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Join me for a live tweet thread of the Becket declaration. An example of very bad history and equally bad fanfiction! (Commentary from the crowd is most welcome).
"lion of religious liberty" LOL. Becket would have proclaimed the whacked out fundamentalist who wrote this a heretic. Like the concept of "religious liberty" existed in the 12th century. Also... Becket a scholar? He's not known for his scholarly output.
This is just false.
Besides a massive oversimplification of what the Constitutions of Clarendon tried to resolve or what it was, this sounds like they ripped off dialogue from the Becket movie.
If they actually discussed what divided Henry II and Becket when he returned, Becket would sound less heroic to modern eyes (he excommunicated Henry's prelates for being complicit in crowning Henry the Young King b/c that was a right of Canterbury not York). Also, THAT LINE.
Also, Becket didn't technically have property. This is so stupid.
Except for the murder, all of this is debatable and based on chronicles that were pro-Becket.
I don't even know where to begin with this. Just, no. No to all of it.
I don't know much about Washington but doubt he looked to the Catholic and devout Becket as any sort of political model. I can't believe this is connecting Becket's opposition to Henry's reforms as being the cause of "religious liberty" in the Americas centuries later.
If I could put a "jacking off" emoji here I would.
Same for this one:
So you're basically distorting the history of Becket and Henry II so you can issue a statement ex cathedra (ha ha get it) that ultimately means nothing and changes no policy. Got it.
This is unreal. All of this "for" Becket. BECKET WOULD HAVE BEEN AGAINST RELIGIOUS LIBERTY. Also, lol crocodile tears for Becket. A guy who's been dead for centuries.
Uh... wtf? Are you encouraging secular celebrations of Becket? What would that look like? If not, then you should know that there are already Catholic and Anglican commemorations of Becket that have gone on for centuries now. We live in such stupid times. I want off this ride.
