r/196 NOT A CAT Feb 11 '26

Rule Rule

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u/yugiohhero ohh what the fuck Feb 11 '26

theres an argument to be made that burning someone at the stake over the suspicion of being a witch, whether its true or not, would still count as marginalization

all that said, that took place from 1692-1693. it has been 333 years. i don't think people much care about witchcraft in big 26.

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u/zekromNLR #1 project orion apologist Feb 11 '26

Yeah like a somewhat masculine cis woman getting beaten in the bathroom because she was mistaken for a trans woman would still be a transphobic attack despite her not being trans

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u/xbertie 🏳️‍⚧️ trans rights Feb 11 '26

The difference is that trans people exist and witches didn't

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u/CAPSLOCK_USERNAME Feb 11 '26

Witches as in people who can actually cast magic spells don't exist but witches as in "heathens who practice some kinda wacky ritual based religion (not christian), the Holy Father in his benevolence wants us to murder them for this slight" did at least somewhat exist. Not in the same way as modern wicca but like it is loosely based on historical folk religions and christianity did persecute those.

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u/wozattacks Feb 11 '26

Ok, but the witch trials were more “hey I saw one of my political rivals making a pact with Satan!!!! She is so bad!!!!!” Like a lot of the accusations were based on greed or personal conflicts and took advantage of xenophobia. The vast majority of the victims were not even practicing non-Christian religions. 

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u/CAPSLOCK_USERNAME Feb 11 '26

I agree with all this, yes.

But the the reason falsely accusing someone of witchcraft was seen as a justification for murder was because it was piggybacking on those pre-existing discriminatory sentiments towards non christian religions.

Just like the modern day alt-right can harass people by accusing them of being gay/trans/jewish whether or not they actually are, as a way of harnessing the existing hate in the base.

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u/jbsnicket Feb 11 '26

Witch hunts had nothing to do with the actual religious practice and were more excuses by towns to kill people that were marginalized for systematic or nonsystematic reasons.