Cornell University (where I did my dissertation work) has one of the best collections of medieval
books and pamphlets in the country. A. D. White, the university's first president, was an avid collector
and made numerous trips to Europe in the 1880s and 1890s collecting manuscripts. Among the Cornell
collections are numerous testimonials of inquisitors and original works detailing case studies of heretics
and methods. My advisor, Will Provine (also a historian), has assured me that to study them would
require a high level of scholarship, for they are written in Old German and French and other European
languages.
I have no doubt that a large-scale study of the Inquisition would be a very important contribution. But I
agree with you that it is probably a lifelong goal rather than a feasible project to begin at this stage of my
life.
What you are calling "charity" is a normal matter of course for us naturalists. We do not form
conclusions until the data is analyzed. However, it takes little data to conclude that those who were
tortured in the name of the church were done wrong by the church and I can't see any reason to defend the
church (I find even less reason to defend the Catholic church in its pathetic downward spiral in modern
society, given the rash of child molestation cases coming to light). Rather, I find it necessary to enlighten
people about a better way. That way is naturalism.
The intolerance of the Inquisition is, I believe, a natural outcome of traditional theology. History is the
result of causes. Although we probably can't always figure out exactly what caused certain things to
happen in history, we can examine some of the dominating factors. I believe the Inquisition, which was
part of a culture of fear and intolerance justified by theology, was one such factor that still rears its ugly
head in our world. That is one reason I don't believe Christianity has much to offer.
I think it is inaccurate to portray anti-Christian death squads as part of the Inquisition. I believe any
kind of death squad is wrong. But let's not confuse radical splinter groups with cultural norms based on
Christian intolerance. The Inquisition was the latter, the death squads are the former.
Well, this has gone on too long and I have a show in an hour. I appreciate your interest and it is fun to
chat with a historian who is also a defender of Christianity.
Sincerely,
Greg Graffin
Preston does not immediately respond to Greg's point about Christianity and violence here, but returns to
this theme on pages 134-39. Also see the study guide at the back of the book.
Dear Greg:
Wish I could have been at the show in San Francisco, or at any of the shows. The last concert I saw in S.F.
was the Cocteau Twins in 1997, just before they split up.
It's tough to imagine bands as different as the Twins and BR, but they're both among my favorites.
Opposites attract?
It's like that with people too. Some of the folks who've had the greatest influence on me have been