European Christians in the medieval era, some conservative Christians today, and many black Africans (past and present) believe that witchcraft can produce effects that are beyond the natural powers of man. In other words, they believe that witchcraft is genuine magic. Most commonly, Chritians believe that witchcraft derives it power from forces of evil - by a special pact or by an appeal to those forces, such as the devil. Black Africans have a wider range of views, some believing the same things that Christians do, while others believeing that witchcraft may be value-neutral, or perhaps even used for good.
In the United States, there was a huge number of American citizens put on trial for witchcraft in the 1980s and early 1990s; these trails generally took place when conservative Christians began witch-hunts for supposed witches and Satan worshippers. The victims of these hunts were accused of sexually molesting, and sometimes cannabalizing children. By the mid 1990s these trials ended, and many of the people originally jailed were released. In Africa it is still a common practice for town to engage in public murders of people accused of witchcraft.
Modern science has found no evidence that any form of magical witchcraft actually exists.
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