The Last Word Clarification from Mike Smith

In the March/April 2007 edition of The Home School Court Report, in my column “The Last Word” I described William Tyndale as an example of a hero who lived and died for religious liberty by translating the Bible into English for the common man. It was disheartening to receive some responses from Catholic readers accusing us of historical misrepresentation and anti-Catholic bias. By way of explanation, our intent was to offer an example of someone who stood for freedom, not to offend anyone, misrepresent the Catholic church or express or imply any kind of anti-Catholic bias. To that end, I extend my apologies to anyone who was offended by the column. Although our research indicates that Tyndale was tried for heresy by a commission of the church during his sojourn in Antwerp (in present-day Belgium) and burned at the stake under Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, the fact remains that Catholics and Protestants have both been the persecutors and the persecuted at times throughout history, and it is for this reason that the Catholic church was not even mentioned in the article. We sincerely hope that any disagreement that we may have over this individual will not hinder our future relationship as we work together toward defending and advancing the constitutional right of parents to direct the education of their children.

— by J. Michael Smith