Remembering a Martyr for Liberty

By Dean Worbois

On February 16, 1600, Giordano Bruno was executed. The righteous folk had decided blood letting was a sin so, to save themselves from hell, they burnt this Dominican friar alive.

Bruno had looked through a telescope and postulated there where other suns with other worlds with the possibility of other life. The Hubble telescope has proven him right.

The Roman Empire became Christian in 350 a.d. Fundamental zealots used the power of government to burn libraries and to execute "heretics" with other religious convictions. Darkness settled on the West until the Renaissance rediscovered the ancient world and began the awakening of reason. Eventually this awakening led to Jefferson and a document we call the Constitution.

As our nation enters it's third century, we again hear fundamentalists call for letting religion control the power of government.

A leader in this movement to get religion in government is the Christian Coalition. The founder of the Christian Coalition, Pat Robertson, says we should take the right of citizenship away from anyone who is not a Christian. Speaking of the Constitution, he said, "But, the minute you turn the document into the hands of non-Christian people and atheistic people, they can use it to destroy the very foundation of our society."

And how does Mr. Robertson think we should treat other Christians? On January 4, 1991, on the 700 Club, he said, "You say, 'you're supposed to be nice to the Episcopalians and the Presbyterians and the Methodists and this, that and the other thing.' Nonsense! I don't have to be nice to the spirit of the anti-Christ! I can love the people who hold false opinions, but I don't have to be nice to them."

It's a good time for us to remember Giordano Bruno and the struggle to liberty. We can hope the separation of church and state continues to serve us well.

© 1996 Worbois
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