then heretics shouldn’t fall into this category right?
Most heretics did not fall into that category. Most were not executed. The ones who were executed are a mixed bag. Some were criminals. I’ll give you some examples.
Remember that the Kings of many European countries had laws which made heresy a form of treason. This was not unusual throughout history. In the secular state, all unrepentant heretics were guilty of treason. I don’t buy that a person is treasonous because they are a heretic. But many heretics were anything but peaceful and did indeed challenge the kingdoms.
For example some Cathars murdered a Papal representative.
The Cathars believed that suicide was close a very good thing as it relieved the soul from the prison of the body. They had rituals in which a person would starve themselves to death. Or if a person wanted to be a martyr, the clergy would suffocate them with a pillow. There are reported instances of parents suffocating their babies to save the babies soul from being trapped in an animal body. They had other strange believes but these are the worst of it.
Any Cathar who participated in the assisted suicides or murder children are in my mind criminals who could receive the death sentence. My bet is that many of them who were executed fell into this category. Any Cathar who hid one of these people was an accessory to murder, IMO.
Many of the heresies were not just peaceful people looking for freedom of religion. Many were violent movements that let to insurrections, wars and a lot of death.
(1524-25) War of the Peasants was both political and religious in nature (as most are from that time) Anabaptists were the major religious influence. About 100,000 were killed in the fighting. In Subsequent years, some of the heretics were tried and executed.
(1534-35) In the **Münster Rebellion. **Anabaptists (heretics) took over the city of Munster. **Their plan? To set up in Munster and then start their conquest of the world. They established new laws… for example polygamy was allowed. Their leader took 16 wives. He beheaded one of his wives himself **in the marketplace. They stole the personal property of all who abandoned the town. They ransacked all churches, stealing everything in them. After the city was won back the leaders were executed. The following link has more about the Anabaptists… they were not peaceful heretics.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%BCnster_Rebellion
About 3000-5000 people were executed in the inquisitions. I have no doubt that some of them were executed wrongfully (IMHO). But some were not, some were criminals.
Look at Luther, he was a heretic who was excommunicated. He was not executed. Why is that? Perhaps because he did not engage in the violence or insight violence. So maybe a good number (if not all) of those executed actually were a threat or had already committed crimes. But I have no idea about all of the cases.
