Hunting Witches: Clearing the Record

BreakPoint ^ | 3 dec 03 | Chuck Colson

[Mr. Silverback]

For many, the image of women burned to death for practicing witchcraft is a potent symbol of both Christian intolerance and Christian irrationality. That's why critics of Christianity are so quick to bring the subject up.

But as a new book demonstrates, nearly everything we've been told about Christianity and witch-hunts is wrong.

Feminists like Andrea Dworkin and Mary Daly claim that up to nine million European women were burned at the stake for witchcraft. And even non-feminist historians write about how the witch-hunts "consumed millions of innocents."

Historian Rodney Stark calls these claims "absurd" and "nonsense." In his new book, FOR THE GLORY OF GOD: HOW MONOTHEISM LED TO REFORMATIONS, SCIENCE, WITCH-HUNTS, AND THE END OF SLAVERY, Stark estimates that the number was closer to 60,000. What's more, many of those killed -- perhaps a third of them -- were men.

And their accusers weren't fanatical clerics, seeking to suppress heresy. On the contrary, in Spain, home of the infamous Spanish Inquisition, there were far fewer trials for witchcraft than there were by secular officials in the rest of Europe. And those brought to trial were far less likely to be executed. In fact, the Spanish Inquisition sometimes brought charges against the accusers instead.

As Stark reports, this pattern was repeated throughout Europe. When church officials intervened in witchcraft trials, it was usually to protect the accused, not persecute them. The witch-hunts that we've read so much about overwhelmingly took place in isolated areas where church and government authority were weakest. This lack of authority enabled local officials and citizens to perpetrate injustice.

But how about the role of Christian irrationality in what happened? Once again, the accepted wisdom is wrong.

If the witch-hunts were the product of Christian irrationality and intolerance, you would expect the high Middle Ages, the "Age of Faith," to have been the historical setting for these hunts. But they weren't.

What Stark calls the period of "frantic" witch-hunting took place during the late Renaissance and the Enlightenment, periods when Christian influence over European culture began to wane. While Christians tried to protect the accused, anti-Christian Enlightenment figures like Thomas Hobbes and Jean Bodin supported the prosecution and execution of so-called witches.

Much of what happened during the witch-hunts, of course, was a travesty of justice. But, as Stark shows us, it is untrue to lay the blame solely at the feet of Christianity. In fact, the only reason to ignore the historical record is if you want to smear Christianity as the "relentless opponent of reason and science."

Unfortunately, witch-hunts are not the only area where Christianity's historical record has been distorted. Correcting these misperceptions is necessary if our positions are going to get a fair hearing in the public square. That's why we'll be spending the next few days with Stark's book.

Christianity has been a proponent, not an opponent, of reason and tolerance in Western civilization. And people who distort the historical record through their own intolerance and irrationality are the true heirs to the witch-hunters.

[Mr. Silverback]

And people who distort the historical record through their own intolerance and irrationality are the true heirs to the witch-hunters.

Indeed. Witness just one example, the sort of folks who act like their kids are going to get cooties if they hear "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance and otherwise blaming Christians for all of America's problems. Reminds me of the folks who figured there must be a witch in the neighborhood if their cow stopped giving milk, only more malicious.

Stark's book sounds like a good place to camp out for a few days.

[Mr. Silverback]

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[LiteKeeper]

bump

[js1138]

Most of the witch burnings in Europe were motivated by the fact that the judges got the victim's property. In places where this was outlawed, there were no witch burnings.

[joesnuffy]

Nero convicted Christians under hate crime legislation...calling their intolerance crimes against humanity...for which he happily executed them in most heinous fashion to the entertainment
of himself and his cronies....

[Campion]

Feminists like Andrea Dworkin and Mary Daly claim that up to nine million European women were burned at the stake for witchcraft.

And then there's the noted historians Jimmy Swaggart and Jack Chick, who claim that "the Inquisition" killed between 60 and 90 million "Bible-believers" [sic]. It's not surprising that the Chinese colonized the New World before the Europeans did; all of the Europeans had been killed by bloodthirsty churchmen, some of them more than once.

Whatsamatta? My history isn't right? ;-)

[Always Right]

BTW, when does witch-hunting season begin?

[PeterPrinciple]

Feminists like Andrea Dworkin and Mary Daly claim that up to nine million European women were burned at the stake for witchcraft. And even non-feminist historians write about how the witch-hunts "consumed millions of innocents."

First time I have heard those numbers...............pulling numbers out of thin air is a favorite of liberals.

[Just another Joe]

I say this as a Christian.

Christianity has been just as good, and just as bad, as any other religon in the world.

The roots of Christianity are love, discipleship, the worship of G*d, and a saviour that died so that I wouldn't have to endure eternal he!!.

On the other side we have the Crusades, which weren't necessarily started in the name of Christ, the Inquisition, and the witch hunts, which again weren't necessarily done in the name of Christ.

Christianity at it's best, IMO, is the best of religons. At it's worst it is just a name some people use to cover their own base lusts.

[elbucko]

Feminists like Andrea Dworkin and.....

Is an anti-Christian remark by a Semite, considered to be a pro-Semitic in context? Just thought I'd ask.

[biblewonk]

Wow, it's almost as if Christianity is the target of lies or something.

[Steve_Seattle]

One issue that Colson doesn't discuss is whether those condemned as witches were - in fact - witches, and whether they did anything as witches that was deserving of punishment by civil or religious authorities. I've read several books on the topic of exorcism, and the claim is made that there were - and are - "witches" or occultists who effectively practice black magic with the intent and result of harming others, and that the only way to deal with these people once-and-for-all was by executing them. Modern day critics dismiss all witch trials as examples of hysterical injustice, and the usual Christian defense is to say that the claims of executions of witches are wildly exaggerated, but perhaps in some cases those witch trials were justified as a means of combatting the effects of sorcery in the real world. (I expect to get flamed for this, but I think it's an issue worth raising.)

[Ff--150]

Unfortunately, witch-hunts are not the only area where Christianity's historical record has been distorted.

When all this is said and done, with the truth--the Christians were not the ones burning witches; "Christians" were burning somebody, and this still may be occuring theses days...

[commish]

OK you know somebody was gonna do it

THE INQUISITION, THE INQUISITION, WHAT A SHOW!

[Alkhin]

Please add me to your ping list!!

[Steve_Seattle]

First time I have heard those numbers...............pulling numbers out of thin air is a favorite of liberals.

As when you read that every/day/month/year (take your pick) 100/500/10,000 (take your pick) plant/animal/insect species become extinct. Where is the proof, and how would we even know that?

[TheBigB]

Which season is witch season?

[theFIRMbss]

>This lack of authority enabled local officials and citizens to perpetrate injustice

No legal "system"
is perfect. But the option
to burn some bad guys

(and gals) who don't fit
any specific legal
label (or people

who "beat" the system)
isn't all bad if it's used
just infrequently...

[harpseal]

I note the witchcraft trials in Salem were not associated with the Roman Catholic Church and the profit motive of the judges may well have helped the conviction rate. Of course the memory of these injustices perpetrated at first by young girls was in fact a part of the guarantee of the ability to confront and cross examine one's accuser.

One should remember this when discussing witness shield provisions and child abuse cases.

[harpseal]

I note the witchcraft trials in Salem were not associated with the Roman Catholic Church and the profit motive of the judges may well have helped the conviction rate. Of course the memory of these injustices perpetrated at first by young girls was in fact a part of the guarantee of the ability to confront and cross examine one's accuser.

One should remember this when discussing witness shield provisions and child abuse cases.