Pinker — “Institutionalized torture in Christendom was not just an…”

Source: The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined — Steven Pinker

Book page: pinker-selected-works-part-1

From: Steven Pinker — Quotes

---

Institutionalized torture in Christendom was not just an unthinking habit; it had a moral rationale. If you really believe that failing to accept Jesus as one’s savior is a ticket to fiery damnation, then torturing a person until he acknowledges this truth is doing him the biggest favor of his life: better a few hours now than an eternity later.