From Houston Belief. An interesting tidbit about exorcism from the modern Catholic point-of-view. Clearly all cases of alleged spiritual possession are not what they seem. But some could very well be.Meet a modern exorcist
By TERRY MATTINGLY SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE
The Rev. Gary Thomas knew was dealing with a man who’s life was falling apart.The man was a scientist, and a skeptic about supernatural evil. So is Thomas, a modern-day exorcist.
The subject of demonic possession is still controversial, as illustrated by the media storm that greeted the revised exorcism rite 10 years ago. While it warned exorcists not to confuse possession with mental illness, it also affirmed ancient teachings about spiritual warfare.
Truth is, Thomas said, the events of the recent Holy Week make no sense without real demons, real temptations and a real hell.
Thomas took a Vatican-approved course on demonic possession while in Rome a few years ago. The second-career priest participated in more than 80 exorcisms. These experiences form the heart of The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist, by U.S. journalist Matt Baglio.
Modern exorcists are urged to work with doctors to evaluate those who are suffering. They also use confession, healing rites and Mass to restore spiritual health .
It’s one thing to hear a demon on a recording. Face-to-face encounters are another matter. The classic signs of possession have long been: superhuman strength, speaking languages they have never studied or bizarre physical reactions to contact with holy things. Most people seeking exorcisms are simply ill or emotionally distressed.
“You may see case after case in which there are other explanations for what these people are suffering,” Thomas said. “Every now and then ... you are dealing with the real thing. That’s when you know that sin is real, hell is real and Satan is real. That’s when you learn what the cross and the resurrection are all about.”
Terry Mattingly is director of the Washington Journalism Center at the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.
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4 comments:
If I met a complete stranger when walking down the street, and the stranger told me he was the king of Denmark; it's safe to say I'd probably not believe him.
So, why should we believe incorporeal entities when they go out and tell they are demons from Hell? Maybe they just like to pull our legs, or play along our particular cultural framework.
Ditto for aliens, too. Just because they go and tell abductees/contactees that they come from a distant planet, a moon of Jupiter or even from Venus—and forgetting for a moment about the witness' 'cultural contamination' when interpreting the amazing event he's experiencing— why should we take all that for granted?
It's like the book 'The Queen of the Damned' by Anne Rice, where the dead were happy to play along and act as gods to the Egyptians, just because they wanted to receive attention.
Maybe being yelled "The power of Christ compels you!" is better than being ignored.
I read an truly freaky book called: HOSTAGE TO THE DEVIL by Malachi Martin.
It's a non-fiction book from a former Jesuit professor at the Vatican.
Scared the crap out of me...
Anything that has to do with demons, I want no part of. It just scares me too much.
I'm extraordinarily skeptical about demonic possession for the same reason cited by Red Pill Junkie. There may very well be a form of intelligence behind "real" possessions, but I see no reason to trust what it might say (if indeed the supposed entity is even doing the talking).
Perhaps those "possessed" are unconsciously articulating "the unknown" using the vocabulary of a familiar belief system. To a devout Catholic, an intrusion by some seemingly non-material force might automatically be interpreted as demonic (in the theological sense) and processed accordingly.
And it should be pointed out that possession is hardly a Catholic phenomenon. On the contrary, we have global accounts of intrusions by hostile nonhuman entities. Victims will inevitably recount their plight in terms borrowed from their native culture and spiritual system.
Going further, confronting a "demon" doesn't demonstrate the existence of hell any more than a UFO sighting proves the existence of a galactic brotherhood.
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