Why do the Christian’s who swear they are open minded and well educated still today fear witches?

This is something that personally frustrates me as well and I’ve found it
the center of much debate between myself and Christians. I believe that there
are two places that the fear and rejection toward witches comes from.

First of all, Christianity teaches two very important things regarding people
who have other belief systems. Christians believe that 1) the only way to heaven
is through Jesus (and therefore their religion) and 2) converting people will
be good for them when they reach heaven. The degree to which these two beliefs
are manifested in the Christian practice depends on the denomination. The result
is that anything outside of Christianity is seen as bad and wrong, and many
Christians feel the need to tell people of other faiths that they are just that.
I can�t even count the times I�ve been told that I�m going
to hell (which might scare me if I even believed in the place!).

The Burning Times, a dark period in both Christian and Witchcraft history,
resulted from these limited beliefs. Christian leaders characterized the pagans
during the 15th through 18th centuries as consorts of the devil and conjurers
of evil. Witches throughout Europe and the new world were killed for their beliefs.

It is said that history is written by the conquerors, and in this case the
Christians won. As a result, witches are today seen as scary, evil green-faced
hags with horrible powers. The entertainment industry has not been much of a
help either. Witches and Pagans are often seen as evil on television and in
movies. �Charmed� is the only television show I can think of with
a positive, albeit fantastical, view of witchcraft.

It is hard to be in a society that believes you are something that is far from
what you really are. But their belief and negation comes from fear, and not
from hatred against you. There is simply a lack of understanding about witchcraft
is and what it is not. The only way we can combat this is to educate ourselves
and educate others properly.