Witch hunts

Witchcraft Museum in Edinburgh, Scotland Documents Torture of Women

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At Scotland's new Museum of Magic, Fortune-telling and Witchcraft, "visitors can gawk at a mummified cat as well as good-luck charms once used by ordinary Scots. Also on display are mystical amulets and bottles once owned by those thought to be witches," the Religion News Service reports. It quotes Ash William Mills, the museum’s founder and … Continue reading Witchcraft Museum in Edinburgh, Scotland Documents Torture of Women

Echoes of the Army-McCarthy Hearings in Congress’ 1/6 Riot Inquiry?

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Veteran Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward on CNN immediately after the first Congressional hearing on the January 6, 2021 riot at the Capitol and Donald Trump's role in fomenting an insurrection declared, "this evening was historic. It was the equivalent of the Army-McCarthy hearings." In 1954, after four years of Sen. Joe McCarthy (R-WI) appealing … Continue reading Echoes of the Army-McCarthy Hearings in Congress’ 1/6 Riot Inquiry?

What Really Happened At the Salem Witch Trials? 20th and 21st Century Witches

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVd8kuufBhM A cautionary tale of the dangers of groupthink and scapegoating: "You’ve been accused of a crime you did not commit. It’s impossible to prove your innocence. If you insist that you’re innocent anyway, you’ll likely be found guilty and executed. But if you confess, apologize, and implicate others, you’ll go free. This was the … Continue reading What Really Happened At the Salem Witch Trials? 20th and 21st Century Witches

Origins of Witch Hunts? Are We Still Ferreting Out and Persecuting Witches?

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John Green's Crash Course lecture #10 on European History: "Wars, disease, climate changes, and shifts in religious and political power threw the European world into turmoil. People were looking for a scapegoat, and for many it was a time of magical thinking. So, maybe witches were responsible for all the problems? It was a popular … Continue reading Origins of Witch Hunts? Are We Still Ferreting Out and Persecuting Witches?

A New Consensus Against McCarthyism?

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In this era of scandalous accusations and "fake news," it's appropriate to re-examine the hysterical "Red Scare" witch hunt tactics of Senator Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s, in which the lives of many innocent people were damaged by suspicion and false accusations. Until Donald Trump became president, there wasn't widespread agreement on the meaning of … Continue reading A New Consensus Against McCarthyism?