excesses were horrible during his reign.
The Church exercised the law enforcement and censorship authority in all Catholic countries. Note the offense of saying anything which is “offensive to pious ears”. The particular example that “offended” the pious was that a heretic should not be executed. These were the cultural values of the day.
Other vibrant democracies also have such restrictions on freedom of speech such as Germany and Israel.
Spinoza’s ideas were considered so radical and dangerous that he was the only man in history who was excommunicated by the Catholics, the Jews and the Muslims. This was his observation after his first excommunications -- by his Jewish Congregation in Amsterdam.
Despite his recognition of this point, he too became an advocate of murdering religious opponents.
Gregory of Nazianzus, also known as Gregory the Theologian or Gregory Nazianzen, was a 4th-century Archbishop of Constantinople and theologian. He is widely considered the most accomplished rhetorical stylist of the patristic age.[6] As a classically trained orator and philosopher, he infused Hellenism into the early church, establishing the paradigm of Byzantine theologians and church officials.
