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what is an alternative to "being framed as a witch"? Being an actual witch? Of course they have been framed!

doctor_eval 6y ago
Came here to say exactly that. This is how people are going to look back at global heating. “They pumped how much carbon into the atmosphere? Of course the temperature was going to rise!”
aptwebapps 6y ago
The distinction here is that it was planned, and not just the result of hysteria.
sxp 6y ago
This gets into etymological arguments about what a "witch" is. > The sisters, who were known to be herbal healers, swore their revenge, the story goes. A "witch" in certain contexts could be an evil apothecary: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witchcraft#Hebrew_Bible https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witchcraft#Hebrew_Bible > The precise meaning of the Hebrew כָּשַׁף, usually translated as "witch" or "sorceress", is uncertain. In the Septuagint, it was translated as pharmakeía or pharmakous. In the 16th century, Reginald Scot, a prominent critic of the witch trials, translated כָּשַׁף, φαρμακεία, and the Vulgate's Latin equivalent veneficos as all meaning "poisoner", and on this basis, claimed that "witch" was an incorrect translation and poisoners were intended Witch hunts and witch trials normally involved framing people for bullshit reasons, but that doesn't mean "witches" didn't exist at some point. They were just herbalists using science instead of magic.
- goto11 6y ago
  > They were just herbalists using science That is a stretch. The witch in the book of Samuel summons the spirit of Samuel from the dead. So clearly she is more than just an herbalist or poisoner, even if the word could be translated like that. And I don't see any basis for "using science". The definition of whichcraft in early-modern Europe was using magic to harm other people. Poisoning fell under this, but using herbal medicine for benign purposes was common and not illegal.
- gverrilla 6y ago
  there is no such thing as "precise meaning"
goto11 6y ago
There has been cases where a "witch" was hired to kill someone using magic, like a contract killer. In such cases you can't say the witch was framed.
dang 6y ago
The article addresses this. Would you please review https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and stick to the rules when commenting? Note these: "Please respond to the strongest plausible interpretation of what someone says, not a weaker one that's easier to criticize. Assume good faith." "Please don't post shallow dismissals, especially of other people's work. A good critical comment teaches us something."

Came here to say exactly that. This is how people are going to look back at global heating. “They pumped how much carbon into the atmosphere? Of course the temperature was going to rise!”

aptwebapps 6y ago

The distinction here is that it was planned, and not just the result of hysteria.

sxp 6y ago

This gets into etymological arguments about what a "witch" is. > The sisters, who were known to be herbal healers, swore their revenge, the story goes. A "witch" in certain contexts could be an evil apothecary: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witchcraft#Hebrew_Bible https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witchcraft#Hebrew_Bible > The precise meaning of the Hebrew כָּשַׁף, usually translated as "witch" or "sorceress", is uncertain. In the Septuagint, it was translated as pharmakeía or pharmakous. In the 16th century, Reginald Scot, a prominent critic of the witch trials, translated כָּשַׁף, φαρμακεία, and the Vulgate's Latin equivalent veneficos as all meaning "poisoner", and on this basis, claimed that "witch" was an incorrect translation and poisoners were intended Witch hunts and witch trials normally involved framing people for bullshit reasons, but that doesn't mean "witches" didn't exist at some point. They were just herbalists using science instead of magic.

goto11 6y ago
> They were just herbalists using science That is a stretch. The witch in the book of Samuel summons the spirit of Samuel from the dead. So clearly she is more than just an herbalist or poisoner, even if the word could be translated like that. And I don't see any basis for "using science". The definition of whichcraft in early-modern Europe was using magic to harm other people. Poisoning fell under this, but using herbal medicine for benign purposes was common and not illegal.
gverrilla 6y ago
there is no such thing as "precise meaning"

goto11 6y ago

There has been cases where a "witch" was hired to kill someone using magic, like a contract killer. In such cases you can't say the witch was framed.

dang 6y ago

The article addresses this. Would you please review https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and stick to the rules when commenting? Note these: "Please respond to the strongest plausible interpretation of what someone says, not a weaker one that's easier to criticize. Assume good faith." "Please don't post shallow dismissals, especially of other people's work. A good critical comment teaches us something."