It was politics and not religion directly that was behind the killings of the Reformation. Luther preached a strict doctrine of non-resistance, so did Calvin later, although for different doctrinal reasons. It was purely out of the power politics of the princes of the HRE that any conflict arose, and even then it was only due to the complications of the authority of the Emperor over the princes and in particular whether the princes had a duty to protect their citizens from the Emperor.
Religion is rarely behind the atrocities it is accused of (yes there are atrocities directly caused by religion, but I mean the big things). Was religious fervour the main factor in the launch of the crusades, or was it due to the stifling social situation in Europe (the fact that the majority of participants were the lesser sons of nobles and not fanatical peasants as is stereotyped gives us a clue)? Did the English civil war really happen because the Puritans and Anglicans wanted to massacre each other, or was it because of the political associations each happened to be tied to, and the fact that England could have beaten France to adopting an absolutist monarchy?
OK, but you did take my words somewhat out of context. Who believes they can work out things like the meaning of life using their own logic and reasoning?
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