What is Wicca & Why it is Perceived so Negatively?

Lately, for the past month or so, I've gone around saying things like, "I think the best religion for me is Wicca." Or, "The up-and-coming modern religion is Wicca." I've been dropping these lines in conversations to family and friends, interspersing them between other somewhat unrelated sentences. Each time, the reaction is the same. Some people turn their noses up at the word Wicca. Others will give a flat-out rebuttal of, "If you don't mind worshipping the devil." What infuriates me about this is that nobody is willing to change their negative viewpoint on this non-meddling, almost refreshing religion.

Why do people turn their noses up at the word Wicca? Why do they think they "know" those types of people, who delve into witchery? For one, the stigma against Wicca and witchcraft are not new. Ever heard of the Salem Witch Trials? The classical period for witch-hunts took place in Europe from between 1450 and 1700. Members of the society went out searching for individuals displaying witch-like qualities. These unfortunate candidates were put through torturous tests, and when they failed, they suffered the wrath of God, handed down by the people of the society. This is not unlike the McCarthy era, where "communists" were hunted down, due to their overly communistic behavior, and then prosecuted by the United States government, as made popular by Arthur Miller in his infamous play, "The Crucible."

The practice of casting spells, and what could be called sorcery, has been branded as evil for thousands of years. Even the Code of Hammurabi, from ancient Egypt, gives the order to put any man accused of placing a spell on another man into the holy river. If the river overtakes him, the other man acquires the dead man's house. If the holy river supports the man in question, then his accuser is to be put to death, and the innocent man acquires his house. The Hebrew Bible also openly condemns sorcery, calling it an "abomination" (Deuteronomy 18:11-12) and contains many phrases, such as the one found in Exodus, 22:18, "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live."