2007-01-01 05:26:32 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Those women were free thinkers and the church did not like that. They wanted people to think of Christianity and that was it. They made up stories like those women were witches and got rid of them.
2007-01-01 05:35:32 · answer #1 · answered by steve 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
As for why they went after women? Women had been villified throughout the Middle Ages as having unhealthy powers over men, as represented by Eve, so they were already seen as dangerous. Women who seemed powerful (especially widows with their own money, and midwives) were especially threatening. So it makes sense that people would find an excuse to justify getting rid of them.
As for why they were BURNT? The idea was that fire purifies.
2007-01-01 06:31:29 · answer #2 · answered by Vaughn 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hysteria. Fear of the unknown. And b/c the bible says to kill witches. Somewhere along the line, fire was thought better to kill a witch's soul.
There were also sexual connotations to the whole process as they would strip the "witch" to check her for strange marks on her body. Quite a thrill for the puritans of the day.
2007-01-01 05:28:04 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Those countries where most witches were burnt tended to be Calvinist and Calvinism was fanatically opposed to anything connected with Satan like witch craft.
2007-01-01 05:33:55 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Because they ran out of non-cristians to kill so they created witches. This made the fools believe that the church was saving them.
2007-01-01 08:47:10 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
For the same reasons they perpetrated the Inquisition, the Crusades, and the annihilation of many civilizations of indigenous peoples throughout the world....they did these things out of obedience to a loving god, and they did them with love in their hearts...
2007-01-01 05:44:34 · answer #6 · answered by yomama 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Why do the oppress homosexuals today?
Same reason. Thank goodness they've stopped throwing us onto bonfires, like they did in the Middle Ages.
2007-01-01 05:31:21 · answer #7 · answered by NHBaritone 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Because the bible says so - just as it says they must conquere and enslave the entire world, exterminate the jews and enslave blacks
# American Standard Version "Thou shalt not suffer a sorceress to live."
# The Answer: Put to death any woman who does evil magic.
# Amplified Bible: You shall not allow a woman to live who practices sorcery.
# Good News Version: Put to death any woman who practices magic.
# James Moffatt Translation: You shall not allow any sorceress to live.
# Jerusalem Bible: You shall not allow a sorceress to live.
# King James Version: Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.
# Living Bible: A sorceress shall be put to death.
# Modern Language Bible: Allow no sorceress to live.
# New American Bible: You shall not let a sorceress live.
# New American Standard Bible: You shall not let a sorceress live.
# New Century Version: Put to death any woman who does evil magic.
# New International Version: Do not allow a sorceress to live.
# New Living Translation: A sorceress must not be allowed to live.
# New Revised Standard Version: You shall not permit a female sorcerer to live.
# New World Translation: You must not preserve a sorceress alive.
# The Promise: Contemporary English Version: Death is the punishment for witchcraft.
# Revised Standard Version: You shall not permit a sorceress to live.
# Revised English Bible: You must not allow a witch to live
2007-01-01 05:37:11 · answer #8 · answered by shaybani_yusuf 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
usually for profit--an accuser inherited the deceased witch's estate after they were executed
2007-01-01 05:32:13 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
You won't get many answers from Christians on this one, touches a raw nerve...
2007-01-01 05:31:53 · answer #10 · answered by fourmorebeers 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋