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Archiver > MAESSEX > 2007-07 > 1184888233


From: "Susan Tait Porcaro" <>
Subject: Re: [MAESSEX] fornication
Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2007 19:37:13 -0400
References: <d15.dfd88b0.33d149ea@aol.com>


i've been getting such a kick out of seeing "fornication" in all the subject
lines - good thing this list is marked as "not spam"
;)
Sue
----- Original Message -----
From: <>
To: <>
Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2007 7:12 PM
Subject: Re: [MAESSEX] fornication


>
> Dear Reverend,
>
> I thank you very much for your input. I am writing this down and will
> attempt to get copies of these. I do not find that they incorporated all
> biblical
> law, either. It appears to me that they had a very rational process, a
> formula, for determining that which applied and that which did not. Most
> of what
> appears on the books, I think, relates to civil or property law. But
> certainly
> the magistrates were charged with supporting the interests of the
> ministry.
>
> Had it not been for the Salem witch trials, I do not believe that
> Puritanism
> itself would have ever been as stigmatized as it has been in American
> history. I see Puritanism as a relatively fluid attempt at biblical
> interpretation
> which continues to this day. In reference to the laws concerning witches,
> I
> am uncertain if they were even permitted to deny the existence of
> witches.
> Such a denial, may have perhaps constituted an act of heresy, which very
> logically in the Puritan mind was punishable by death, for certainly if
> one could be
> so sentenced for crimes against man, what then, of crimes against God?
>
> Christianity, as viewed in an historical sense, not only reduced our past
> pagan religions creating in the process our ONE GOD, but it also combined
> all
> evil spirits under the one heading of Satan. All of which, I am sure, you
> are
> much more familiar with than I. But prior to the publication of the
> Malleus
> Maleficarum there was still much debate as to the actual existence of
> witches
> amongst Christians. Not only did this document establish their firm
> presence,
> but it also in the process defined the denial of, as unquestionable
> heresy,
> punishable by death.
>
> I am uncertain, though, how much of this Catholic ideology concerning
> witches persisted or held sway in the Puritan mind. It does not appear
> that a firm
> belief in witches was very prevalent, and yet, it would seem they were
> incapable of publicly denying their existence.
>
> Yet, it also appears that many of our past pagan beliefs were retained
> and I
> say this because many were still quite evident in their descendants until
> relatively recently. My own grandmother, who recently passed away at the
> age of
> 96, was highly superstitious, and her sayings and beliefs, I believe, can
> be
> traced to early colonial times. I don't know if people realize that
> however
> pious some may have been, but certainly not all, yet the majority were
> also
> highly superstitious, having also retained many of their beliefs in the
> spirit
> world.
>
> Do you have an opinion on any of this?
>
>
>
>
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