Modern day inquisitions and witch-hunts

I write the following as prompted by the Lord, keeping in mind the incredible damage the Inquisition once caused and the mass hysteria caused by the Salem witch hunts. For we need to be very careful in our age and time that we do not repackage the Inquisition and the witch hunts in some modern day wrappings in order to address heresy and deception. Yet at the same time, I fear it is too late as wisdom and spiritual maturity has been cast out into the streets.

Hundreds of years ago, many people lived in fear because of the Inquisition, which was a powerful office set up within the Catholic Church to root out and punish heresy throughout Europe and the Americas. Beginning in the 12th century and continuing for hundreds of years, the Inquisition is infamous for the severity of its tortures and its persecution of Jews and Muslims. Its worst manifestation was in Spain, where the Spanish Inquisition was a dominant force for more than 200 years, resulting in somewhat (rough estimation) 32,000 executions.

It was an absolutely terrible time for so many people. Inquisitors would arrive in a town and announce their presence, giving citizens a chance to admit to heresy. Those who confessed received a punishment ranging from a pilgrimage to a whipping. Those accused of heresy were forced to testify. If the heretic did not confess, torture and execution were inescapable. Heretics weren’t allowed to face accusers, received no counsel, and were often victims of false accusations.

There was thus very little proof or evidence of real heresy. The Inquisitors were acting like gods, condemning anyone who did not ascribe the religion of the Catholic Church. Take note, this had nothing but nothing to do with God or His Truth. This had everything to do with man’s selfish needs and agendas, with religion, and with power. In practice, the Spanish Inquisition for example was nothing more in attempt to consolidate power in the monarchy of the newly unified Spanish kingdom, but it achieved that end through infamously brutal methods. In Spain, torture became systemized and routinely used to elicit confessions. Sentencing of confessed heretics was done in a public event called the Auto-da-Fe. All heretics wore a sackcloth with a single eyehole over their heads. Heretics who refused to confess were burned at the stake.

So why talk about the Inquisition? Well, let us first be brave enough to admit there is definitely heresy in churches these days, and when we talk about heresy, we talk about deception posing as the truth of God. False teachings and practices abound. Yes, there are definitely false doctrines, false prophecies and a lot of deceptive agendas posing great danger to believers, thus we live in perilous times. And yes, the church is struggling with idolatry as the apostasy intensifies. Jesus warned of the false prophets and the false christs (those who claim to be specially anointed). We know of Peter, Paul and Jude’s warnings in the Scripture of deception. But at the same time we need to be so careful how we address such heresy, while keeping in mind we must address false doctrines in accordance to 2 Corinthians 10 (casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ) while Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16 that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” There is plenty of Scripture as evidence that we need to rebuke, reproof and correct, but in the proper manner, in the right attitude, by the Spirit of God, and not to fuel selfish desires, agendas or motives.

During the Inquisitions, ACCUSATIONS, ALLEGATIONS AND RUMOURS were flying around. It fed the madness, and was fuel for the devouring beasts called inquisitors. An accusation was many times enough for an execution. A rumour was many times enough for an inquisitor to kick down your door. The Inquisition pretended to fight a holy cause, like the infamous yet bloody Crusades, but it was simply fighting evil with evil, sowing fear, and the intent was never to defend God’s Kingdom but the kingdom of man and the wickedness of man’s intent. Still today, ACCUSATIONS, ALLEGATIONS AND RUMOURS fly around regarding pastors, preachers and prophets. We vilify (to utter slanderous and abusive statements) those in the church on a daily basis, as if we are inquisitors. We condemn, we ridicule, we accuse, and we spread rumours of terrible heresy. Yes, with our own words we burn people alive on the stake, simply because, and this is the sobering truth THEY DO NOT ALIGN WITH OUR POINTS OF VIEW.

Yes, we are called to expose heresy and false prophecies, BUT THEN IT IS DONE BY WEIGHING IT AGAINST THE WORD OF GOD, AND NOT THE WORD OF MAN, AND IT IS WEIGHED IN ACCORDANCE TO WHAT THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD SAYS AND NOT WHAT MANY SAYS IN THE FLESH. We are called to expose deception and false word and prophecies for they are dangerous for the father of lies – the devil – uses such fuel to devour, to consume and to destroy. But we need to walk very carefully to call someone a heretic, or a false prophet or a worker of Satan in the church. These are dangerous accusations, and they add to the fire of perilous times. We after all keep in mind that according to James 3 we so easily praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men. Unfounded and slanderous accusations and allegations can very easily act as a curse, for we condemn and rebuke without proof or without God’s love.

Again, false doctrine does abound, and God is very much against false prophecies but the truth is that at times they who preach erroneous doctrine are also deceived. Granted, some may be intentionally fooling and deceiving people, but Paul also underlined the process of exposing and correcting the ways of errors. Some utter false prophecies simply because they have not been properly trained in the spiritual, or they are still subjected too much to the flesh or the imagination. This, however, does not make them a false prophet. The flip side of the coin is that there are those who do not prophesy but function in divination, and the act of divination must be exposed and the person corrected. But then again, a proper process must be followed, along with plenty of prayer and spiritual support where possible and needed.

We should after all not be in the game of naming and shaming just for the sake of naming and shaming. And we should be guarding against fighting supposed evil with evil. We should also guard against making allegations and accusations (and believing them), or believing rumours. We can easily all into the trap of Matthew 7: 1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Again, heresy, erroneous doctrines and false prophecies are dangerous to the Body of Christ, but a Christian discipline process is in place to deal with those who have fallen from grace, and to even help those who are in the process of being deceived or deceiving others. God is after all a God of order. Church discipline is enacted for the good of the person (that they would change), the good of the Christian community (that people would not be harmed), and the good of the Christian witness (that non-Christians would not see Christianity as hypocrisy). Without church discipline, churches become places where hypocrites gather and abuse others in the name of God. Yes, this happened during the Inquisition. This is far from what Christ had in mind for Christian community (John. 13:34-35).

In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul writes the following: “11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.” Paul was an advocate of rebuking and reproofing, for he knows the danger that sin and erroneous doctrines poses. Leaven was used in the Bible as a symbol of sin, and the way sin spreads through its host, affecting the entire organism. Even a small amount of leaven is sufficient to affect an entire lump of dough, and likewise, a little sin will affect an entire church, nation, or the whole of a person's life (Galatians 5:9). Sin starts out small, in the thoughts, and then affects the will and the actions, and leads eventually to spiritual death (James 1:14-15). Paul warns the Corinthians that "a little leaven leavens the whole lump" and exhorts them to "cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed" (1 Corinthians 5:6-7).

Paul, however, understood following proper procedure in love to not only expose harmful practices but to offer help and assistance. He after all wrote in “Galatians 6:1: Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.” He also wrote in “2 Thessalonians 3: 14 And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother”.

Look at what Jesus says in “Matthew 18:15-17 If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” Jesus cements the foundation for proper correction. First, it is a personal matter, allowing for discussion in a civil and loving manner. And then, one gathers a few more to discuss and to pray together. And then Jesus warns that even then the person continues with any destructive practices, then he is regarded as someone who rebels against the Gospel.

The process of Matthew 18 is definitely not followed these days by many who simply vilify, accuse, and cry ‘heretic’! There is a process to be followed, while keeping in mind God is the final Judge. We also read in “James 5:19-20: My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” The focus is very much on praying and helping someone who is in sin or who has fallen wayward to help them get back on the right path.

But it is another matter if a person continues to cause harm, despite contrary advice or having been prayed for or disciplined. For such people are dangerous in their rebellion, and Paul warned of them in Romans 1 and also 2 Timothy 3. Paul also writes in ”Romans 16:17: I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.” Yes, we do find in churches some people will continue seek to go their own destructive path without repentance despite reproof in love, or even rebuking as the Spirit leads, but then again, rather pray for them, expose teachings that are contrary to the Word of God and ultimately allow God to fight the battle.

It is sad that daily pastors and preachers and prophets are being torn apart, specifically on social media, for what they say and thus are labelled as terrible hypocrites. We even pass judgement and sentencing! And yes, we stand guilty of such actions, and we need to repent for this is not wisdom or God’s love in action. We are thus talking here about absolutely no application of Matthew 18:15-17, or James 5:19-20: or Galatians 6:1. There is no room for any sound or wise Christian edification, upliftment or correction but only chastisement BASED on allegations, accusations or rumours. Allegations and accusations are so often made by people who do not even know the person who they are crucifying! Therefore we are busy with our own modern day Inquisition and sowing fear, while the wickedness of the intent of our hearts are allowed to soar and take flight. We must be careful not to be judge and the juror. For only God is the righteous Judge of His Church.

Scary thing is that we think this is fun, amusing and we cheer such actions along. Again, allegations and accusations is the playground of the devil. Let it again be stressed that we need to address heresy and deception in such perilous times, and we need to do so with vigour and with zeal BUT ALWAYS AS LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD AND BY THE WORD OF GOD, but we are not called to label people heretics and even devil worshippers simply based on rumours and accusations. If God shows there is ‘leaven’ present, then pray for the person or speak to the person where possible, but not to declare it far and wide, and so many times in hate and bitterness, as if you are some kind of Inquisitor!

Now, regarding the other event, the infamous Salem witch trials began during the spring of 1692, after a group of young girls in Salem Village, Massachusetts, claimed to be possessed by the devil and accused several local women of witchcraft. As a wave of hysteria spread throughout colonial Massachusetts, a special court convened in Salem to hear the cases; the first convicted witch, Bridget Bishop, was hanged that June. Eighteen others followed Bishop to Salem’s Gallows Hill, while some 150 more men, women and children were accused over the next several months. By September 1692, the hysteria had begun to abate and public opinion turned against the trials. Though the Massachusetts General Court later annulled guilty verdicts against accused witches and granted indemnities to their families, bitterness lingered in the community, and the painful legacy of the Salem witch trials would endure for centuries.

The trials were fuelled by superstition, allegations, accusations and a very clear lack of spiritual knowledge or discernment. For example, as part of the infamous “swimming test,” accused witches were dragged to the nearest body of water, stripped to their undergarments, bound and then tossed in to see if they would sink or float. Since witches were believed to have spurned the sacrament of baptism, it was thought that the water would reject their body and prevent them from submerging. According to this logic, an innocent person would sink like a stone, but a witch would simply bob on the surface. The victim typically had a rope tied around their waist so they could be pulled from the water if they sank, but it wasn’t unusual for accidental drowning deaths to occur.

Then there was the bizarre form of counter-magic - the witch cake - which was a supernatural dessert used to identify suspected evildoers. You also found that witch-hunters often had their suspects stripped and publicly examined for signs of an unsightly blemish that witches were said to receive upon making their pact with Satan. This “Devil’s Mark” could supposedly change shape and colour, and was believed to be numb and insensitive to pain. If witch-hunters struggled to find obvious evidence of “witch’s marks” on a suspect’s body, they might resort to the ghastly practice of “pricking” as a means of sussing it out. Yes, there were many weird tests to see if someone is a witch, which was nothing more than evil again fighting supposed evil.

Still today, we have adopted our own brand of witch hunting, branding people occultists and witches in the church. And many times it is based on our lack of spiritual knowledge and understanding! We have also allowed ourselves to become susceptible to superstition, thus launching our own witch hunts!

Yes, there is witchcraft going on in the church. And plenty of it. Make no mistake about it. And some do so intentionally, and some are even oblivious how the devil is toying with them. And yes there is divination, and all kinds of abominations, but we must be careful that we do not sow fear, and allow ourselves to begin branding people as witches. Very soon we will come up with our own strange ideas of testing someone to see if they are a witch or an occultist!

At the end of the day it is dangerous to call someone a witch. Yes, we must expose witchcraft and paganism, and we must bring the darkness into the light, but we also guard against not going on our own witch hunt as if we want to burn people at the stake with our accusations. Lately pastors in churches are now labelled as Freemasons, and some claim that most of the church is now Freemason. Again, this is a very serious accusation, and where is the proof? Sure, Freemasonry has slipped into the churches for a long time, no doubt about it, but we need to address it in the wisdom of God. Similar to exposing dangerous practices and operations where churches are acting more like a cult or a sect than a church.

In such perilous times, we do not need the Lord’s guidance, His wisdom and knowledge and understanding to navigate troubled waters. We are still called to be the light and salt of the world, and not fight evil with evil or add fire to the devil’s desire of destruction. Psalm 91 speaks of the Lord protecting His children from ‘the arrow that flies by day’, but many times the arrows come from the church, and it is shot without thought, discernment, love or wisdom. How we need desperately spiritual maturity in the church these days, because God is looking for a Bride without spot or wrinkle. This can only be achieved by addressing the blemishes and wrinkles in the authority and love of God, and not by trying to burn the dress.