Witchcraft is defined as the practice of magic, the use of spells, and the invocation of spirits. Throughout Church history, witchcraft became a prevalent topic as early as 560 BC, when it was first mentioned in the Old Testament. In this earlier era, persecution of witchcraft was rare because many people practiced it and it was seen as simply another religion among the multitude of the ancient world. Then, in the 1400s, when the Church had become dominant, people began to turn to the Old Testament in search of guidance and morals. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Many of these biblical passages have been misinterpreted and people have distorted their true meaning. They believed that what they were doing was right and beneficial to their society. Religion was then taken very seriously and rumors of witchcraft began to spread. An outbreak of persecution had been exploited by many who used the fear of others for their own benefit. Witchcraft was no longer just a rumor, it was a way to manipulate society to put someone to death. Innocent people were tried for witchcraft and brutally tortured to the point where they made up stories about their magical powers and falsely admitted to practicing them. In the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries, the Church was divided in two. Protestants and Catholics. They launched numerous campaigns which resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent people persecuted for witchcraft. In the chaos, many people started rumors of witchcraft about people they didn't like or political competition. Witchcraft became a way for these evil people to eliminate their opponents by making false claims against them. Witchcraft has always been a big problem in Church history, and although it is overlooked, it is of great importance. The persecuted “witches” were only scapegoats. Witches were blamed for the failures and miseries of others. For example, a person may be executed for witchcraft because they were accused of cursing a couple who could not have children. Witches can also be blamed for other negative aspects, such as poor harvests and bad weather. Many forms of execution were used for the persecuted, but the most common form was burning them at the stake. Those accused were easily single women due to the way witches are depicted in tales and myths. More than just a misunderstanding, society was in great confusion because the fear of witches was so strongly encouraged. In 1692, mass hysteria occurred in Salem, Massachusetts, commonly known as the Salem Witch Trials. During this event, 20 innocent people were accused of witchcraft, tried and hanged. After this event, the majority of the world began to realize that a great fear was in their heads and the accusations against witches began to subside. Although persecution against people practicing witchcraft and the dark arts continues today in some countries, we should be concerned about accusations of witchcraft in Church history because it was a massacre of the 'innocence. Society had been misled into confusion and over-following Old Testament passages..