The Exorcist

[Spiderman]

Have you seen this movie?
It was my favorite movie as a kid.
A part of me wants to watch it again.
One positive effect it had on me was I started believing in the devil.
That is a step in the right direction.
I guess if you don't believe in God, it isn't. But let's say God is real. Belief in the Devil usually means belief in God.

Anyway, have you ever had an exorcism performed on you?

I actually lived in walking distance of the exorcist of the diocese in Kalispell, MT, and had him perform an exorcism on me.

It was pleasant... nothing spectacular...
Most of it was in Latin, he dowsed me in holy water, held a crucifix out at times, had a prayer book, and recited various prayers and blessings.

I felt better afterwards, but nothing miraculous.

There was a time once I went to a "Holy Spirit Revival" and a lady said she needed to pray over my stomach. So she did, and my stomach swelled up much larger than usual.

It was noticeable. I didn't say anything about it and my Dad said, "you have a pot-belly like your brother Frank"!

I literally looked pregnant.

I never had a pot-belly prior to that and currently don't have one.

It shall forever be one of those mysteries in life.

Whatever it was though, i'll admit, it didn't seem to accomplish anything much...but interesting nonetheless.

Have you ever had something like that happen?

 

[Spiderman]

That youtube has a real recording of the exorcism of @Rival *clears throat*...excuse me, I mean Emily Rose!

Quite charming!

 

[Earthling]

Stories like the exorcist just make me laugh.

However, before I became a believer I did have several paranormal type events. I was spoken to on two separate occasions by a very powerful external voice which foretold two separate events that would come true. Very precise messages that were unlikely to unfold but soon did.

And when I was younger we lived briefly in a house that appeared to be haunted, i.e., inhabited by demons.

 

[Spiderman]

The cross is a Roman phallic symbol. It only began to appear in Christian culture in the second half of the 4th century. After Constantine the sun worshiper hijacked Christianity and turned it into a bunch of pagan, power hungry, mentally deranged pederasts. Jesus didn't die on a cross, but that's another thread. . .

For this reason stories like the exorcist just make me laugh.

However, having said that, before I became a believer I did have several paranormal type events. I was spoken to on two separate occasions by a very powerful external voice which foretold two separate events that would come true. Very precise messages that were unlikely to unfold but soon did.

And when I was younger we lived briefly in a house that appeared to be haunted, i.e., inhabited by demons.

Dewd! You seriously think you got stuff figured out... and centuries of Christians were just left confused!

Sounds like pride to me... and God sure did a sh*t job of guiding Christians for centuries, what makes you think he succeeded at guiding you?

I mean, I remain open to the possibility that I'm mistaken, but that's why I don't condemn people, not even Buddhists...sure, some of Buddhism seems wack, but they might be excelling in areas im failing, so I let people believe what they wish, and don't do all this judging and condemning I see come from so many proud, self-righteous, condemning Christians!

 

[Earthling]

Dewd! You seriously think you got stuff figured out... and centuries of Christians were just left confused!

I shouldn't have brought that up in this forum. I apologize for doing so. If I can I will edit it out.

 

[Spiderman]

I shouldn't have brought that up in this forum. I apologize for doing so. If I can I will edit it out.

Thanks!

There is a lot of corruption in the Church, but there was much scandal in the Church even when Jesus was with it. Peter denied him three times, many of the apostles didn't understand his parables, they made mistakes, and Jesus even told Peter "Get behind me Satan"...and Judas, was one of the twelve who witnessed all the miracles and teachings first-hand, was a traitor and a suicide...all but one of the Apostles ran away like cowards when it was time for Jesus to be crucified...

Despite much of the scandal and corruption, and "Judas priests" (traitors), the Church was also doing more to build schools, universities, hospitals, missions, homeless shelters, charities, and more to feed the hungry, clothe the needy, give medical care to the sick, give places to the dying where they could die with dignity and love, and give shelter to the homeless, than any other institution...The Catholic Church put together the first Christian Bible, and decided which writings would comprise the New Testament, that Protestants accept as correct Canon. Before the printing press (many centuries) every Bible was hand written (Usually by monks in Monasteries) and would take up to ten years to do so...

I'm not minimizing the corruption and atrocities, but trying to see the bright side and focus on the Saints and Heroes, who dedicated their life to living the gospel, serving others, caring for the sick and dying, instructing the ignorant, and there are the millions who suffered and died for their faith...that is what I choose to focus on...