[CurtisTH]

Witches

1895 Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland.

Bridget Cleary a 28 year old coopers wife was confined, ritually starved, threatened, physically and verbally abused, exorcised and finally burned to death by her husband, Michael Cleary, her father and extended family who confused her bronchial medical condition with a �gfairy dart�h. They had all become convinced that �gtheir Bridgie�h had been taken from them and her fairy-possessed body left behind to deceive them.

Michael Cleary was sentenced to 15 years after which he emigrated to Canada.

The subsequent trial was used by the Tories who opposed Home Rule for Ireland, after all how could one grant political autonomy to a people still so in the grip of superstition?


2008 Saudi Arabia

Fawza Falih – The illiterate women was detained by religious police in 2005 and allegedly beaten and forced to fingerprint a confession that she could not read.

One of the crimes she is accused of is making a man impotent and she has been convicted of witchcraft and for this she will be executed.

Human rights watch have sent a letter to King Abdullah asking him to intervene.


It�fs generally believed in Bridget�fs case that her husband wanted shut of her, he had another woman or he was after money and he used her ill health and the superstition of people to further his ends. Perhaps there is something similar happening with Fawza Falih, it sounds like a conspiracy to murder and usually it�fs the baser needs and desires of people that move them to such deeds.

They say the electrification of Ireland killed the fairies, the harsh light bulbs replaced candles and the story telling around the fire place, over 100 years later what will shine a light on the superstitions in Saudi Arabia? View more random threads same category:

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[Abnorbprootly]

It is not the first time observing developping countries remind me of mindsets in Europe back in the 19th century (or earlier).

This is unrelated to witchcraft, but seeing Latin Americans with their pictures of Virgin Mary or other saints in their cars, houses or just about everywhere, also reminds me of people in Belgium 100 years ago or so.

Superstitions tend to decrease when the average education level of a nation increases.

[CicyHannyCeli]

Its probably not just education but prosperity as-well, back in the 80's the Catholic churches in Ireland were full to bursting every Sunday, young and old, today they are half empty. (Parents complain before they their children can have their Holy Communion the priest insists they attend 10 masses), these are the same Parents who would have filled the Churches 20 years before.

The Church has had its scandals but it seems to be the more industrialised a nation becomes the less religious its people are, the exception being the USA.

And now the fundamentalist religions in the US are trying to replace the teachings of Darwin's evolution with ID Intelligent Design now there is a superstition.