Witchcraft Analysis

This weeks reading, like most of the other books was very unique compared to any other reading I have read before. Sometimes I find this frustrating because I really have to switch the way my brain thinks to get into the proper mindset to read these books. I still have to analysis the facts and assess the writing, but in this class, I really have to work to remove my bias from all the reading. Before this class, I personally thought people who believed in magic and witchcraft were crazy because there is no way to prove any of that, so reading this book with an open mind would have been nearly impossible for me. However, throughout the past few weeks, I’ve learned that many people’s beliefs in magic and witchcraft aren’t that different from …show more content…
I completely agreed with the fact that people believing in witchcraft is not bad because it doesn’t really harm anyone. The book gave a great example because when many of the witch-killings in Europe were put to rest, belief in witchcraft still remained widespread throughout society, people were just not killing other people because of it. Thus, these beliefs turn bad when people begin to accuse one another of witchcraft. There is no formal way to prove an accused witch guilty or innocent because of the supernatural nature of witchcraft, so basically if someone is accused, it is just assumed they are guilty. People found guilty of witchcraft undergo great punishment in the form of physical beating, lynching, banishment, or death. Therefore, a completely innocent person can be killed because they were accused of witchcraft and not allowed to prove their innocence. I found this very absurd, and I was disgusted by the people’s lack of respect for human life. It allowed me to understand why many organizations around the world are teaming up to help stop witchcraft accusations; it’s not because the belief in witchcraft is evil, it’s because the murder and physical harm of countless people is inhuman and should not be