Five hundred years ago, torture was common practice. In our age, it's considered barbaric, and rightly so. It was barbaric then, but people didn't understand it to be so.

I know the Ten Commandments may not actually spell out - thou shalt not torture and burn or incite others to do so in my name - but would you accept that the eventually result of all this is covered by - thou shalt not kill? And even if it was not - such things certainly were then considered barbaric - especially if it was happening to you or members of your organised religion?

Folk do KNOW these things and (most) have natural inhibitors that prevent them undertaking such things - until they are TAUGHT by organised religions that such bad things are in fact not really so bad. And by some, that even if these bad things are done because of and in the name of organised religion - it can be forgiven and by the same organised religion that caused them to do it.   

As the tenents of many well-supported organised religions - especially those in the U.S. do passionately accept heaven and hell - is the Vatican saying that burning and torture is the inevitable end result of them succeeding in convincing the rest of us to accept this and is just punishment for those who may not accept this?