Aldarion
Neoreactionary Monarchist
Let me rephrase then. Hardliners like the Spanish Inquisition did continue the practice because it was incredibly profitable. The Peasantry did so because they were uneducated, superstitious twits.
Spanish Inquisition a) was nowhere as brutal as memed (even if it was extraordinarily brutal by Catholic Inquisition standards, actual temporal / secular government was far more brutal still), and b) was bloody well justified in its actions, considering how many Muslims fake-converted during the Reconquista and then continued to sabotage the kingdom.