Religious Persecution and Ideological Justifications
Religious persecution has often been justified through moral and ideological distortions. In this section, we explore how gaslighting has been employed to frame religious oppression as necessary or righteous, reframing persecution as divine mandate or moral superiority.
The Spanish Inquisition
The Catholic Church used religious purity to justify the violent persecution of the Spanish Inquisition, downplaying its brutality. This historical gaslighting allowed the Church to control the narrative, obscuring the true human toll for centuries.
Native American Boarding Schools
The U.S. and Canadian governments framed Native American boarding schools as benevolent institutions, while the brutal reality of cultural erasure and abuse was minimized, gaslighting the public into believing these schools were beneficial.
The Protestant Reformation and the Counter-Reformation
Both Catholics and Protestants engaged in gaslighting during the Reformation, framing their stances as morally superior and manipulating public perception to justify centuries of persecution, war, and religious conflict.
Soviet Persecution of Religion
The Soviet state gaslighted its citizens into believing religion was a threat to society, justifying the repression of religious institutions and undermining moral authority. This manipulation led to widespread persecution.
The French Revolution and the Reign of Terror
During the Reign of Terror, the revolutionary government gaslighted the public by framing religious institutions as enemies of the state, justifying persecution in the name of “freedom” and “equality.”
Anti-Mormonism in the 19th Century
In the 19th century, anti-Mormon rhetoric distorted the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) community as a threat to social order. This gaslighting convinced the public that violent persecution, like the 1838 Missouri “Extermination Order,” was justified. In reality, religious intolerance was reframed as a defense of societal norms.
Please note: The topics shared in this section are examples and not intended to be an exhaustive list of gaslighting or poetic truth instances in history or modern times. Please visit the website regularly, as our team continues to research and add new topics on an ongoing basis.