Throughout the Middle Ages, the existence of witches was a matter of fact for people of England. They sought out witches to predict the future, find lost items and cast benevolent spells; they also blamed witches for their misfortunes, such as the death of children or livestock, the destruction of crops, or the spread of unknown diseases. Witches were prosecuted in England for inflicting these types of personal misfortunes, or maleficium. In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, witchcraft was usually only tried in ecclesiastical courts, since there were no secular laws against it. While witchcraft was always believed to involve interaction with some type of good or evil spirits, witchcraft was rarely tried in conjunction with all-out devil-worship, even in the churchcourts. (444) When the Witchcraft Acts of 1542-1547 and 1563-1604 madewitchcraft a secular offence, the severity of the punishment was determined only by the nature of the harm done, like any other criminal.
2007-04-24 09:19:37 · 6 answers · asked by Terry 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
One of my reasons for posting this is that until the advent of Fundamentatlist Christianity, Witches were not automatically connected with Satan/Devil or thteatened with Hell, in England though the pilgrims and Puritians got an early start in America.
They had to add the words to their bibles so they could vent their hate.
2007-04-24 09:40:19 · update #1
One of my reasons for posting this is that until the advent of Fundamentatlist Christianity, Witches were not automatically connected with Satan/Devil or thteatened with Hell, in England though, the pilgrims and Puritians got an early start in America.
They had to add the words to their bibles so they could vent their hate.
2007-04-24 09:43:43 · update #2
The facts are sad but true. The Witch was sought out in a time of need and yet shunned when things went wrong even if it wasn't her doing. She was the one in tune with nature and all living creatures that surrounded her. She was asked to help in the delivery of babies and yet blamed if one were to be still born or die during child birth. She was an easy scape goat for the maladies of the time ...
Come to think of it in a direct way that still happens today. Doesn't it? Witchcraft is evil ... it is Satan's work ... witches and practitioners of magick are practicing The Devil's Craft. It seems that old habit die hard.
2007-04-24 12:27:16 · answer #1 · answered by )0( Cricket Song 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree with your statements, as they are factual. But I don't think that practictioners of witchcraft should have been punished, some put to death, by the church. People don't like what they don't understand, it's human nature. But to kill a human being just because they don't agree with your teachings or to kill them because they practice a religion other than your own is out and out wrong. The church in those years was terribly corrupted. Their persecution extended not only to true practitioners of "witchcraft" but to people who simply didn't have the same political views.
:)
2007-04-24 09:34:33 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Build a bridge out of her!
I mean, erm, yes, I've read similar things before, but I haven't personally gone out and researched the history witch trials.
2007-04-24 09:24:36 · answer #3 · answered by jtrusnik 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If she weighs as much as a duck, she must be made of wood!
2007-04-24 09:22:59 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Do we agree or disagree with what- that the facts are correct or that their actions were correct?
2007-04-24 14:43:32 · answer #5 · answered by Deof Movestofca 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"She turned me into a newt..........I got better"
2007-04-24 09:23:41 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋