Salem witch trials

[MRB_Doom]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_witch_trials

http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Huvudsida

From the Swedish Wikipedia; On this day... (February 8th 1692)

"A doctor claims that three teenage girls is controlled by the devil, which is the introduction to Puritan witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts."

Can this be repeated against another group in today's society? I'm sure it has been going on but specifically, what's your concern?

[Jimmy]

I read about all this when I studied the Arthur Miller play "The Crucible" at A level. This was 400 years ago, though, and while there will always be religious nutjobbery, I doubt it will escalate as high as this (condemning/executing people for "witchcraft", without any evidence) ever again, at least in the US.

[Remilia Scarlet]

It's already going on, yeah, and with multiple groups. LGBT people come to mind. The difference is that it looks different today due to the difference in time and changes in our cultural dynamics.

EDIT: I almost forgot that I watched this clip this morning where it's specifically mentioned in a modern context:

[Quast]

MRB_Doom said:

Can this be repeated against another group in today's society? I'm sure it has been going on but specifically, what's your concern?

It can and has and is a way of life for some people. There are people alive today that will suffer and die at the hands of unruly mobs and even court systems because of "socerey" and "witchcraft".

[Technician]

The West Memphis Three come to mind. I find America especially eager to parade mob mentality as of late.

Although we haven't had many lynchings, many people still talk about atheist, homosexuals, any other religion besides Evangelical Christianity as sub-humans. I hear some people talk about the "preaching of evolution" like it were a cult thing.

[MRB_Doom]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_Bah%C3%A1%27%C3%ADs

If the link doesn't work, search on the English Wikipedia: Persecution of Bahá'ís

I was a member of the Swedish bahá'í community from 2001-2006. The largest religious minority in Iran is the bahá'í faith.

Independent search for truth is very welcomed by this religion and I left it's community in Sweden in order to explore every form of reality that exists and so forth.

I'm an extreme pessimist rather than being an optimist.

I think another Dark Age is upon us if the current world situation deteriorates.

[Shaikoten]

Hey, I agree with Bill O'Reilley in that clip. That doesn't happen often. I still think he managed to sound like an asshole while saying it, but his logic was pretty sound and I guess that's kinda respectable.

[Phobus]

Shaikoten said:

Hey, I agree with Bill O'Reilley in that clip. That doesn't happen often. I still think he managed to sound like an asshole while saying it, but his logic was pretty sound and I guess that's kinda respectable.

I love how that woman was effectively trying to defend "the right to complain, protest and lobby against perfectly legitimate and sensible behaviour" - or, more accurately, "the right to be an outspoken bigot who shoves their opinion down other people's necks". This sort of thing is why the rest of the world has the stereotype of Americans being incredibly stupid.

I fully agree with Shaikoten - that O'Reilley guy is an arsehole, but he had a good point.

[Aliotroph?]

Watching two idiots debate about gays is funny. He apparently doesn't believe in protesting the actions of private organizations. What a nut! Her stupidity is more obvious.

Real witch hunts in Africa make the news fairly often. Superstitious cultures appear to thrive even better over there.

[fraggle]

Shaikoten said:

Hey, I agree with Bill O'Reilley in that clip. That doesn't happen often. I still think he managed to sound like an asshole while saying it, but his logic was pretty sound and I guess that's kinda respectable.

Yeah, it's probably a good sign you've gone too far to the right when even Bill O'Reilly thinks you're nuts.

[Snakes]

IIRC there was a sort of slew of Medieval -style witchhunts going on in Russia as recently as the 90s. This may or may not be accurate, as I'm 90% sure it was something I heard years mater in a college course on early Russian history.

Basically, Salem Witch Trials stemmed from a widespread hysteria and superstition. People were just sure that their society was plagued by a sort of evil. This is similar to how the extreme religious right views the LGBT community (with many other obvious examples to be seen elsewhere). Actually, the mere primary victories of Rick "I'm not closeted" Santorum show just how bigoted modern society can be. You could also view genocide as just another Salem, but on a more massive scale.

So, put bluntly: yes.

[Creaphis]

Aliotroph? said:

Watching two idiots debate about gays is funny. He apparently doesn't believe in protesting the actions of private organizations. What a nut! Her stupidity is more obvious.

What I saw in that clip is that private enterprise is the ruler of O'Reilley's pantheon and straight-forward prejudice against homosexuals is more of a minor deity.