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Exorcism
- Thread starter Renji
- Start date
Caladan
Agnostic Pantheist
I believe that in medieval England they believed that breaking wind means you just casted out a demon out of your body. if you ask me, thats a much more enlightened theory than ritual Catholic exorcism. also much more straight and to the point.
Erebus
Well-Known Member
I've helped out a couple of friends who were being "haunted" by various entities, but that is entirely different to "casting out" the spirits "possessing" somebody.
Possession is something I've never witnessed and so I can't claim to know whether it exists or not. I personally would look to medicine and psychiatric help if faced with a "possessed" person. There are simply too many other likely explanations for a possession to go for an exorcism straight away, particularly when so many people's idea of a "real" exorcism all to frequently involves ritual abuse.
Father Heathen
Veteran Member
What's often mistaken as demons is actually epilepsy, multiple personality disorder, or various other mental conditions, and it's sad that people even in today's modern world allow themselves to be deluded by superstitions instead of helping people seek real medical help.
Dunemeister
Well-Known Member
Most professional exorcists don't get involved until all these options have been discussed and ruled out. For instance, you have someone behaving like a madman. He has been diagnosed several times and treated to no avail. At that point, it's entirely reasonable to think of alternatives such as exorcism.
OTOH, exorcism is usually -- admitting the presence, even prevalence, of hacks posing as real exorcists -- non-invasive. If the exorcism is performed and there are no results, that can further confirm that the problem is chemical or biological, not spiritual.
IOW, whether exorcism is legitimate or not, there seems little problem with trying it.
Although I've never had an exorcism performed or been present when one was, I have had a priest come to my new digs to bless them. The house was thereby sanctified to God and His use. Has that prevented some satanic tomfoolery? I don't know. But I don't see how I was harmed by the blessing.
dust1n
Zindīq
khproject
Member
Rainbow Mage
Lib Democrat/Agnostic/Epicurean-ish/Buddhist-ish
I have been involved in removing some negative entities from homes. Some of them are demons and some are not. Not all demons are bad persay, they have free will.
A
angellous_evangellous
Guest
I stay away from that stuff.
Caladan
Agnostic Pantheist
Must be all those years you spent in the academy getting to your head finally Nate.
A
angellous_evangellous
Guest
Must be all those years you spent in the academy getting to your head finally Nate.
No, Paranormal Activity scared the **** out of me.
A
angellous_evangellous
Guest
Must be all those years you spent in the academy getting to your head finally Nate.
You're right.
When I was a senior in seminary, the profs had a video that only senior religion majors could watch in their last semester. We had to watch it in the religion building, we could only watch it once, and we couldn't watch it alone.
It had some excorcisms and several kinds of ectoplasm horns (that was cool). We have no need for mediums, so that wasn't an issue, but the excorcisms were downright scary ****. We were taught to refer these cases to other people.
A
angellous_evangellous
Guest
You don't know what an ecoplasm horn is?
Wiki has a good definition, but a lousy picture - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ectoplasm_(paranormal)
Jacksnyte
Reverend
You mean these possessed folks were growing ectoplasmic horns? I'd like to learn that trick! I'd never need another howl-o-ween costume!
Caladan
Agnostic Pantheist
OH that ectoplasm
the kind which makes Jewish novelists such as Neil Gaiman get rich and travel the world.
A
angellous_evangellous
Guest
You mean these possessed folks were growing ectoplasmic horns? I'd like to learn that trick! I'd never need another howl-o-ween costume!
No, it's something done by mediums. Different thing from demon possession.
A
angellous_evangellous
Guest
OH that ectoplasm
Yep. All matter of spiritual stuff makes all matter of people rich.
Caladan
Agnostic Pantheist
Haha. spot on. American religious leaders are some of the worlds most successful business men. they sell people beliefs and they get money and resources in return. its the perfect exchange of commodities.
A
angellous_evangellous
Guest
... and the wordplay was elegant ...