And witch burning. And of course the good book.
Civilised people, Christians of today, no longer burn witches. The text that encourages burning of witches still stands. So I got wondering whether the Europeans burned all the witches or if the demons stopped having commerce with men and women? It is strange that more women were banned at the stake in Europe than men, when the papal bull condemning witches and setting the stage for the inquisition said the demons had commerce with both men and women?
In all of ancient Africa, as far as I can tell, no single person was burned as a witch. It is only after the missionaries arrived dis witches arrive on the scene and it is only after they left have witches been burned in some places in Africa. And these missionaries and others had the temerity to call my ancestors backward!
This is not all. These good people, living in an age where sex was suppressed, believed devils interfered with copulation and conception by being the go between between sperms and ova. And this was believed by among others Thomas Aquinas, that great church father. However, St. Bonaventura goes a step farther to inform us this was only possible with the permission of god.
One still wonders how a religion that included and still includes such credulity could have conquered so much of the world? What does it say of human intelligence or lack of it? They even believe their god was tempted by the devil! Credulity knows no bounds. But then again, what do I know?
But if our civilised fellows no longer believe in demons and ghosts, they have replaced them with aliens and other extraterrestrial beings. Same old demons but in new clothes. Man, however educated, is still credulous.
And as I close on witches, remember that Tyndall was burned at the stake for being too clever for his own good- translating the bible to English!
Have a witches free day, will you!