The Women's Holocaust
The Women's Holocaust;
Better known as “The Witch Craze”
In the year 1132, a cross was
erected as a sign of the times; a symbol of a new religious
sect, which swept across the Pagan European communities. Very
few people realized the Christianizing of Europe resulted in
the loss of millions of lives. The
Church of Rome set up an Inquisition to enforce its will.
People who criticized the church or held different beliefs
were charge with heresy and executed as criminals. Out of all
of these religious persecutions came the witch-hunts. 85% of
them that were killed for the crime of witchcraft were women.
Our ideas about Witches dates back
to the Renaissance time known as the "Witch Craze."
The Witch Craze involved the destruction of many human lives,
which endured for hundreds of years. It was believed that
these women was the devils agent and could fly through the
air and everything she touched turned to devastation. This
evil Witch was allegedly the foundation for many of the problems that arose
in society. This was as perfectly acceptable “blame the
Witch” for their tribulations rather than claim their
own actions for the disruption. If the harvest season was not
as productive as was expected, if there were marriage
problems, if persons became suddenly ill, people were
convinced that it was because the “Witches” were
present.
In consequence of the 16th
century, and the Christian era, sin was currently a part of
every Christian's life. Women’s rights to own their own
property had been taken from them. Many of the women became
dependant on charity for survival. Women who held on to their
belongings were too alleged Witches. During this time
when life expectancy was forty years, just being old was
suspicious. But the individuals who were the most subject to
the conviction of witchcraft were single women, widows, and
those who begged for a living.
The fact
that women were singled out specifically, says something
about our culture, which is noticeably misogynistic.
At the same time the witch
burnings began it was also a time, and part of the process,
when women were “domesticated” by men. The Witch
burnings were a way to take control over women's bodies and
reproductive
issues. Reproductive issues for
example, women's ability to bring forth children was a
powerful threat to men. Men, incapable to have this gift made
them feel 'deduced because they couldn’t produce!'
Other issues included the sexuality and woman’s control
over their pregnancy, which could consist of midwifery,
contraceptives or induced miscarriages. Midwives alone were
up for suspicion of witchcraft because of their knowledge of
women’s bodies, such as controlling the pain of labor,
before and after care for the mother, and the knowledge of
caring for the newborn. Because of this “wrench”
that was cramping the men’s grandeur in the medical
field, there was a new law in effect, “Any woman who
dared cure without having studied was a Witch and must die.”
Well, THAT made a lot of sense! How were women going to have
a chance at the medical profession when at that time in
history most women were prohibited to attend universities???
Once again, men took control over women, this time leaving
the growth of the medical profession largely to the male
population.
Sexuality was no longer a
gift, but the root of all evil, and women were the stumbling
block to man's holiness. This process of “controlling
women” took place over several
centuries, and is still exists to some extent today, as
result of one of the many scriptures
stated in the Bible about women’s inferiority and
submissiveness to men; 
Genesis
3:16 (New KJV) “To the woman he said: “ I will
greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you
shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your
husband, and he shall rule over you.” (Now, I don’t
know about you ladies out there, but I’m not
particularly fond of the latter half of the last statement.)
Women have been blamed as the temptress throughout our
history up to this present time, and have basically been
viewed as the cause of “the fall of man” from the
very beginning.
To Confess or Not to
Confess...either way, you're "history"
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