Military conquest and use of superior firepower to subjugate a civilization and force conversion by the sword or “blasphemy” laws” is wrong irrespective of the age it was committed. We are seeing the same behavior today.
You’re projecting post Enlightenment values where they don’t belong. The Greeks and Romans also had “blasphemy” laws regarding their own religions.
Was there a civilization to subjugate? Certainly nowhwere near the level of Western European civilization. You sound like a PC fascist, not a lover of freedom. What’s next, civilization shouldn’t have subjugated the savages of the Americas?
The Portuguese, Spain and other Catholic states were intent on protecting their Catholic religion and Catholic culture. Righr or wrong, the Inquisition was one means for achieving that end.
Today, their are states that apply their own form of inquisition. E.g., Christian persecution in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, India etc.
There are other forms of discrimination that are subtle but nevertheless exist. We frequently refer to Israel as a "Jewish State." Yes, there are apologists that swear it is a democracy but the truth is - not so much. Israel's "Nation-State Law", officially known as the "Basic Law": , was enacted by the Knesset in July 2018. This law has sparked significant debate regarding its implications for equality within Israeli society. To understand how it undermines the principle of equality, we can analyze several key aspects:
1. Lack of Explicit Reference to Equality One of the most critical issues with the Nation-State Law is that it does not include any explicit mention of equality among citizens. Unlike many democratic nations that enshrine equal rights for all individuals in their constitutions or foundational laws, Israel’s Basic Laws do not formally recognize this principle.
2. Prioritization of Jewish Collective Rights Over Individual Rights. The law emphasizes the collective rights of the Jewish people to self-determination while sidelining individual rights and freedoms for non-Jewish citizens. By asserting that only Jews have the right to self-determination in Israel, it effectively places Jewish identity above individual civil rights.
3. Omission of Democratic Principles. The Nation-State Law fails to affirm Israel’s identity as both a Jewish and democratic state.
Full circle: Jewish State for Jews. Catholic state(s) for Catholics.
Would you also go off on finding that one of your nth great grandmothers was married at the age of 14? Norms of today cannot be used to judge the mores of the past. It's a fool's errand.