The modern perception of occult thought is cyclical. In the
1600’s, demonology in France was used to elicit propaganda designed to either
stomp out or convert enemies of Tridentine Catholicism. Pamphleteering was a
useful method to achieve this end. Treatises of the demonological variety
helped priests convince their flock to turn away from areas of the occult in
favor of ‘traditional’ religious orthodoxy. It was an intended Cultural
Revolution and struggle of ideas. It was political.
Intense socio-economic and political struggles made it easy for witches and
other practitioners of the esoteric to be scape-goated. This allowed the elite
to deem popular culture of the time as diabolical and needing of reform.
We see the same struggle of ideas in contemporary society. Minority
or fringe religious groups are labeled detractors of the traditional paradigm
and used as scapegoats for the ills of the modern world. We witness this in ultra-conservative
religious groups that want to blame fears of the Other for a perceived disintegration
of world culture. Although my favorite Christian spokesman and Presidential
Candidate, zealots such Pat Robertson spin an evil twist onto everything not ‘Religious Right’. Don’t get
me wrong. I’d gladly ‘Vote Pat’ in 2016 for no other reason but the sheer
absurdity and entertainment value. And I know that he willfully plays a role at
this point. Even he knows that much of what he says is a characterization and
caricature of Christian orthodoxy. He holds a societal office and is harmless. But
underneath the rhetoric lays a struggle for ideas that religious minorities all
suffer. It’s really a blessing we live in the U.S. After all, it only takes a
moment with Yazidi to see the true terror that can occur for yearning to
practice a religion in the minority. Moreover, it’s insulting to everybody when
U.S. Christians bark that there is a ‘war on Christianity’ when there are real
wars on religious belief that involve rape and murder.
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