Would the Salem Witch Trials have happened in the absence of religion?

Given that most of Europe and Europeans in the colonies believed in witchcraft, despite whatever belief they professed or ignored, it would have probably happened in just the manner it did.

What happened was not a religious reaction. The involvement of the Puritan churches was more because the settlements had the church as a central location in the community. But remember, some accused of witchraft were considered pillars of teh church.

You have to just go with me…what if they didn’t believe in God or magic? Would it have happened anyway?

I don’t have to “go with you” because you continually make statements that are your interpretation of how belief systems evolve.

If no one believed in witchcraft, then there wouldn’t have been any witchcraft trials. But in a small insular community where not everyone could get along, the society would have found some other outlet, a la “The Lottery”.

What? Belief systems evolved to explain the unexplainable. Pretty sure that’s not something I just made up.

I lost you on your “lottery” comment. Could you be more specific, please?

Shirley Jackson. The Lottery.

I looked it up. The short story still revolves around mysticism. I’m trying to take mysticism out of the picture altogether.

I don’t see how you can say the short story revolves around mysticism, it is a pretty basic statement about human nature, aggression, and the need for emotional outlets.

”Children gather stones as the adult townsfolk assemble for their annual event, which in the local tradition is practiced to ensure a good harvest.”

If people believe that they can actually do something completely unrelated to the weather to influence the weather, it’s mysticism. It’s superstition.

I’m not insulting the story. I’ll read it, and if the movie comes around I’ll watch it. It has some really great reviews so I’m sure it’s good.

Oh, good grief. The “ensuring of a good harvest” aspect was a thin justification for basic human brutality.
Never mind. I just stepped in to give you a marker for @zenvelo’s reference, not to debate your immediate, knee-jerk interpretation of literature.
I’m out.

Possibly. There would have been less chance if there was no belief. You can have religion with the belief in something, but I don’t think there would have to be belief with a/any religion.
I don’t think the word “religion” is what you want in your question. “Theism” might be better.

I wonder what the original situation was that caused the mayhem. Was it worth all the women and girls being murdered?

I think that people hate on their own. Would there have been Witchcraft Trials without religion? Probably not. The people that were “tried” would probably just have ended up being murdered. And if they were not liked by the community as a whole, no one would have looked for the murderer.

You know there is a theory that the hysteria of the Salem trials was caused by Rye bread, or more specifically the fungus that grows in the bread and contains Ergotamine and Lysergic Acid. If that was the case then it would not matter what religious belief the followed or whether they followed one or not; the hysteria would still have occurred but might have taken a different form. But, from what I have read it was not just confined to one area, Salem was the catalyst and the focal point but it was not limited to that area, many who were accused came from surrounding towns and villages and unless there was a widespread outbreak of rotting Rye bread I doubt that this was the cause of all of the accusations.

While they may not have instigated the accusations there were those who used the opportunity to exact revenge on other individuals or to benefit financially from the downfall of neighbors who were accused and imprisoned whether or not they were hung, burned or, as I mentioned in another post, crushed to death.

Interesting theory @rojo. An acid trip! Or maybe straight psilocybin mushrooms. I question it too, though. It went on for 6 months.
And I agree with you. Some of them saw excuses to get rid of people they didn’t like. I wonder how many fully realized it was bullshit but participated anyway? I think abut the scenes on TV from the Old West where a hanging is a social event, like a concert or something. Was it really?

Exchange “witch” for “gay person” or “person with a disability” and back in the day, whether they believed in a God, or had a religion, the non-conformers would have been viewed as defective and in need of correction or death.