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In Exodus 22:18 it says, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." It was on the basis of this Biblical injunction that the Church justified its awful pogrom against women, disenfranchised minorities, homosexuals, and heretics throughout the centuries. But, argue many, this reading of the text is inaccurate, for the word translated "witch" in fact means "poisoner". It is totally understandable that they would not want poisoners among them, but we are not poisoners. We are good and kindly healers, in touch with nature, and we honor the Mother Goddess. Therefore, the Bible doesn't really condemn us. (This is based on an actual quote from a conversation in a Wiccan chat. I am not making this up.) Now the word in question is mekasefa, and unfortunately, I am not knowledgeable enough in Hebrew to comment on the meaning of the word, and I can't seem to find my Biblical Hebrew dictionary so I could pretend to know what it means. However, in other injunctions against witchcraft and sorcery, the Greek word used is pharmakia and pharmakos (one who practices pharmakia). This word means primarily medicine, drugs, spells, and then poisoning and sorcery. In the sorcery of the time, the use of drugs was always accompanied by chants and invocations to occult powers, (see for instance Virgil, Ecologues 8.64-109, PGM IV.286-295 and PGM IV.2967-3006) so that the two things are practically indistinguishable. It is doubtful that the mere use of the drugs is what they are condemning - rather the whole process is being condemned, from top to bottom. And even if it is not, there are plenty of other places where the Bible soundly denounces us and our practices. Take, for instance, the First Commandment Ex.20:3, Dt.5:7 "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Obviously, this condemns those who worship any other than the biblical god. And what should be done to those who do not accept YHWH? Ex.22:20 "He who sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the Lord only, he shall be utterly destroyed." Or Dt.17:2-7 where it says that if any "hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded . . . thou shalt stone them with stones, till they die." And what of those who try and convert you from the "true faith" even - or perhaps especially - if they are of your own family? Dt.13:6-10 "Thou shalt surely kill him, thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death." And for the Christians, it's not enough to follow YHWH and the Law. For those who do so are cursed. Gal.3:10 Any and everyone who does not believe in Christ Jesus is going to hell. Jn.12:48 (Apparently there will be a lot of us there.) Even worshipping the right God - which appears trickier than it would seem at first - is not enough. Because homosexual acts are an abomination to God. Lev.18:22 Homosexuals must be executed. Lev.20:13 Cross dressing is an abomination to God Dt.22:5 .Women with "familiar spirits" must be stoned to death. Lev.20:27 Paul orders wives to submit themselves to their husbands "in every thing," "for the husband is the head of the wife." Eph.5:22-24 Women are to dress modestly, "with shamefacedness" . . . "not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array." 1 Tim.2:9 There are a bunch of these - in fact, a whole book of them. And with all of the contradictions, revisions, and omissions - it can get pretty tricky, trying to carry out all of the Biblical injunctions. And I guess that is the whole point of this - who cares? What does it matter if the Bible condemns witchcraft or "poisoners"? It condemns a great many of the things we do. We are not Jews, Christians, or Muslims. The Laws of the Bible do not apply to us. As Paul says that the Christians are no longer under the Laws of Moses, but under the Grace of Christ, I say - we are not obligated to follow any of the Bible-laws, Jewish or Christian - because we are under the Laws of our own tradition, our own nomos or custom. But many Pagans still seem as if they are attached to the customs of the Christians, and are always trying to justify their practices before them. "See, look, we're not bad, really we're not. Please don't burn me massa, please. I be a good slave. Really I will." As long as we have this slavish approach, the "Burning Times" will always be a distinct possibility, just around the corner, kept at bay by the kindness and civility of the Christians - and we know how well that works. It's either that or a strong and proud and independent Paganism. The choice is yours. [In preparation for this essay I consulted the
following sites and materials: Vine's Expository
Dictionary of New Testament Words, 1966, The
Skeptics Annotated Bible, and Witches
in the Bible and Talmud] |
