Episode 47

Sword and Scale

Incongruity

History, Society & Culture, True Crime, Documentary

4.0 • 63.8K Ratings

🗓️ 7 June 2015

⏱️ 74 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The highly technological society in which we live obscures the fact the we are still a very primitive species. One which continues to fall under the spell of magical beliefs and mass hysteria. Although we'd like to think we have evolved, this story which mirrors the insanity of the Salem Witch Trials shows, that perhaps, we have not. In the early 80's a madness was brewing. The rise of heavy metal music combined with the infiltration of demonic imagery into American homes in the form of VHS and Betamax videotapes of horror films such as The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby and The Omen, had many of the public on edge. Combine that with several books and TV shows suggesting that Devil Worshipers make up a vast underground network that can exist in any middle-class neighborhood and you have a recipe for disaster. Fear turns to terror. Terror turns to mass hysteria. This phenomena was called Satanic Panic and elements of it can still be seen in our culture even today.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Sword and Scale contains adult themes and violence.
0:03.0	It is not intended for all audiences.
0:05.0	Listener discretion is advised.
0:08.0	Satanism.
0:11.0	To most it conjures images of medieval black masses or sinister deeds done for the devil.
0:18.0	But simply said, Satanism is the belief that evil is excusable and attaining power to control
0:25.6	people and circumstances is desirable.
0:28.6	Whether you believe in a literal devil is not important in understanding Satanism's effect
0:34.6	in our society.
0:36.6	The evidence is in. Satan worship and satanic cults are growing rapidly,
0:41.3	and adherence of these ideas are becoming more vocal
0:45.3	and more dangerous.
0:47.3	These symbols of Satanism are turning up everywhere,
0:51.3	on walls, on clothes, on album covers, and even on bodies of murder
0:58.1	victims. Law enforcement officials admit that satanic cults operate in nearly every community
1:05.3	in America. Young children from Oregon to Massachusetts say they've been raped, tortured,
1:11.6	and forced to watch small animals killed during satanic ceremonies.
1:16.6	School officials in many cities report high school students are forming satanic groups.
1:21.6	A Chicago policeman told us,
1:24.6	Satanic crime makes gang activity look like a nursery school.
1:30.3	During this program, you will see the many sides of Satanism.
1:34.3	You'll be shocked, and you may be tempted to turn away in denial of such unspeakable horror.
	...

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