Puritans executed Mary Dyer, a Quaker missionary, by hanging after Dyer had been whipped out of Massachusetts Bay Colony and expelled on pain of death if she returned. One misconception is that Quakers and those accused as witches in Salem Village were executed by burning. Most were hanged, Giles Corey died from having stones piled on him because he refused to enter a plea at his arraignment.
My exposure was via The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, a 1953 play set during the 1692 Salem witch trials, serving as an allegory for the anti-communist hysteria of the McCarthy era.
It follows the story of John Proctor, a farmer whose affair with his servant Abigail Williams leads to her accusing him and his wife of witchcraft, exposing the town's mass hysteria, paranoia, and the destructive power of false accusations and guilt by association. The play explores themes of reputation, integrity, and the conflict between individual conscience and societal pressure, culminating in Proctor's choice to die rather than falsely confess.
Key aspects of the play:
Setting: Puritan Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692.
Plot: A group of teenage girls, led by Abigail Williams, claims to be afflicted by witchcraft, leading to a series of accusations against townspeople, including John Proctor.
Main Characters: John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, Abigail Williams, Reverend Hale, and Reverend Parris.
Historical Context: Written during the 1950s Red Scare, it mirrors the political climate where people were accused of communism without evidence, much like the Salem witch trials.
Themes: Mass hysteria, religious extremism, reputation, integrity, and the dangers of political persecution.
Title Meaning: A "crucible" is a severe test or trial, reflecting the ordeal the characters and the community endure.
Religion+government=theocracy. Business+government=fascism. Military+government= imperialism. Despite being founded as a republic, we have become all three of these forms of tyranny, with a thin veneer of "democracy" to keep up appearances. Freedom has often been conflated with sheer will-to-power, and by this means, we lose our actual freedom.
Something to think about. The Pentagon, under Hegseth, is now Crusaders central.
The virus of Dominionism, aka Christian Reconstruction, as manifest in the 7 MountainsMandate, New Apostolic Reformatlon, Opus Dei and others, started in the Air Force Academy .After it opened it's doors. mega churches moved into Colorado Springs. Cadets after the 1st Year are allowed to go to churches off campus, and are they ever eager, to meet young ladies and there they got indoctrinated.
The virus has spread to other academies, VMI and the Citadel.
Gen StanleyMcChrystal who is being lionized by liberals told his troops , when he was commander of troops in Afghanistan, that the fight was a Christian Crusade.
When Trump and Hegseth verbally abused, and denigrated those 800 Generals and Flag officers in that Quantico auditorium and when not one of them got up, when Trump told them"If you don't like what I am saying, you can leave the room"
None of them did, all of them have over 20 years service, all of them are eligible for retirement, but wearing stars and strips on the sleeve, feeds the ego, and a good portion of them are infected with the Dominonist virus as well as being right wingers, who share the same beliefs ad Hegseth.
William,great post and I'm glad you brought up the 7 mountains mandate and NAR,and the fact that none of the 800 Generals and Flag officers responded when Trump made his comment. I attended 2 NO KIngs rallies on Saturday and the turnout was not what most of us you follow Indivisible thought it was going to be. It was about the same as 10/25.
The virus of Dominionism or Christian Reconstruction is something no one talks about and certainly not the mainstream media. I watched part of the Hegseth comments today,he is the biggest threat to the continued existence of any semblence of Democracy.
As I watch this shitshow unravel,I just simply cannot believe this is where this country has gone.If I were wealthly,I would move to Europe tomorrow.
What concerns me, Is that none of the Substack authors I subscribe to include Thom's even touch the threat of the Christian version of the Taliban, and it is even more dangerous and threatening than this racial, economic,political stuff.
Why are some of the most evil people in our world the most religious? And please explain why Trump is drawn to these monsters, whom he pulls into the White House, when he's as religious as a box turtle.
I would suggest these “evil” people are infected with the virus of power. They are broken and tragic people who tightly clutch the illusion of their superiority, defending it using the fear of God. In the course of human evolution, prior to scientific enlightenment and the beginning of our understanding of the physical world, humans created stories. These myths were an attempt to impose meaning on life. Today we continue to have a segment of humankind still living in an Iron Age consciousness. Unscrupulous people understand how to manipulate this state of consciousness. Perhaps some are true believers themselves, but many are merely taking advantage to feed their own virulent hallucinations of their own worth. The physical world is truly an interesting place.
The Constitution guarantees not only freedom OF religion, but also freedom FROM RELIGION. I doubt those who fled religious persecution in Europe would come here and establish it, although Franklin had to flee Boston at 17. Upon listening to Hegseth, we seem to be entering another “kill a Commie for Christ” era. There’s nothing like watching prayer meetings being led by Hegseth or Trump, two serial adulterers and abusers. And the Evangelicals and others line up to praise them. I believe Khalil Gibran once said, “God is a great thing, but organized religion messes it up.” I couldn’t agree more.
This is not the first use of religion to whip up the troops. Soldiers on their way to Vietnam had to listen to bible thumpers striding up and down the stage shouting "They are not human these Gooks need to be wiped off the face of the earth" ...and "Kill a Commie for Christ""
Louise created a toe tapper! Excellent! IMHO Secular is the way forward! This Daily Take is wonderful and the correct information to the people Thom Hartmann, Thank you!
And this is why I follow you. Thank you-a million times.
Puritans executed Mary Dyer, a Quaker missionary, by hanging after Dyer had been whipped out of Massachusetts Bay Colony and expelled on pain of death if she returned. One misconception is that Quakers and those accused as witches in Salem Village were executed by burning. Most were hanged, Giles Corey died from having stones piled on him because he refused to enter a plea at his arraignment.
As Giles Corey was being crushed, by adding stones, as they demanded that he confess,he exclaimed "more weight"
He had the stones piled on him in an effort to force him to enter a plea.
Isn't that what I said?
Yes, and it was specifically done to force a plea, as his family would have forfeited their property if he was convicted.
My exposure was via The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, a 1953 play set during the 1692 Salem witch trials, serving as an allegory for the anti-communist hysteria of the McCarthy era.
It follows the story of John Proctor, a farmer whose affair with his servant Abigail Williams leads to her accusing him and his wife of witchcraft, exposing the town's mass hysteria, paranoia, and the destructive power of false accusations and guilt by association. The play explores themes of reputation, integrity, and the conflict between individual conscience and societal pressure, culminating in Proctor's choice to die rather than falsely confess.
Key aspects of the play:
Setting: Puritan Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692.
Plot: A group of teenage girls, led by Abigail Williams, claims to be afflicted by witchcraft, leading to a series of accusations against townspeople, including John Proctor.
Main Characters: John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, Abigail Williams, Reverend Hale, and Reverend Parris.
Historical Context: Written during the 1950s Red Scare, it mirrors the political climate where people were accused of communism without evidence, much like the Salem witch trials.
Themes: Mass hysteria, religious extremism, reputation, integrity, and the dangers of political persecution.
Title Meaning: A "crucible" is a severe test or trial, reflecting the ordeal the characters and the community endure.
Don't forget drowning. Remember that if they could swim, they were witches, and if they drowned, they were innocent, but too bad.
Religion+government=theocracy. Business+government=fascism. Military+government= imperialism. Despite being founded as a republic, we have become all three of these forms of tyranny, with a thin veneer of "democracy" to keep up appearances. Freedom has often been conflated with sheer will-to-power, and by this means, we lose our actual freedom.
Something to think about. The Pentagon, under Hegseth, is now Crusaders central.
The virus of Dominionism, aka Christian Reconstruction, as manifest in the 7 MountainsMandate, New Apostolic Reformatlon, Opus Dei and others, started in the Air Force Academy .After it opened it's doors. mega churches moved into Colorado Springs. Cadets after the 1st Year are allowed to go to churches off campus, and are they ever eager, to meet young ladies and there they got indoctrinated.
The virus has spread to other academies, VMI and the Citadel.
Gen StanleyMcChrystal who is being lionized by liberals told his troops , when he was commander of troops in Afghanistan, that the fight was a Christian Crusade.
When Trump and Hegseth verbally abused, and denigrated those 800 Generals and Flag officers in that Quantico auditorium and when not one of them got up, when Trump told them"If you don't like what I am saying, you can leave the room"
None of them did, all of them have over 20 years service, all of them are eligible for retirement, but wearing stars and strips on the sleeve, feeds the ego, and a good portion of them are infected with the Dominonist virus as well as being right wingers, who share the same beliefs ad Hegseth.
William,great post and I'm glad you brought up the 7 mountains mandate and NAR,and the fact that none of the 800 Generals and Flag officers responded when Trump made his comment. I attended 2 NO KIngs rallies on Saturday and the turnout was not what most of us you follow Indivisible thought it was going to be. It was about the same as 10/25.
The virus of Dominionism or Christian Reconstruction is something no one talks about and certainly not the mainstream media. I watched part of the Hegseth comments today,he is the biggest threat to the continued existence of any semblence of Democracy.
As I watch this shitshow unravel,I just simply cannot believe this is where this country has gone.If I were wealthly,I would move to Europe tomorrow.
What concerns me, Is that none of the Substack authors I subscribe to include Thom's even touch the threat of the Christian version of the Taliban, and it is even more dangerous and threatening than this racial, economic,political stuff.
I was exposed to this kind of stuff. 1966.
Daniel,I was around in 1966,but I don't remember it ever being anywhere near this bad.
I am a Jew. Chaplain's call, several times: kill a commie for Christ.
A padre actually sought me out in the field to ask me to convert.
Wow,we really do live in a shithole country.
Super !!! Thank you, Mr. Hartmann.
The tarnished, the tainted Major BLASPHEMES !!!
Major Keg's Breath is an Adulterer and a serial Rapist. And, at least once, a Drunken Rapist of another man's wife.
So, how faithfully religious is Major Scumbag, after all? Not at all.
He's more like a perma-shit-stain on the Dept he has grossly misnamed, still known as: The Dept. of Defense.
Major Douche is "Beyond" spiritually sick in the head. Always has been. Always will be.
A Misogynist, a Rapist and a Serial Abuser of women, whom even his mother chided for exploiting and using women.
- - Exodus 20:14 — “You shall not commit adultery.”
- - 10th Commandment -- “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house… wife… or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
VOTE
# Send Too Tall Boron the moron and his idiot brother Eric (42 yo) to Iran.
Crusaders!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8-I2nK0qRQ
Roger McGuinn ....
Why are some of the most evil people in our world the most religious? And please explain why Trump is drawn to these monsters, whom he pulls into the White House, when he's as religious as a box turtle.
I would suggest these “evil” people are infected with the virus of power. They are broken and tragic people who tightly clutch the illusion of their superiority, defending it using the fear of God. In the course of human evolution, prior to scientific enlightenment and the beginning of our understanding of the physical world, humans created stories. These myths were an attempt to impose meaning on life. Today we continue to have a segment of humankind still living in an Iron Age consciousness. Unscrupulous people understand how to manipulate this state of consciousness. Perhaps some are true believers themselves, but many are merely taking advantage to feed their own virulent hallucinations of their own worth. The physical world is truly an interesting place.
They just SAY they're religious. Hypocrites.
They have a lot of political power and can be co-opted by the cynical and unscrupulous.
The Constitution guarantees not only freedom OF religion, but also freedom FROM RELIGION. I doubt those who fled religious persecution in Europe would come here and establish it, although Franklin had to flee Boston at 17. Upon listening to Hegseth, we seem to be entering another “kill a Commie for Christ” era. There’s nothing like watching prayer meetings being led by Hegseth or Trump, two serial adulterers and abusers. And the Evangelicals and others line up to praise them. I believe Khalil Gibran once said, “God is a great thing, but organized religion messes it up.” I couldn’t agree more.
I've had them tell me to my face that freedom of religion means that you have to pick one. You can't be a non-believer.
This is not the first use of religion to whip up the troops. Soldiers on their way to Vietnam had to listen to bible thumpers striding up and down the stage shouting "They are not human these Gooks need to be wiped off the face of the earth" ...and "Kill a Commie for Christ""
Louise created a toe tapper! Excellent! IMHO Secular is the way forward! This Daily Take is wonderful and the correct information to the people Thom Hartmann, Thank you!