Puritan Church/Salem Witch Trials

[KnowSelf]

The Salem witch trials took place between February of 1692 and May of 1693. By the end of the trials, hundreds were accused of witchcraft, nineteen were executed and several more died in prison awaiting either trial or execution. While these events are referred to as the Salem witch trials, several counties in Massachusetts were involved, including Salem Village, Ipswich, Salem Town and Andover. While these were not the first examples of executions for witchcraft in New England, the volume of accusations and convictions generated one of the most infamous examples of mass hysteria in American history.

Puritan Superstitions
One of the primary contributing factors to the Salem witch trials was the superstitions prevalent in Puritan society. The belief that Satan was present and active was widely held in Europe and eventually spread to Colonial America. A common precept of this belief revolved around the necessity of believing in demons and evil spirits in order to confirm the belief of the existence of God and angels. This, combined with daily superstitions where all misfortunes were blamed on the supernatural, created a perfect environment for the mass hysteria leading to the Salem witch trials.

What would a Puristic Society look like today? Is superstition bad or nothing more than stories?
Have you acted on behalf the church or direction from God?
I witch trial prosecutors acted in good conscience in the torture and punishment of condemned women labeled as witches are they guilty of wrongdoing? Must they repent if acting on the direction of the church?

 

[Cino]

What would a Puristic Society look like today? Is superstition bad or nothing more than stories?
Have you acted on behalf the church or direction from God?
I witch trial prosecutors acted in good conscience in the torture and punishment of condemned women labeled as witches are they guilty of wrongdoing? Must they repent if acting on the direction of the church?

From outside the U.S., it doesn't look like Puritan values ever went out of fashion there, or that the witch-hunts stopped. The scapegoats merely changed over time: Chinese railroad workers, trade unions, communists, civil rights activists ... and came full circle with the "Satanic Panic" of the late 80's to early 90's. Other places around the world have similar histories, I'm not singleing out the States here.

Ideologies don't exists without actors, I think. Thus, each would-be witch-hunter, union-buster, or concerned parent will have their own unsavory personal reasons and agenda for acting in behalf of "The Church" or some other powerful organization's cause - usually personal gain, or revenge, or something of that kind. Maybe schizophrenia, if voices are telling them to commit the atrocities. I don't believe in "noble if misguided" lynch mobs.

(edited to add) In summary: yes, repent!

 

[wil]

and came full circle with the "Satanic Panic" of the late 80's to early 90's.

I'm afraid to go down that rabbit hole. I currently recall zero about whatever that is...and I lived here.

 

[KnowSelf]

The Chinese Exclusion Act, Native American and African American history are victims of propaganda spawned by white sheep. I was born White and I have reaped the rewards my skin color brings. I cannot imagine the inherited struggle of races different than my own, however, Historically white people are responsible for the slaughter and imprisonment races and cultures different than White. Who put White at the top of the food chain?

How did White get here when other races are similarly intelligent and productive? Oddly it is believed the Garden of Eden was not located in Oklahoma and the skin color of the first humans were not White, so what happened? Does God favor White people?
I appreciate the opportunities afforded to me, but why do some races prosper and others are succumbed by their enemies.

Perhaps White people are more devious and driven to rule/control less resistant populations.

I remember the Kent State College shootings when the US National Guard shoot blindly into a crowed of student protesting the Vietnam War. Nixon made the call out of fear and contempt for the spread of Communism and changes in the Ozzy & Harriet values system from the previous generation. The '60 encouraged self expression through sex, drugs and rock 7 roll. No wonder Nixon was afraid.

 

[KnowSelf]

Although colorful by description the motivating force behind this post are Power groups and people who control(ed) the fate of minorities. women, culture, race based on loss of power and control.

I am disappointed, we should have been responsible to life and each other.