The Bible Condemns Witchcraft

[shart_attack]

The term witchcraft is one of the most frequently misunderstood, misinterpreted words in the entirety of The Bible.

Translated from the Greek word pharmakeia, witchcraft as found in Galatians 5:20 means sorcery via potions.

That's incidentally why so many women were killed by The Church in the Dark Ages, because the little old lady in the woods was thought to have been a witch by virtue of the home brews she made which healed people.

Accordingly with the Greek translation of the word for witchcraft, the equivalent of a witch or warlock today would be a drug dealer or pharmacist.

I guess that means Walter White's in trouble, eh?

Pharmakeia The Abuse of Drugs

There weren't any women "killed by the church" in the Dark Ages. The Dark Ages was the period of time in Britain/Europe BEFORE the church was established, after the Romans withdrew...people were essentially pagans at that time, and the church hadn't arrived to teach people to read and write. The term "dark" refers to the fact that because there was very little church involvement, there's not much known because there's no (or very little) written history.

In fact, the numbers of women "killed by the church" for witchcraft were miniscule. Women (and men) were killed for HERESY by various and assorted government groups, in the NAME of the church, but these (including the Salem incidents) were political, not religious, killings...and the numbers of so-called witches that were killed were minute.

No offense, sis, but you really oughtta think about looking up your old high-school and undergraduate history teachers, and screaming at them for a coupla hours.

They didn't do very good jobs of teaching you. Sorry.

Inquisition - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

Dark Ages historiography - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

I can cite volumes more sites online as proof of the timeline should you prefer, but I think you get the idea, hun.

Yes, there were more than a few women killed by the church during the Dark Ages for those women's having been alleged to have been witches.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

The Roman church murdered hundreds of thousands accusing some of them of being witches - according to one author's reseach they buried over 150,000 non catholics alive - accusing them of witchcraft - you need to buy the book - Through the Eye of A Jew Volume II - on the persecution of Jews by the Vatican - by Melvin Fechter. It contains much information you probably are not aware of, KG. Interesting that to this day the Doctrine of Lea which approves such things is still part of the Vatican doctrine. That is also mentioned in the book.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

There has never been any such things as "actual" witches that could cast successfull spells against humans. The Salem witch trials were just murders by the community government because some children started pointing fingers at various people and claiming that they were witches. When the state got involved they said they would no longer prosecute people for witchcraft, as the accused were killed either way.
Later, the children confessed that they just called people witches for fun. Punishment for the children? None. Kids will be kids.
If actual witches existed, they'd rule the world with their spells and incantations. Those that claim to be Wiccans, are just harmless people playing at being spell makers via potions.
I do believe that it's time Jeremiah joined the 21st century. He's been stuck in the middle-ages for too long.

I believe the history on Salem was approximately 20 - 25 people were put to death and it was a Puritan Christian that put a stop to it - compare that with the Roman Catholics murdering hundreds of thousands, the inquisitions, torture, burning people at the stake, burying them alive - no comparison. The history of the Romans is downright evil - from the beginning - it is not a church that preaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ - its aspirations have always been total power, control, witchcraft, paganism - great evil coming out of that group - true Christians should have no part of it.

 

[koshergrl]

The term witchcraft is one of the most frequently misunderstood, misinterpreted words in the entirety of The Bible.

Translated from the Greek word pharmakeia, witchcraft as found in Galatians 5:20 means sorcery via potions.

That's incidentally why so many women were killed by The Church in the Dark Ages, because the little old lady in the woods was thought to have been a witch by virtue of the home brews she made which healed people.

Accordingly with the Greek translation of the word for witchcraft, the equivalent of a witch or warlock today would be a drug dealer or pharmacist.

I guess that means Walter White's in trouble, eh?

Pharmakeia The Abuse of Drugs

There weren't any women "killed by the church" in the Dark Ages. The Dark Ages was the period of time in Britain/Europe BEFORE the church was established, after the Romans withdrew...people were essentially pagans at that time, and the church hadn't arrived to teach people to read and write. The term "dark" refers to the fact that because there was very little church involvement, there's not much known because there's no (or very little) written history.

In fact, the numbers of women "killed by the church" for witchcraft were miniscule. Women (and men) were killed for HERESY by various and assorted government groups, in the NAME of the church, but these (including the Salem incidents) were political, not religious, killings...and the numbers of so-called witches that were killed were minute.

No offense, sis, but you really oughtta think about looking up your old high-school and undergraduate history teachers, and screaming at them for a coupla hours.

They didn't do very good jobs of teaching you. Sorry.

Inquisition - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

Dark Ages historiography - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

I can cite volumes more sites online as proof of the timeline should you prefer, but I think you get the idea, hun.

Yes, there were more than a few women killed by the church during the Dark Ages for those women's having been alleged to have been witches.

My information comes from college history courses and subsequent learning... Not from wiki.

Go ahead and provide the citations of all the witch burnings that took place during the Dark Ages. Include the numbers. I'm not saying it never happened at all, it may have..but the church was not an established power in the Dark Ages. It was just starting to get it's feet. And when it did get established, the result was the middle ages, and the enlightenment, as people became more educated (by the church) and hospitals and colleges were established....

"1000 Christianity is on the rise

As Christianity spread through the lands, the people began to settle down. The lands settled firmly into their own kingdoms, and the fighting died down for a time. It was considered the end of the "Dark Ages".

The Dark Ages Timeline

"The Myth:

"....Society was barely a thing, and infrastructure was practically nonexistent. Warlords and barbarians roamed the land, every surface was covered by a layer of filth, and the general populace had the life expectancy of a three-legged gazelle in a lion's den. Meanwhile, the church was going around torturing people until they converted, and then probably kept torturing them anyway. Honestly, go find a movie or book about the era and we guarantee it's not going to have a bunch of smiling children on the cover."

"The Reality:
"...The rise of Christianity... saw a dramatic increase in charities. Almost immediately after the church gained a foothold in Europe, they started introducing a widespread system of charity that distributed food, clothing, and money to those in need. Perhaps not by coincidence, the concepts of goodwill hospices, hospitals, and shelters for the poor were also invented during the "dark" ages, paving the way for the public health care system."

Read more: 5 Ridiculous Myths You Probably Believe About the Dark Ages Cracked.com

 

[rdean]

The bible condemns witchcraft. Getting involved in occult practices is very dangerous. According to the authors of books on the subject research has proven that the occult, spiritism, divination, fortune telling, people who become mediums or channels for demon spirits, satanism, witchcraft leads to suicide and insanity. Mental institutions are filled with people who have lost their minds after having been taken over by demons which entered through their involvment with the occult. Consider the following research and bible scripture which confirms these findings:

Witchcraft Can Destroy You
What does the Bible says about Satan?
It is imperative that we understand the identity and the character of these strange supernatural powers. We need to have clearly before us what God says about them and His warning prohibitions against them. Only in this way can we be protected from the deception and terrible retribution that will come from making friends with them.

Special information and unmistakable warnings are to be found all through the Old and New Testaments regarding Satan, demons, evil spirits, familiar spirits, necromancy (trying to talk to the dead), sorcery, witchcraft, divination, and wizardry.

Satan before his fall from heaven was named Lucifer (Isa. 14:12-14), anointed cherub, and covering cherub(Eze. 28:14, 16). Since his fall he is called accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10), adversary (1 Peter 5:8), Beelzebub(Matt. 12:24), devil (Rev. 12:9), enemy (Matt. 13:28, 39), father of lies, liar, and murderer (John 8:44), old serpent(Rev. 20:2), power of darkness (Col. 1:13), prince of this world (John 12:31), prince of devils (Matt. 12:24), prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2), god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4), spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience(Eph. 2:2), tempter (Matt. 4:3), and wicked one (Matt. 13:19). It is clear that Satan is real, and God wants us to have nothing to do with him!

Satan was once an angel of light. His name, being Lucifer, means “light bearer” (Isa. 14:12-14; Eze. 28:13-19). But rebellion against God in heaven changed him into a demon of darkness. When he was cast out of heaven, the angels who sided with him were cast out with him (Rev. 12:7-9).

Religion is belief in the occult.

 

[koshergrl]

BTW:

"Prior to the 9th century CE: There was a widespread popular belief that evil Witches existed. They were seen as evil persons, primarily women, who devoted their lives to harming and killing others through black magic and evil sorcery. The Catholic church at the time officially taught that such Witches did not exist. It was a heresy to say that they were real. "For example, the 5th century Synod of St. Patrick ruled that 'A Christian who believes that there is a vampire in the world, that is to say, a witch, is to be anathematized; whoever lays that reputation upon a living being shall not be received into the Church until he revokes with his own voice the crime that he has committed.'


It wasn't until the middle ages that the church lent credence to *witch hunts*. And in fact, most witch hunts were secular in origin, and happened much, much later than the Dark Ages.

"Contrary to public opinion, suspected witches -- particularly those involved in evil sorcery -- were mainly tried by secular courts. A minority were charged by church authorities; these were often cases involving the use of healing magic or midwifery."

The burning times The Christian extermination of Witches and otherheretics

 

[Hollie]

BTW:

"Prior to the 9th century CE: There was a widespread popular belief that evil Witches existed. They were seen as evil persons, primarily women, who devoted their lives to harming and killing others through black magic and evil sorcery. The Catholic church at the time officially taught that such Witches did not exist. It was a heresy to say that they were real. "For example, the 5th century Synod of St. Patrick ruled that 'A Christian who believes that there is a vampire in the world, that is to say, a witch, is to be anathematized; whoever lays that reputation upon a living being shall not be received into the Church until he revokes with his own voice the crime that he has committed.'


It wasn't until the middle ages that the church lent credence to *witch hunts*. And in fact, most witch hunts were secular in origin, and happened much, much later than the Dark Ages.

"Contrary to public opinion, suspected witches -- particularly those involved in evil sorcery -- were mainly tried by secular courts. A minority were charged by church authorities; these were often cases involving the use of healing magic or midwifery."

The burning times The Christian extermination of Witches and otherheretics

Yeah. X-tians and their murderous witch hunts. Lovely, lovely folks.

 

[koshergrl]

In fact, witch burning in the Dark Ages was frowned upon by the church, as it was a leftover from the Romans and paganism of the tribal people:

"...one of the most cherished foundation myths of the Modern Ages is that of the West's struggle to free itself from the violence of religious intolerance. This is almost as basic as the myth of Galileo springing pristine from the brow of Copernicus.

One aspect of that violence was the witch mania.

1. The Age of Faith

Now, belief in sorcery had been common enough among the Romans, who distinguished three classes of witches and prescribed death for the worst class. It was common, too, among the Germans, though the details differed. So it's no surprise if the folk of the Middle Ages, who were after all the descendants of those self-same Romans and Germans, also believed in such things.

The Church however either ignored magic or treated it leniently; this for the very good reason that she taught that magic was a mere superstition. St. Patrick's Synod in the 5th century anathematized anyone who believed that there really were witches with magical powers. Charlemagne issued a Capitulary for Saxony that declared it criminal for anyone acting on a heathen belief in magic to burn or devour the flesh of accused sorcerers. "

The Auld Blogge Mike Flynn s Journal - The Curse of Hermes

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

The bible condemns witchcraft. Getting involved in occult practices is very dangerous. According to the authors of books on the subject research has proven that the occult, spiritism, divination, fortune telling, people who become mediums or channels for demon spirits, satanism, witchcraft leads to suicide and insanity. Mental institutions are filled with people who have lost their minds after having been taken over by demons which entered through their involvment with the occult. Consider the following research and bible scripture which confirms these findings:

Witchcraft Can Destroy You
What does the Bible says about Satan?
It is imperative that we understand the identity and the character of these strange supernatural powers. We need to have clearly before us what God says about them and His warning prohibitions against them. Only in this way can we be protected from the deception and terrible retribution that will come from making friends with them.

Special information and unmistakable warnings are to be found all through the Old and New Testaments regarding Satan, demons, evil spirits, familiar spirits, necromancy (trying to talk to the dead), sorcery, witchcraft, divination, and wizardry.

Satan before his fall from heaven was named Lucifer (Isa. 14:12-14), anointed cherub, and covering cherub(Eze. 28:14, 16). Since his fall he is called accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10), adversary (1 Peter 5:8), Beelzebub(Matt. 12:24), devil (Rev. 12:9), enemy (Matt. 13:28, 39), father of lies, liar, and murderer (John 8:44), old serpent(Rev. 20:2), power of darkness (Col. 1:13), prince of this world (John 12:31), prince of devils (Matt. 12:24), prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2), god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4), spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience(Eph. 2:2), tempter (Matt. 4:3), and wicked one (Matt. 13:19). It is clear that Satan is real, and God wants us to have nothing to do with him!

Satan was once an angel of light. His name, being Lucifer, means “light bearer” (Isa. 14:12-14; Eze. 28:13-19). But rebellion against God in heaven changed him into a demon of darkness. When he was cast out of heaven, the angels who sided with him were cast out with him (Rev. 12:7-9).

Religion is belief in the occult.

The early church was very aware of the occult. Of course they knew it was real, Dean. But they had no part in it - only to expose it. Not true of the Roman Catholicism Cult - they are steeped in the occult - mary demon god worship - sun god worship - burning of incense - bowing down to statues - praying to their saints - magic water - which they call holy water - the ash wednesday thing is totally of the occult - born again Christians and the true body of Christ have nothing to do with the occult or cults that practice such things as the RCC does.

The Roman Catholics are told that the Roman Church was the first church - the early church - no, they were not. They took part in murdering the Jews and early Christians but they are not the original church in the book of Acts. They have no resembling to them whatsover. The RCC teaches doctrines of demons that is not found in the bible anywhere.

 

[koshergrl]

BTW:

"Prior to the 9th century CE: There was a widespread popular belief that evil Witches existed. They were seen as evil persons, primarily women, who devoted their lives to harming and killing others through black magic and evil sorcery. The Catholic church at the time officially taught that such Witches did not exist. It was a heresy to say that they were real. "For example, the 5th century Synod of St. Patrick ruled that 'A Christian who believes that there is a vampire in the world, that is to say, a witch, is to be anathematized; whoever lays that reputation upon a living being shall not be received into the Church until he revokes with his own voice the crime that he has committed.'


It wasn't until the middle ages that the church lent credence to *witch hunts*. And in fact, most witch hunts were secular in origin, and happened much, much later than the Dark Ages.

"Contrary to public opinion, suspected witches -- particularly those involved in evil sorcery -- were mainly tried by secular courts. A minority were charged by church authorities; these were often cases involving the use of healing magic or midwifery."

The burning times The Christian extermination of Witches and otherheretics

Yeah. X-tians and their murderous witch hunts. Lovely, lovely folks.

Ah, the willful ignorance of atheists. You must have missed the part where it says the churches considered the belief in witches to be heresay. The burnings were secular in origin.

Not much has changed, eh?

"England made sorcery a capital crime in 1542 - after the State had nationalized the Church of England. In the same year, in the Concordat of Liège, the Emperor (Charles V) placed sorcery prosecutions entirely in the hands of secular tribunals.

"The Great Witch Hunts began.

Thomas Hobbes, in the next generation, thought all religion was mendacious and did not himself believe in witches -- but he thought witches should be punished anyhow "for the good of society."

Francis Bacon based his program to gear science not only to knowledge of the natural world but to conquer the material world on the hermetic books' emphasis on humanity's godlike prerogatives over "the lower orders of material creation" and on alchemy's focus on "wracking elemental nature to force it to yield up its secrets."

Early members of the Royal Society, like Robert Boyle, were firmly convinced of the reality of witches and the need for their elimination; and one, Joseph Glanvill, thought that sorcery was scientifically demonstrable.

So why did the Dark Ages of Faith preach that sorcery and witchcraft were unreal and delusional while the Early Modern Ages of Science taught they were real and in need of extermination?
The post-Christian notion of "human mastery of the world," so well developed by Francis Bacon and the Scientific Revolutionaries, gave birth to twins: sorcery and science. Both were based on "wracking nature" to pry out her secrets for human benefit. Magic was a form of materialism, after all. It was the belief that matter had "hidden" [occult] powers that were impersonal and morally neutral. If these were invisible, they were not supernatural. Gravity is invisible, too. "

The Auld Blogge Mike Flynn s Journal - The Curse of Hermes

 

[koshergrl]

The bible condemns witchcraft. Getting involved in occult practices is very dangerous. According to the authors of books on the subject research has proven that the occult, spiritism, divination, fortune telling, people who become mediums or channels for demon spirits, satanism, witchcraft leads to suicide and insanity. Mental institutions are filled with people who have lost their minds after having been taken over by demons which entered through their involvment with the occult. Consider the following research and bible scripture which confirms these findings:

Witchcraft Can Destroy You
What does the Bible says about Satan?
It is imperative that we understand the identity and the character of these strange supernatural powers. We need to have clearly before us what God says about them and His warning prohibitions against them. Only in this way can we be protected from the deception and terrible retribution that will come from making friends with them.

Special information and unmistakable warnings are to be found all through the Old and New Testaments regarding Satan, demons, evil spirits, familiar spirits, necromancy (trying to talk to the dead), sorcery, witchcraft, divination, and wizardry.

Satan before his fall from heaven was named Lucifer (Isa. 14:12-14), anointed cherub, and covering cherub(Eze. 28:14, 16). Since his fall he is called accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10), adversary (1 Peter 5:8), Beelzebub(Matt. 12:24), devil (Rev. 12:9), enemy (Matt. 13:28, 39), father of lies, liar, and murderer (John 8:44), old serpent(Rev. 20:2), power of darkness (Col. 1:13), prince of this world (John 12:31), prince of devils (Matt. 12:24), prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2), god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4), spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience(Eph. 2:2), tempter (Matt. 4:3), and wicked one (Matt. 13:19). It is clear that Satan is real, and God wants us to have nothing to do with him!

Satan was once an angel of light. His name, being Lucifer, means “light bearer” (Isa. 14:12-14; Eze. 28:13-19). But rebellion against God in heaven changed him into a demon of darkness. When he was cast out of heaven, the angels who sided with him were cast out with him (Rev. 12:7-9).

Religion is belief in the occult.

The early church was very aware of the occult. Of course they knew it was real, Dean. But they had no part in it - only to expose it. Not true of the Roman Catholicism Cult - they are steeped in the occult - mary demon god worship - sun god worship - burning of incense - bowing down to statues - praying to their saints - magic water - which they call holy water - the ash wednesday thing is totally of the occult - born again Christians and the true body of Christ have nothing to do with the occult or cults that practice such things as the RCC does.

The Roman Catholics are told that the Roman Church was the first church - the early church - no, they were not. They took part in murdering the early Christians but they are not the original church in the book of Acts. They have no resembling to them whatsover. The RCC teaches doctrines of demons that is not found in the bible anywhere.

But they didn't take part until the Middle Ages, when they were brought to heel by secular powers (the so-called "scientific" leaders of the day).

 

[koshergrl]

The European Witch Hunts did not take place in the Dark Ages.

I don't know how to be more clear than that. The ignorance afforded in this thread is stunning.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

BTW:

"Prior to the 9th century CE: There was a widespread popular belief that evil Witches existed. They were seen as evil persons, primarily women, who devoted their lives to harming and killing others through black magic and evil sorcery. The Catholic church at the time officially taught that such Witches did not exist. It was a heresy to say that they were real. "For example, the 5th century Synod of St. Patrick ruled that 'A Christian who believes that there is a vampire in the world, that is to say, a witch, is to be anathematized; whoever lays that reputation upon a living being shall not be received into the Church until he revokes with his own voice the crime that he has committed.'


It wasn't until the middle ages that the church lent credence to *witch hunts*. And in fact, most witch hunts were secular in origin, and happened much, much later than the Dark Ages.

"Contrary to public opinion, suspected witches -- particularly those involved in evil sorcery -- were mainly tried by secular courts. A minority were charged by church authorities; these were often cases involving the use of healing magic or midwifery."

The burning times The Christian extermination of Witches and otherheretics

Yeah. X-tians and their murderous witch hunts. Lovely, lovely folks.

That is the history of the Roman Catholicism leaders - and their followers didn't know any better, Hollie, because the Roman Catholic leaders / Vatican forbid them to read the bible. Tragic really. The Catholics that are reading their bibles now are realizing that the bible is very easy to understand and that what they were taught by the Catholicism doctrines are lies and an abomination to God. Many nuns and priests have even left since reading the bible and learning the truth.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Paul forbade women preaching in church.

No one cares.

 

[koshergrl]

"Case Study:
The European Witch-Hunts, c. 1450-1750

"Traditional [tolerant] attitudes towards witchcraft began to change in the 14th century, at the very end of the Middle Ages."

"What we think of as "the Burning Times" -- the crazes, panics, and mass hysteria -- largely occurred in one century, from 1550-1650."

This is NOT the DARK AGES.

And in fact, in the countries where the church was the strongest, the witch hunt didn't get a foothold:

""This helps us understand why only the most rapidly developing countries, where the Catholic church was weakest, experienced a virulent witch craze (i.e., Germany, France, Switzerland). Where the Catholic church was strong (Spain, Italy, Portugal) hardly any witch craze occurred ... "

""The vast majority of witches were condemned by secular courts," with local courts especially noted for their persecutory zeal (Gibbons, Recent Developments). "

Gendercide Watch European Witch-Hunts

 

[boedicca]

Witchcraft isn't Satanism.

Women who were herbal healers were often accused of being witches merely because they possessed a skill that made them independent.

 

[koshergrl]

I wish people who don't know the topic would keep their stupid mouths closed. It's not a good idea to spread ignorance. Though if it's your primary pap morning, noon and night, I don't suppose there's much that can be done about it.

 

[koshergrl]

Witchcraft isn't Satanism.

Women who were herbal healers were often accused of being witches merely because they possessed a skill that made them independent.

Not often...though it did happen.

"One theory, popularized by Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English in their 1973 pamphlet Witches, Midwives, and Nurses, proposed that midwives were especially likely to be targeted in the witch-hunts. This assertion has been decisively refuted by subsequent research, which has established the opposite: that "being a licensed midwife actually decreased a woman's chances of being charged" and "midwives were more likely to be found helping witch-hunters" than being victimized by them. (Gibbons, Recent Developments; Diane Purkiss, The Witch in History.)"

Gendercide Watch European Witch-Hunts

Midwives were more apt to take part in witch hunts than others. Again, it's because midwives were often pagans and atheists, and those are the groups that had the strong belief in the occult.

 

[Hollie]

Strange how fundies wish to re-write history regarding the atrocities of their cults.

 

[koshergrl]

And what's chilling...witch hunts continue among non-christian communities:

"Few people are aware that witch-hunts still claim thousands of lives every year, especially in the countries of sub-Saharan Africa, and above all in South Africa.

"Witch-hunts in South Africa have become "a national scourge," according to Phumele Ntombele-Nzimande of the country's Commission on Gender Equality. (Quoted in Gilbert Lewthwaite, "South Africans go on witch hunts," Baltimore Sun, September 27, 1998.) The phenomenon is centered in the country's poverty-stricken Northern Province, where "legislators counted 204 witchcraft-related killings [from 1985-95] ... Police counted 312 for the same period. Everybody agreed both numbers were gross underestimates." (Neely Tucker, "Season of the Witch Haunts Africa," The Toronto Star, August 1, 1999.) In 1996 The Observer (UK) reported that "the precise statistics are not known, but the deaths from witch-burning episodes number in the hundreds each year and the trend appears to be on the rise." (David Beresford, "Ancient superstitions, fear of witches cast spell on new nation," reprinted in The Ottawa Citizen, June 18, 1996.)"

Gendercide Watch European Witch-Hunts