Religion, Authoritarianism, and Conscience
On this date in 1660, the Puritans of Boston hanged Mary Dyer for the "crime" of being a Quaker. She was one of four Quakers who were murdered under the oppressive religiously-motivated laws of Massachussetts Colony.
This is the kind of destruction wrought when people use religions to justify authoritarianism, and this is the kind of behavior that turns people against Christ and the church. It perverts the Christian doctrine as handed down by Christ Himself. Statism is the most dangerous religion, corrupting everything it touches as men seek to place themselves upon the throne of God over their fellow men. It still happens today, and politicians often claim that "Christian piety" is the driving force behind their debauchery and destruction.
You know a tree by its fruit, and you know a person by their deeds. Don't be blinded by rhetoric. Don't allow the modern puritanical control freak authoritarians to jusify martyring more Mary Dyers. Call out their tyranny. Do not be silenced by popular support for their behavior, even if you become their target in turn.
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.