What about Michael Servetus?The assumption is that forgiveness is owed wherever God might want forgiveness to be given, and we don’t know, so you err on the side of forgiving. You assume your fallibility, and you also assume that anybody that you encounter is precious to God—or is God himself.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Compassionate Calvinist ...
... Marilynne Robinson. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
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What I understand about Servetus execution and Calvin's involvement is that Calvin did not put him to death, had no power to do so, and argued against it. Fox's Book of Martyrs says he didn't go far enough in defending Servetus' life, but it also says he didn't have far to go. Calvin had butt heads with Genevan officials many times and been kicked out of town once. He could argue for Servetus' life only so far, and no one appeared be advocating letting him live. Servetus' teaching was definitely contemptible and the Catholics would have executed him earlier that year, if he hadn't escaped them. In what I've read, Calvin appeared to be most concerned for the heretic's repentance, but perhaps not concerned enough for his freedom.
ReplyDeletePeople weren't tolerant of opposing theology back then. Even the Puritans in America, being largely Calvinist, told heretics and dissenters they could worship as they pleased, but not in our town.