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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 20441
[History]
Date Posted:
3/11/2009
4:50:14 pm EDT
Wvox Stats
Views: 3,050
RSS: 17,454
Comments: 10
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The Devil Was Very Real, Indeed
Author: Thomas Franklin Waters Source: Ipswich Chronicle
Title: THE DEVIL WAS VERY REAL, INDEED
Good morning! The year is 1703 and I'd like to talk to you today about witchcraft. Since I have the ability to see into the future, I know that in your day you think that the Puritans' belief in witchcraft was very silly. But you must put yourself back in time in our shoes to understand why we are so very much afraid of it.
Remember that we have been taught from the age of 3 or 4 that witches are people who have made a pact with the Devil, and for us the Devil is very real. We have heard stories that go back hundreds of years of witches in Europe, and we have been told that thousands of them were put to death. The stories we have been brought up with tell us that these witches were very real indeed, and that they needed to be killed.
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Community Thoughts: There are 10 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Interesting Reading.... | Mar 12th. at 10:48:25 pm EDT
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nasionnaich (Stanchfield, Minnesota) - Email Me
The article is a good satire -- as well as a fantastic slap up-side the collective Right-Wing Christian Conservative Fundamentalist head!
Yeah, it's written as though it were from the "world view" of an 18th century Puritan, but that is to emphasize how stupidly ludicrous that view is. How do i know this?
Look at the last two sentences: "I was very glad to see Judge Sewell from Newbury read a formal apology before his church in Boston.
So we never had any more trouble from witches, but we still have a great fear of the Devil and must say our prayers every day to keep him away."
I know what the "Puritan" was saying, and I agree with him/her. The "witches" were all falsely accused, so there probably ain't no such thing as "the Devil", either.
Those who think the article is all about "proving" the existence of "Satan" really need to read the whole article, instead of just the first few sentences.
--nasionnaich
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| A Neat Historical Tidbit | Mar 12th. at 1:12:12 pm EDT
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Faloku (Arcata, California) - Email Me
I like this story. It effectively addresses something I think we've all asked, namely, how the heck did the judges believe in something so silly?
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| A Reasonable Effort | Mar 12th. at 11:33:03 am EDT
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Fred Lawrence (Kansas City, Kansas) - Email Me
It seems to be that the author made a reasonable effort to get into the mind-set of a 1703 Puritan. Their worldview was very different from most people today. In fact, they would have had trouble understanding the very concept of "worldview", something that comes easily to most of us.
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| Read Carefully - | Mar 12th. at 8:06:56 am EDT
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Grumpy Raven (Eagle, Colorado) - Email Me
The author states in the first line that the year is 1703, but the essay obviously was not written in 1703 (the style is wrong) . I think we can conclude that the essay is an exercise in trying to understand the mindset of New England inhabitants in 1703, and says nothing about the actual beliefs of the actual modern author.
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| IF THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FUNNY.... | Mar 12th. at 4:39:17 am EDT
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Whitewolf (Schenectady, New York) - Email Me
I ain't laughing. There's an all-too-real chance it might happen again.
Love to all
PS. although I think with the Shrub out of office the chances are going down a bit....
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| Hmmm, Looks To Me | Mar 11th. at 10:12:32 pm EDT
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Jeff Kincaid (Lynchburg, Virginia) - Email Me
As if someone was trying to illustrate the stupidity of the 1692 trials. Pretty good essay.
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| What Do They Mean-was?... | Mar 11th. at 7:50:57 pm EDT
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bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
Those who seek the "devil" in others may often, in their efforts, overlook finding it in themselves.
We may feel that we are done with the witch hunts of the past but the truth is, we are not, since the religious and political fervor of both Old Europe and Salem has found its mark in much of history across the world in one form or another. And still it continues wherever it can find fertile ground to root and flourish, spreading hate, envy and intolerance wherever it can.
Our only hope is to come to grips with it, not by denial, but by understanding how they can so easily start, and recognizing the signs when they do.
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| Definately Satire | Mar 11th. at 7:35:33 pm EDT
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Gray Fox (Albuquerque, New Mexico) - Email Me
However, if a fundie, would he admit he could see into the future? Wouldn't that be considered sourcery? Yup, a slam a fundie beliefs/hysteria and the more level headed coming forward to stop the idiocy. Reminds me aof a classic movie:
"What do you burn apart from witches?"
"More witches!"
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| ... | Mar 11th. at 7:22:49 pm EDT
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Draken (Bronx, New York) - Email Me - Web
I can't tell if it was an Onion-style tongue-in-cheek jape or the sincere writings of a deluded fundie idiot. It looks a lot like both.
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| The More Things Change.... | Mar 11th. at 6:27:40 pm EDT
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WitchPoet (Claremont, California) - Email Me - Web
We in the West congratulate ourselves on putting this sort of theocratic superstition behind us. But the concept is alive and well all across Africa, India and the Middle East.
No matter the source we must not allow theocratic, supremacist thought to subvert Western culture and freedoms.
From hard line conservative Christians to radical Jews to Islamist Muslims all who seek to promote a single source, single viewpoint "truth" have one thing in common. They are all wrong.
One of the hallmarks of true civilization is an ability to see that we can never be totally SURE we are not being stupid. This can be carried too far by those who dislike their own culture far more than some who share none of our freedoms or values.
Bottom line is that partisanship sucks!
Any party that wants to claim sole power and not allow a significant voice to the opposition does not understand Western values anymore than Hitler, Stalin or Osama or their followers do..
Find More info -- HERE
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