ThunderChickenCoast2Coast

They do? I've never heard of it happening even once.

Different cultures over the past millenia have had different punishments for witchcraft. In Old Testament Biblical times it was "suffer not a witch to live" which is obviously Capitol Punishment. Back then they lived under the Law of Moses. Now we do not live under law but under grace. That being said even a murder has a relatively long period of time in which to repent of his sins before he is put to death by whatever laws that Country dictates. Back in Biblical times I get the connotation that people who were witches were put to death fairly quickly. But even then one could not put to death someone on the testimony of only one witness... but by two or three witnesses. This action of IS smacks of the woman caught in adultery in John chapter 8; and the Salem Witch Trials: They didn't do it because they were righteous; they did it because the wanted to tempt Jesus and because they were hypocrites and wanted to justify themselves. All were egged on by the media hype of the day. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. 7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. ----- So... I suspect these IS people did not execute these women because they wanted to righteously fulfill their law, they were doing it because they were hypocrites and wanted to justify themselves. Thinking that if they obey the law in one point that that absolves them of guilt in other points. It doesn't. The Bible says that if a person offends in one point of the law... he is guilty of ALL. So although I am not a witch if I have ever told a lie I am also guilty of being a witch, a homosexual, a murderer, a thief etc..... An interesting point to notice in the Biblical account is that Jesus never told the Scribes and Pharisees to NOT execute the woman. [for that is what the law prescribed] Also of interest is that I had family involved in the Salem Witch Trials... one of which was hanged.

Would this 'religion" happen to have started in Italy?

Might I ask what your basis is for your belief in reincarnation?