Since Wicca is a religion, we must first establish what a belief system is. (Of course if you're already up on Sam Harris or Dawkins, you know this.)
And since people are persecuted for being "Witches," in opposition to a dominant religious order, we must understand the power of belief systems.
A belief system represents belief without evidence, or faith.
I can believe in ghosts, but I can't prove they exist.
Faith can be a comforting thing, but it can also be a scapegoat used to excuse unethical behavior.
Religion is the only thing that can make good people do bad things.
Below are some examples of the power of belief to commit heinous acts. There are many, many more examples. Please post more examples with a comment.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/interactive/2013/oct/04/westgate-mall-attacks-kenya-terror
http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/article/forced-exodus-christians-middle-east
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/justice-story/justice-story-honor-killing-article-1.1510125
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/barbara-wade-rose/papua-new-guinea-witchcraft-burned-stake_b_2688403.html?just_reloaded=1
http://youtu.be/LACyLTsH4ac
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If I believe that a Witch is among us, I can use that to kill her or him with "impunity."
Here's something happening right now that expresses the danger of a belief system over reason:
http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/15/world/africa/sudan-christian-woman-apostasy/
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What if there is no God? What would make killing wrong?
To
start, I could say that if there is no afterlife, then taking another's
life would be the worst abomination, as the life I take would be the
entirety of the being. Or, raping someone and ruining her or his soul
would be the worst abomination.
The reason evidence is
so important is that without it, I can inflict punishment or death on
another just by having a belief about that person:
http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/salem.htm
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This link provides information about the Roman Catholic Church's inquisitions that resulted in many deaths from the 12th century to the 15th. What began as a way to seek out those who did not follow the Church and teach them their ways ended in the murder of non-followers. Pope Gregory believed it was a way to prevent infecting the minds of the Catholic community that Roman Catholicism created.
ReplyDeletehttp://galileo.rice.edu/lib/student_work/trial96/loftis/overview.html
What I find most baffling about religious persecution is what they hope to accomplish. And how is someone's differing beliefs hurting you? So what if they are wrong and you are right. This in no way affects you. And what does punishing them accomplish? Conversion through torture, threat of death, and punishment is a false belief. I don't believe it just because you told me to or you will kill me.
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