Dutchman Dirk Willems was a religious prisoner who escaped in 1569, but when the guard pursuing him fell through the ice of a river, Willems turned around to save the guard. He was then recaptured and burned at stake.

link

  • Yllych [any]
    ·
    7 months ago

    He wasn't a lib rather he was an Anabaptist, which from what I remember from long ago matt-jokerfied vlogs was one of the cooler versions of Christianity in that they sort of occupied a critical space that Lutheranism left open as Luther went against Catholicism and yet conformed to the emerging demands of capitalism.

    They believed baptism as a baby made no sense since babies can't believe anything, and that mankind should live communally as the first Christians did in order to enter heaven. They see themselves as citizens of the kingdom of God not any nation state, so they refuse things like military service, oaths, violence, espouse forgiveness etc. That being said they, like most Christians, were bad to women and apparently enforced polygamy in the Munster rebellion.

    Just wanted to nerd correct the record nerd since I saw an annoying guy in that reddit link claiming that Anabaptists were crazy murderers wanting to establish a "theocratic dictatorship" (mf what do you think all European countries with a supposed god given royalty were?) when , according to the very wikipedia article he links, it was the armies of the aristocracy who did the killing and starving, not Anabaptists.

    Also neglects to mention that a couple years before this rebellion was the Peasants' War which was a rebellion supported by radical clergy and was also destroyed by the landowners, but much larger in bloodshed.

      • Yllych [any]
        ·
        7 months ago

        Yes they are descended from the Anabaptist immigrants to the new world. I think there are still remnants in parts of Germany and the Netherlands as well

    • moondog [he/him]
      ·
      7 months ago

      This is cool, you have any tips on where I can read more?

      Also relevant: Acts 4:32-35

      32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all 34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.

      • Yllych [any]
        ·
        7 months ago

        I don't have any specific books that I could recommend unfortunately what I know is just gleaned from Christmans videos and the thirty years war series he did, I'm pretty sure they touch on some of this in the series as background info.

      • JamesConeZone [they/them]
        ·
        7 months ago

        James Crossley is a Marxist religion scholar in the UK and has written about this here. He has a book about John Ball specifically that might be interesting

        For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.

        the phrase "From each according their ability, to each according to their needs" is often traced back to this very verse.

      • the_itsb [she/her, comrade/them]
        ·
        7 months ago

        No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.

        😳Communism Christianity is when everybody shares a toothbrush!!