I've been waiting for this contest for a bit now, ever since it was intimated that such a thing would happen in the Natural Medicine Discord
I have many answers to this, and one post simply won't do, but I wish to go ahead and drop one of my answers now.
One of the things which I think causes such enmity between witches (or pagans in general) and Christians is the simple verse:
“Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live” - Exodus 22:18 (22:17 in Hebrew)
Back when I was conducting my own Women's Studies research in '95 (as the local college had nothing of the sort) I happened upon a book by Monica Sjoo: The Great Cosmic Mother. For those who don't know, Sjoo was -not- your ordinary feminist scholar. She skewed very close to the definition of Fascist Feminism... Almost a full-blown separatist... still, despite the tone of her book, the anthropological research was of immense interest to me, and she brought to light many issues which I was fully unaware of. I still consider her a great teacher, as well as a fine lady.
In decades hence, much of her research has been proven inaccurate, but such can be said of any research that is 50 years old. Still, I feel I owe her a great debt, if for no other reason than for clarifying something...
That's not what the Bible says.
In the Septuagint, mekhashepha was translated into pharmakeia. Ann Jeffers, lecturer in Biblical Studies at Heythrop College, translates “pharmakeia” to “herbalist”. - Elizabeth Sloane, Thou Shalt Not Suffer a Witch to Live: A Murderous Mistranslation?
The King James Bible, which was and remains in heavy use by Fundamentalist (ie, American Evangelical) Christianity was produced for a number of reasons, both political and economic. King James' himself was utterly terrified of witches, and sought their persecution at all points, not only for dogma's sake, but also because they represented a threat to his dominance via the Divine Right of Kings. Those who remembered the Old Ways were less likely to obey... and obedience was most certainly the highest of virtues, Yes?
But to get back to the point, the original Greek term pharmakia (it is no coincidence that the oldest translation of the Bible is written in Greek) translates to poisoner.
And what has quite profitably been mistranslated as a justification of genocidally purging pagan europe (also the Americas, under Cortez) during the Age of Kings, was nothing but a Very Reasonable admonition against poisoners, murderers who by the very subtle nature of their chosen weaponry betray by word and deed the trust of others.
Because lets face it, somebody who comes to slay you with a sword is at least being honest about their intentions... and thereby far more honorable than a poisoner.
But wait, there's more...
Ofcourse there is. Consider another point. During the time of his life, Christ was himself a blasphemer of the highest order, one who dared question the State in which he lived; which, being a theocracy, meant questioning the very Word of God (which, as ever, so conveniently backed up the State at every turn.) He was executed for Treason, which was the same as Blasphemy, in a theocracy.
Even within the scriptures themselves, Christ was a healer, a malcontent, a rebel against those in power... One who through magics of Faith and Salt and Tongue, did aide and champion the weak, the downtrodden, the whores and lepers and beggars... the very fodder whom the State ruled as livestock. And he even died to carry out a work of staggering magnitude, an act of tremendous spiritual rebellion against a corrupt theocracy...
In everything but name alone:
Photo by Jasmin Staab on Unsplash
Christ was a Witch.
Love to the Loving,
Silas Danois