The Reign of Witches -- hasn't passed yet.

[Kablooie]

A little patience, and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve, and the people, recovering their true sight, restore their government to it's true principles.
It is true that in the mean time we are suffering deeply in spirit, and incurring the horrors of a war & long oppressions of enormous public debt.

Thomas Jefferson
—Philadelphia, June 4, 1798

----

I thought it was supposed to have passed several years ago but they seem to be multiplying like mosquitoes today.

[MilesColtrane]

1. That denigrates real witches.

Some of the nicest people I've met have been witches.

Republicans?

...not so much.

[Armstead]

2. Hmmmmm...1798....I guess it took a long time to sort things out

[aquart]

3. So disappointed in TJ.

[Luminous Animal]

4. This quote illustrates that Jefferson, the rationalist, was not immune to theocratic bias.

[TygrBright]

6. Jefferson used a lot of metaphors. I doubt he believed in witches.

In fact, the way I interpret that statement is that he believed the irrational people ("witches") making decisions based on feelings, luck, wacky belief systems, etc., would have less power in a constitutional democratic republic based on rational principles.

A beautiful dream.

wistfully,
Bright

[Luminous Animal]

8. Well, that is nice. But in the era in which he spoke, christians- the enemy of witches

were also making decisions based on feelings, luck, wacky belief systems, etc.

[TygrBright]

10. I think he regarded Christians as "witches" in the sense of...

...professing a belief system based on faith rather than rationality.

Metaphor, not literal wiccan-sense witches.

diffidently,
Bright

[Luminous Animal]

5. I do hope we are well beyond the fear of the reign of witches.

[old mark]

7. K&R- We have now passed to the reign of greedy ignorant assholes,

who are trying to tell us they are an improvement over the witches...

mark

[Rabblevox]

9. remember the context and time. if he had known modern Wiccans he never...

would have phrased it that way. His intent was clear, and prescient, and fuck me if corporate boards, military contractors, and congresscritters don't look more like evil necromancers every day.

[Shandris]

11. ...riches for Thulsa Doom? (n/t)

[LeftinOH]

12. These days, it's witch HUNTERS that are the problem. n/t