Beheaded For Witchcraft And Sorcery

[WitchHazel]

Reading the news, I am reminded today of the quote from Pastor Niemoller:

​

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

In regard to the first documented (and documented may be a key word in the news) of two women being beheaded accused of "witchcraft and sorcery" by the jihadists' in eastern Syria.

Link to the news HERE:

http://news.yahoo.com/first-beheads-two-women-syria-monitor-073538672.html

Many people in the states have pressed the news of the Christian murders aside, because they are "way over there" and also from their annoyance with "Christians" here in the US.

I wonder if the news that they are expanding, killing women, and "other practices" (alleged, since VERY often in the world today we still see a lot of fear, assumption, and blame tossed with the term witch, which does differ from the practice of - and executiuons to "solve the threat") if it will change at all how people view the situation.

[Brother Kaman]

Mostly they kill whoever gets in their way and for whatever reason occurs to them at the time. The better the media coverage the better they like it. I would not worry until civilized people start killing witches. Jihadist will kill anybody. Witches aren't special to them.

Edited June 30, 2015 by Brother Kaman

[Coolhand]

That is insane. I'm not sure what it is going to take before the whole world turns on these people. I can imagine that their "evidence" needed to convict is not very much. I really don't understand how people can think they are serving God by these kinda of actions, and I know the Bible contains barbaric instances of "God influenced" genocide, and I don't get that either.

[WitchHazel]

Wizard,
I apologize if I lead you to think I was worried. As a witch, I see on a regular basis, where people are killed for witchcraft. There is a lot of fear, even in the US, that witches are “gonna-get-cha”. I do however think it is the responsibility of people, to speak against, and act against “the really bad stuff”. Engaging in worry however, is just a waste of good energy.

Coolhand
Exactly - at what point do people realize, hey there are some really bad people, that are doing some really bad things, and that's not okay. I have a nephew who is working with the Freedom Fighters, helping the innocent people there. He was an Army soldier for the US there, served as a Combat Engineer, and is now retired. Those folks that are on the ground, many of them built relationships, with in the communities, that are now under attack. And there is a lot of questioning as to why people aren't discussing it, supporting solutions to stop them etc.

As with all regimes throughout history, they start with those that are easiest to separate from the herd, the more peaceful people, etc. We have seen it before, under other names, other leaders, other causes, and other geographical points on the globe.

[mark 45]

while it's true they will kill anyone(including each other)for any reason,or no reason,there is no one to stop them.

[Belyn Mawr]

Being both gay and a Warlock, I guess I will be crossing Syria off for any future vacation plans.

[Dan56]

Being both gay and a Warlock, I guess I will be crossing Syria off for any future vacation plans.

[panpareil]

All well and good, but what do you think their vacation plans are?

[cuchulain]

There are always people to stop other people from doing things like this, Mark, the problem is that they don't realize that they can affect change. Most people think of problems as too big to handle for them, and leave those problems for someone else. The terrorist groups responsible for things like this happening, whether male or female or Christian or Pastafarian, they get support from somewhere. The first step to defeating a terrorist group is to undermine their allies, removing the vehicle of support that these people get. I realize that suddenly I sound very egotistic in my assessment, as though all of this hasn't been thought of before Still, action is preferable to sitting still and saying we can't stop them.

[ThunderChickenCoast2Coast]

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.

[Cornelius]

Christians do this all the time in Africa.

[mererdog]

Still, action is preferable to sitting still and saying we can't stop them.

I'm sure that's what they said about the witches. After all, better to harm the innocent than do nothing?

Sorry. I just get so tired of it. Endless cycles of violence. Everyone so scared of not making things better they just keep making it worse. Calling moral cowardice courage and sending other people off to die. It's just sad. Nothing personal. Your words just sort of set me off.

Edited July 3, 2015 by mererdog

[WitchHazel]

I'm sure that's what they said about the witches. After all, better to harm the innocent than do nothing?

Sorry. I just get so tired of it. Endless cycles of violence. Everyone so scared of not making things better they just keep making it worse. Calling moral cowardice courage and sending other people off to die. It's just sad. Nothing personal. Your words just sort of set me off.

Yes This!

[Atwater Vitki]

I'm sure that's what they said about the witches. After all, better to harm the innocent than do nothing?

Sorry. I just get so tired of it. Endless cycles of violence. Everyone so scared of not making things better they just keep making it worse. Calling moral cowardice courage and sending other people off to die. It's just sad. Nothing personal. Your words just sort of set me off.

and I have to second "Yes, this!"

From the plights and struggles we face as a local community here in Atwater, CA, Kay and I are fully aware of how easy it would be to give up. To just walk away from several issues that are very important to us because no one else seems to care or nobody seems interested or...or...or....

That is precisely why we must continue to fight for what is right or corrects a given social plight. Apathy kills just as certainly as conviction to a destructive cause. And we agree, the endless cycle of violence is exhausting, but moral cowardice will not, can not stop the violence...only peacefully changing the hearts and minds of people will create change.

Blessings of Peace,

[cuchulain]

As I said, action is preferable to sitting still and allowing things like this to occur. It seems like everyone is saying the opposite, that we should be complacent and say this is too big a problem to handle? Maybe I am misreading all of you? Of course that is probably what they said about the witches. The difference, however, is that the witches weren't killing people so far as I know, and these terrorists are beheading others. Kind of seems obvious to me that beheadings of this type should not be tolerated. Maybe it is a cycle, maybe trying to stop them will end with them beheading more people. I don't know the answer to that. But I do know that sitting still and letting them behead others is wrong, in my opinion. Feel free to disagree Mererdog, I still find it objectionable to behead those of differing ideas.

[Coolhand]

Christians do this all the time in Africa.

Christians do what all the time in Africa?

[Jonathan H. B. Lobl]

Being both gay and a Warlock, I guess I will be crossing Syria off for any future vacation plans.

It's a bad place for most of us. Atheists get the death penalty and they are not fussy about definitions.

Edited July 4, 2015 by Jonathan H. B. Lobl

[panpareil]

Christians do this all the time in Africa.

The religion is irrelevant since non-Christians do exactly the same.

[Jonathan H. B. Lobl]

The religion is irrelevant since non-Christians do exactly the same.

If I were Christian, that statement would not make me feel good.

[Cornelius]

Kill witches. Christians do it all the time in Africa.