In Judaism, during Bible times, the
practice of witchcraft was forbidden. Not just witches, but
sorcerers, soothsayers, fortune-tellers (psychics), etc. Those who
engaged in such activities were counted as nothing more than
deceivers with evil intent. The practitioners claimed that they had
supernatural powers and some sort of direct connection to the gods or
God, which they did not have. Because they dared to say that they
could communicate as a medium or intercessor and could convey
messages to and from the Divine, knowing full well that they had no
such powers or capabilities, how could their intentions have been
pure and honest? There was no doubt that their aim or purpose was to
defraud another person or do even worse than that. For this reason,
the punishment for practicing witchcraft was severe. (That's my
understanding.)
During the first century, converts to Christianity,
openly and publicly renounced the practices of witchcraft, sorcery,
etc. - referred to as "curious arts" - and professed that
their faith was the only power needed to overcome evil and to commune
with the Creator.
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| Persecution of witches (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Science? Philosophy? Religion? Exploring your religious options? Some say witchcraft is a religion. Let's explore.
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