The Exorcist. (myth, experience, Article)

[Ceridwen018]

From a theological standpoint, demonic possession, to me, seems to fly in the face of God's promise of Free Will. For him to allow a demon to hijack a human's body would be extremely uncool.

Excellent point. If god loves us so much, why would he allow us to be subjected to such things?

[Ardhanariswar]

because of karma....

[Zero Faith]

Karma. The singly most destructive idea to ever sully the annals of the entire human condition.

Poor people are poor because they deserve to be poor. Let's not give them money -- they're being punished for sins in a previous life.

I'm rich because I deserve to be rich; I'm being rewarded. I'm spiritually entitled to my money and wealth, so why give it away?

Young boys and girls are being possessed by malicious demons because they are being punished for sins they cannot even remember committing.

Birth's a clean slate. It's unconscionable to punish someone (especially a child) for a crime they cannot remember committing. Human courts are more merciful than that.

[Ardhanariswar]

no... you give money to be good. if you are a selfish *******, you suffer, because you hold on to everything, being selfish does not make you good, it makes you Bad. if you give, your karma improves.

as for the people who are demonically possessed, they must have done something. why else will they be suffering?

if everyone started with a clean slate, why are some of my firneds born to richer parents? why are some people born in countries with better opportunities? how am i born with perfect body, no missing toes or organs?

so much for a clean slate .

[Zero Faith]

if everyone started with a clean slate, why are some of my firneds born to richer parents? why are some people born in countries with better opportunities? how am i born with perfect body, no missing toes or organs?

I apologize -- I was unclear in my argument.

I was not claiming that everyone begins life with a clean slate. I'm instead claiming that karma is cosmically unfair -- being punished for sins one cannot recall (and, in one's present state, did not commit) is not right; a god espousing such a philosophy would not be worthy of worship in my opinion.

The reason some people are born more fortunate than others is a sad truth of random life. Humans should help the less fortunate, not smugly sneer down at them as criminals in a past life.

[Ardhanariswar]

i agree. thats why you should do good. the purpose of now knowing what we did in our past lives is because if we knew, we would only do the things to repent for it and negate it, but if we DID NOT knww, we would do everything in our power to do what is right, not knowing if our sins are great or small. the point is, we should be motivated to do good on our own accord, not the threat of past lives.

the reason why we dont remember is because or human mind serves to help us remember things in this life, i mean, you are 80 years old, and people forget many things. imagine our hundreds of previous lives. i believe that when you die, and the soul is free from the body, you can remember your previous lives.

get it?