Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Support the channel by visiting: brianholdsworth.ca/help
If you're a traditionalist, you must accept that burning heretics is a good thing. This dilemma seems like a trap that forces you to either deny that traditional society was good or that you think burning heretics is good.
In this video, I explain why a traditionalist can acknowledge that punishing heresy may have made sense in certain historical contexts, while also believing it would be wrong to do so today. The key distinction is between intrinsically evil acts and actions whose morality depends on circumstances, intention, and prudence.
Understanding that difference helps clarify a lot of confusion about tradition, Church teaching, and how moral principles are applied across different times and places.
Timestamps
0:00 — Why tradition is more reliable than novelty
2:56 — The “burning heretics” dilemma
4:00 — The “pushing someone” thought experiment
6:00 — Intrinsic evil vs. extrinsic evil
7:20 — When traditionalists misunderstand tradition
10:51 — Why the Bible alone cannot resolve moral disputes
12:14 — Was executing heretics ever justified?
13:30 — Why heresy was treated as a grave crime in Christendom
Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: pauljernberg.com
Podcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
Support the channel by visiting: brianholdsworth.ca/help
If you're a traditionalist, you must accept that burning heretics is a good thing. This dilemma seems like a trap that forces you to either deny that traditional society was good or that you think burning heretics is good.
In this video, I explain why a traditionalist can acknowledge that punishing heresy may have made sense in certain historical contexts, while also believing it would be wrong to do so today. The key distinction is between intrinsically evil acts and actions whose morality depends on circumstances, intention, and prudence.
Understanding that difference helps clarify a lot of confusion about tradition, Church teaching, and how moral principles are applied across different times and places.
Timestamps
0:00 — Why tradition is more reliable than novelty
2:56 — The “burning heretics” dilemma
4:00 — The “pushing someone” thought experiment
6:00 — Intrinsic evil vs. extrinsic evil
7:20 — When traditionalists misunderstand tradition
10:51 — Why the Bible alone cannot resolve moral disputes
12:14 — Was executing heretics ever justified?
13:30 — Why heresy was treated as a grave crime in Christendom
Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: pauljernberg.com
Podcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
