I came across a great post over at the HeadSpace blog about how important it is to apply critical thought to what we hear and see, both within our religious/spiritual circles and in the world at large. It also clearly spoke to the unfortunate consequences that can result when we allow rational thought to be bulldozed by mob mentality.
Specifically the post discussed the “satanic panic” that seemed pervasive in both Evangelical Christianity and society at large during the late 1980’s to mid-1990’s, and how it contributed to the wrongful conviction and imprisonment of three men from Arkansas.
As I read the post, I kept thinking about another outbreak of satanic panic in our country’s history – the Salem Witch Trials. Between 1692 and 1693, Puritan Christians executed more than 30 men and women accused of being witches.
A quote from the post:
Christian unwillingness to think critically when faced with an attractive falsehood is, perhaps, a far more dangerous “satanic conspiracy” than anything that the perpetrators of the satanic panic scam could ever dream up.
The message in the quote above certainly applies to the Puritans of yesterday and to some Christians today – but really it’s an important reminder to everyone: question what you’re told, think before you act, and be suspicious of “attractive falsehoods.”
A great example of an “attractive falsehood” in Wicca – one that seems to draw young people to it in droves – is that Wiccans/Witches somehow wield “supernatural” powers. There is absolutely nothing supernatural about Wicca or Witchcraft, and it’s frustrating seeing greedy publishers, authors, and movie makers represent otherwise to pad their wallets.
Under a Violet Sun 