History Main / TheHeretic

* Joan of Arc was also examined for any possible heretical beliefs. (She got [[IncrediblyLamePun burned]] on a technicality, dressing as a man.)

TheHeretic is a traitor to TheChurch or TheCanon. Most commonly, he was once a member of its congregation or even its [[GoodShepherd clergy]] but got officially excommunicated for propagating beliefs that go against TheChurch's official dogma. Often, the Church sends out [[KnightTemplar Knights Templar]] to [[KillItWithFire Kill Them With Fire]] along with [[BurnTheWitch witches]]. Just being a heretic doesn't mark you evil by default: A heretic to a SaintlyChurch is often ChaoticEvil, but a heretic to a CorruptChurch or a PathOfInspiration may well be a DefectorFromDecadence.

TheHeretic is a traitor to TheChurch or The Canon. Most commonly, he was once a member of its congregation or even its [[GoodShepherd clergy]] but got officially excommunicated for propagating beliefs that go against TheChurch's official dogma. Often, the Church wants to [[KillItWithFire Kill Them With Fire]] along with [[BurnTheWitch witches]]. Just being a heretic doesn't mark you evil by default: A heretic to a SaintlyChurch is often ChaoticEvil, but a heretic to a CorruptChurch or a PathOfInspiration may well be a DefectorFromDecadence.

** The head Templars did confess various blasphemies years before they were officially tried with torture, but provided fairly understandable explanations for each, convincing the current Pope (who is in many ways a figurehead) that they weren't really heretics. For example, they did spit on the cross, but the point was that it was practice in case the enemy captured them and forced them to commit such deeds, and they were supposed to understand that material objects were nothing compared to the power of faith within them, and that faith couldn't waver even in the face of such actions.

* Early proponents of heliocentrism, including Galileo, were labeled heretics. Thus, expect his name to come up in religious flame wars.

*** Copernicus only published his text on his deathbed to avoid any accusations, and his text was carefully formulated in a manner that only suggested heliocentricism as a theoretical idea, not a necessarily factual concept. Galileo did the same thing in a way, but made the mistake of positing heliocentrism as a fact despite lack of enough evidence (thus screwing with the scientific method that he himself influenced in many ways), and putting the Church dogma in the mouth of debater of obviously inferior intelligence and status than the one arguing heliocentricism, when he published his theory in the form of a dialogue. (Giving the heliocentrist character the name of Simplicio - i.e. "idiot" - was neither polite nor politic. Since the character was also a parody of the reigning Pope, the Church's reaction to the publication was understandable.)

[[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife TV Tropes Will Ruin Your L-]] '''''{{HERESY}}!!!!!''''' ''[[{{Warhammer 40000}} *BLAM*]]''

TheHeretic is a traitor to TheChurch. Most commonly, he was once a member of its congregation or even its [[GoodShepherd clergy]] but got officially excommunicated for propagating beliefs that go against TheChurch's official dogma. Just being a heretic doesn't mark you evil by default: A heretic to a SaintlyChurch is often ChaoticEvil, but a heretic to a CorruptChurch or a PathOfInspiration may well be a DefectorFromDecadence.

Heresy has an intrinsic connection to doctrines of the church in question. Someone who merely disagrees with the Church as an outsider is not a heretic - for instance, Hypatia of Alexandria. Wiccans are not considered "heretics" to the Catholic religion, but Padre Ned Reidy was put on trial for heresy.

The word "heretic" is from a Greek word meaning "to choose," so a heretic can be thought of as a person who chooses his own path. Christian theologian Irenaeus popularized the word heresy in the Christian world in his anti-[[UsefulNotes/{{Gnosticism}} Gnostic]] tracts. Multiple heretics often form a {{Cult}}. Often, the Church wants to [[KillItWithFire Kill Them With Fire]].

* Early proponents of heliocentrism, including Galileo, were labeled heretics.
** But an even earlier proponent, Copernicus, wasn't. Back in Copernicus's day, the Church's authority was secure no matter where the centre of the universe was.
*** Copernicus only published his text on his deathbed to avoid any accusations, and his text was carefully formulated in a manner that only suggested heliocentricism as a theoretical idea, not a necessarily factual concept. Galileo did the same thing in a way, but made the mistake of putting the Church dogma in the mouth of debater of obviously inferior intelligence and status than the one arguing heliocentricism, when he published his theory in the form of a dialogue. (Giving the heliocentrist character the name of Simplicio - i.e. "idiot" - was neither polite nor politic. Since the character was also a parody of the reigning Pope, the Church's reaction to the publication was understandable.)
* Joan of Arc was also examined for any possible heretical beliefs. (She got [[IncrediblyLamePun burned]] on a technicality, dressing as a man.)

** The head Templars did confess various blasphemies years before they were officially tried with torture, but provided fairly understandable explanations for each, convincing the Pope that they weren't really heretics. For example, they did spit on the cross, but the point was that it was practice in case the enemy captured them and forced them to commit such deeds, and they were supposed to understand that material objects were nothing compared to the power of faith within them, and that faith couldn't waver even in the face of such actions.

[[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife Ruinous tropes? In my computer?]] That's '''''HERESY!!!!!'''''

* ''TheNameOfTheRose'', by UmbertoEco, entirely revolves around the theme of the thin line between orthodoxy and heresy, and what happens when people cross it.

*** Copernicus only published his text on his deathbed to avoid any accusations, and his text was carefully formulated in a manner that only suggested heliocentricism as a theoretical idea, not a necessarily factual concept. Galileo did the same thing in a way, but made the mistake of putting the Church dogma in the mouth of debator of obviously inferior intelligence and status than the one arguing heliocentricism, when he published his theory in the form of a dialogue. (Giving the heliocentrist character the name of Simplicio - i.e. "idiot" - was neither polite nor politic. Since the character was also a parody of the reigning Pope, the Church's reaction to the publication was understable.)

*** Copernicus only published his text on his deathbed to avoid any accusations, and his text was carefully formulated in a manner that only suggested heliocentricism as a theoretical idea, not a necessarily factual concept. Galileo did the same thing in a way, but made the mistake of putting the Church dogma in the mouth of debator of obviously inferior intelligence and status than the one arguing heliocentricism, when he published his theory in the form of a dialogue.

* [[{{Troperiffic}} Obligatory]] ''{{Touhou}}'' example: Byakuren Hijiri, by the virtue of being compassionate to the {{Youkai}}. In this settings, the very presence of Celestial beings can harm Youkai regardless of either sides' morality.

* The Heretic from ''{{Halo}} 2'', an Elite who learned the truth about the "Great Journey" from 343 Guilty Spark and tried to warn the others. The Arbiter is branded a heretic at the beginning for his failure in the previous game, but doesn't really fall into this role before siding with the humans near the end.

* Jesus Christ (yes, that specific one behind the TropeCodifier) was accused of heresy and blasphemy by the Pharisees for claiming to be of divine origin. They, however, lacked the authority to try him under Roman occupation, so his case was remitted to a Roman court. He was eventually convicted of sedition, and executed.
** Actually, while Jesus certainly locked horns with the Pharisees, they weren't the ones who got him crucified. He was turned over to the Romans by the Temple authorities, who were Sadducees, not Pharisees, and therefore a very different branch of Judaism (now extinct). Of course, the Sadducees regarded him as a heretic, too.
*** Neither group incidentally had much power or influence in the Roman-occupied Judea. The chances are that they were just trying to avoid a situation where the Romans, failing to make any difference between the followers of Jesus and mainstream Jews, would raze the entire place to the ground when they heard the stuff about the King of Jews taking throne and the Kingdom of Heaven descending to Earth in a few years' time.
*** The above comment is ignoring the historical facts, Pilate was the Governor of Judea, a province of the Roman Empire who had 6,000 crack troops with him and 30,000 more on call in nearby Syria.Pilate was effectively a dictator chosen by Rome and as long as he kept Rome happy, he had absolute power, including power of life and death.The case against Pilate is that he found Jesus not guilty, but had him executed in order to keep the peace.What was he like? We can never really know but the Bible story paints him as a weak but innocent man who didn't want to execute a man he believed innocent. However, he gave in to political pressure.Some historians disagree. Philo, writing at the time, said that Pilate was calculating, cruel and brutal. He probably had a typical Roman's disdain for any other culture, thinking the Jews not nearly as civilised as the Romans.Pilate was well known for having executed prisoners even without trial, so it would not be out of character for him to be responsible for killing Jesus. Pilate was desperate to keep the peace. His career in the Roman Empire depended on his running the province smoothly and efficiently. He most definitely knew Jesus was an innocent being made a scapegoat because the Priests were losing control of him.
Pilate had 6,000 soldiers on hand to keep the peace in a city bulging with 2.5 million Jews. The religious authorities, whose cooperation he needed for a quiet life, wanted him to execute Jesus and there was an angry mob baying for Jesus' blood but without any true reason.
To release Jesus would have been likely to cause a riot. Pilate could have lost control of the city, and possibly the province. This was crowd hysteria at its most cruel. The rumour had raced round Jerusalem that Jesus of Nazareth was on trial for his life. Crowds began to gather, some of them probably a mob organised by the Temple authorities. This was just what a Roman governor hoping for a peaceful Passover did not want. Pilate asked Jesus if he was calling himself King of the Jews. Jesus made little or no reply. Pilate had read the reports that he had from his officials and saw that it was quite clear that Jesus wasn't leading a military revolution. There was simply no evidence against Jesus.
Pilate said, 'this man is innocent'. The crowd was angered by the verdict and began to shout for Jesus to be crucified. Pilate faced a dilemma: If he released Jesus there might be serious riots. The alternative was to execute an innocent man. Pilate wanted a way out and used a Passover amnesty, which allows the Roman governor to release a prisoner on the festival .Pilate offered the crowd a choice between Jesus and Barabbas, a convicted murderer.The crowd shouted for Barabbas to be released. There was no way out for Pilate, but he made a last attempt at saving his own reputation. Pilate declared that Jesus was innocent and condemned him to death by crucifixion. Then he symbolically washed his hands in front of the crowd, telling them he was innocent of Jesus' blood. However, Pilate sacrificed Jesus to preserve Roman rule and his own career.

* Fra Dolcino, a political and theological libertarian who founded a proto-socialist revolutionary movement. He and his followers were was eventually executed by Inquisition in 1307.

** Of course we can't. They were heroes.

* Fra Dolcino, a political and theological libertarian who was eventually executed by Inquisitors without trial.

[[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife Ruinous tropes in my computer?]] That's '''''HERESY!!!!!'''''

* Jesus Christ (yes, that one) was accused of heresy and blasphemy by the Pharisees for claiming to be of divine origin. They, however, lacked the authority to try him under Roman occupation, so his case was remitted to a Roman court. He was eventually convicted of sedition, and executed.

* Jacques de Molay, the last Grand Master of TheKnightsTemplar, was (probably falsely) accused of various forms of blasphemy and executed.

* Origen, a Christian mystic, was occused of Heresy for believing in [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_redemption Universal Redemption]].

TheHeretic is a traitor to TheChurch. Most commonly, he was once a member of its congregation or even its [[GoodShepherd clergy]] but got officially excommunicated for propagating the beliefs that go against TheChurch's official dogma. Just being a heretic doesn't mark you evil by default: A heretic to a SaintlyChurch is often ChaoticEvil, but a heretic to a CorruptChurch or a PathOfInspiration may well be a DefectorFromDecadence.

* Ah, who could not forget the many heretics during them middle ages?

* Jesus Christ was accused of heresy and blasphemy by the Pharisees for claiming to be of divine origin. They, however, lacked the authority to try him under Roman occupation, so his case was remitted to a Roman court. He was eventually convicted of sedition, and executed.

Heresy has an intrinsic connection to doctrines of the the church in question. Someone who merely disagrees with the Church as an outsider is not a heretic - for instance, Hypatia of Alexandria. Wiccans are not considered "heretics" to the Catholic religion, but Padre Ned Reidy was put on trial for heresy.