[SCA-Cooks] Catholic/Christian, was: The Fallwell/Robertson

[Morgan Cain]

It's Exodus 22:18:  "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live."  This is the
part of Exodus where laws are given, and it's odd that this one comes here
because surrounding it are ones having to do with marriage, sexual
behaviour, and so on.

The original word is KASHAPH ("Kaw-shaf") which I am told means "sorceress"
or "witch" depending upon the translation you have.  There is a site that
gives the same passage in different Bible variations, I did not count how
many they have.  For comparison, the Good News Bible says "Put to death any
woman who practices magic," the Latin Vulgate says "maleficos non patieris
vivere" (which I translate as "evil-doers shall not be allowed to live"
although one translation I found said "Wizards thou shalt not suffer to
live"), New American Standard and Revised Standard both say "You shall not
allow a sorceress to live," and so on.

According to the "Matthew Henry Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible",
this passage means:   "Witchcraft not only gives that honour to the devil
which is due to God alone, but bids defiance to the divine Providence, wages
war with God's government, and puts his work into the devil's hand,
expecting him to do good and evil, and so making him indeed the god of this
world; justly therefore was it punished with death, especially among a
people that were blessed with a divine revelation, and cared for by divine
Providence above any people under the sun. By our law, consulting,
covenanting with, invocating, or employing, any evil spirit, to any intent
whatsoever, and exercising any enchantment, charm, or sorcery, whereby hurt
shall be done to any person whatsoever, is made felony, without benefit of
clergy; also pretending to tell where goods lost or stolen may be found, or
the like, is an iniquity punishable by the judge, and the second offence
with  death. The justice of our law herein is supported by the law of God
recorded here."

According to "John Wesley's Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible":
"Witchcraft not only gives that honour to the devil which is due to God
alone, but bids defiance to the divine providence, wages war with God's
government, puts his work into the devil's hand expecting him to do good and
evil.  By our law, consulting, covenanting with, invocating or employing any
evil spirit to any
 intent whatever, and exercising any enchantment, charm, or sorcery, whereby
hurt shall be done to any person, is made felony, without benefit of clergy;
also pretending to tell where goods lost or
 stolen may be found, is an iniquity punishable by the judge, and the second
offence with death. This was the case in former times.    But we are wiser
than our forefathers. We believe, no witch ever did live! At least, not for
these thousand years."

So essentially, the term "witch" seems equated with those who would do hurt
to others, usually in defiance of the holy laws and by invoking evil
spirits.  It reminds me of the dichotomy in Oz:  "Are you a good witch, or a
bad witch?"

OFC (Obligatory Food Content):  I've had people say that my truffles are
magic.  Is this trouble?  <G>  Seriously, I am not very hungry these days,
and a friend keeps reminding me to eat.

                                        ---= Morgan

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"In the dark times, will there be singing in the dark times?
  Yes, there will be singing about the dark times."
                                         (Bertolt Brecht: 1898-1956)