Do you beleive in demonic posession?

Question

Understand that I agree that 99.5% off all posession cases are either mental illness, or an attention getting scheme. But that unexplainable 1/2 of 1% do you think it's possible? Ir is it something else?

There are certifiably unexplainable cases, that do have proof. There is more to demonic possession than yelling nonsense words, and doing nasty things with a crucifix. There’s other phenomenon, such as scratches, and bruises in places the victim cant reach. Things flying about the room of their own accord. (and I don’t mean just falling off a shelf, or zooming in one direction as if thrown I mean flying AROUND a room. The victim will have prescient knowledge of things she had no access to, such as objects the examiner came in with, told no-one about and kept on his person. (this is one of the actual tests they use, after they do a background check on the victim, have a certified psychotherapist rule out mental illness, and witness some form of unexplainable phenomenon. It’s also transcendent of religion. All faiths experience this

Again I'm not a christian- though I respect their opinions- I'm not some other kind of nutty religious type, and I do think almos ALL of it can be explained through mental illness. I just want a good discussion, and real opinions. No degrading, or insulting answers, please

Answer 1

Demonic possession is a reality, but like you said, it is rare.

Catholic priests (and some other minor Catholic orders) are given the power to perform exorcisms if necessary. Many Catholic priests have told me there are millions of people who are demon-obsessed, but very few that are actually demon "possessed" (i.e under complete control).

There is an excellent, factual work on this by Father Malachi Martin, a Jesuit priest who peformed some exorcisms and lived and worked in Rome for a time. The book is called Hostage to the Devil (he has other books, too).

Answer 2

Demonic possession is very real. I do not agree about the percentage rate though, that people are mental or attention getting.. I have witnessed an exorcism in a church and it was really powerful.
People put themselves in the situation as a demonic receiver. If a person is weakminded, such as rebuking God, then they are the perfect target for Satan to take his stronghold...
Too many times the doctors will blame wrongdoings (like killing their children, etc) on mental illness and in some cases it is but not always. An absolutely mental person cannot premeditate a murder...

Answer 3

I think that perhaps the other 0.5% (or whatever) is unexplainable for now.

The idea of demonic possession could certainly be used to take up the slack, as it always has, but mental illnesses used to be considered possession. Theists will tell you this - it's no big secret. Many things christianity used to consider demonic possession they now consider simple medical cases.

Historically we can predict that in time we will know about the other 0.5% and then possession will be completely debunked.

Answer 4

Normally, I would have to say no, but then there are people like Robert Tilton, Miles Munroe, James Dobson, Jan Crouch, Ron Luce and Joel Osteen.

Answer 5

No, I think that 99.5% of all mental illness cases are demonic possession. It's just that people take the term too seriously, and forget that a human soul can FIGHT BACK when possessed of a devil.

Remember Flip Wilson's character Geraldine? "The devil made me do it" was her excuse every time she bought a dress she couldn't afford, or did anything else wrong. And reasonably, she was right. But the point is, we have a responsibility to resist temptation. Demons can goad you to do something wrong, but you can say NO.

My Steve called my temper tantrums "demon attacks," in part to keep me from feeling too guilty once it was over. And really, I hardly remembered what I said when I shouted terrible things at him. But once I gained control of myself (Why do we put it that way? Why do we refer to someone as "out of control"?), I acknowledged that when I got the temptation, when I felt my temper rise, and the volume of my voice with it, it was my responsibility to calm myself, breathe slow and deep, and remember what is really important. Sometimes I even succeeded, but then I wanted him to know it, to give me credit for controlling myself.

In the end, I see the demonic possession to be primarily a metaphor, but a useful one. At times our behavior is controlled more by forces which seem to come from outside ourselves because they do: they come from bad influences in our environment.

You do not have to "own" your bad behavior entirely if you can own responsibility for resisting the influence of evil forces. And believe me, mass media is FULL of evil forces. Anything that encourages you to run amok so it can manipulate your guilt afterward is evil. It doesn't have to look like a traditional devil as depicted in old woodcuts. It may look like a very handsome model in a TV ad, or a "sincere" politician. By their fruits will you know them.

Study up on Defense Against the Dark Arts; it's the most important class in the school.

Answer 6

Yes, demonic possession is possible and does happen. Jesus cast out demons and told his apostles to go and do the same.

The Vatican Exorcist, Father Amorth, has done of 60,000 exorcisms. He says that "full demonic possession" is possible (he has seen it) but it is rare. Satan prefers to move about secretly, as he can get more done that way. Demons are with us constantly and their purpose is to lead us away from God.

That's good enough for me...Jesus said it's true, the Apostles said it's true, and Father Amorth has seen and dealt with Satan and his demons directly.

http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=3147766

Answer 7

Absolutely not. There are no demons and therefore there cannot be demonic possession. That other 0.5% (wherever you got this statistic from) can be explained if people were to look for a logical reason other than superstitious nonsense.

Answer 8

There is no inexplicable 0.5% of cases. They are 100% explicable as mental illness or fraud.

There is no evidence for demons and no evidence for demonic possession. It is just an explanation dreamed up thousands of years ago to explain bizarre or unbalanced behavior, long before anyone had any idea of how the brain worked and the nature of mental illness.

Answer 9

nicely I easily have confidence in demonic possession. additionally in case you have confidence in some style of religion you may could desire to have confidence in it besides. maximum all religions have confidence in some style of possessions and characteristic some form of exorcists even if if or no longer they are reported as that or no longer, even Protestant churches have them. i think of in spite of the undeniable fact that that human beings could make their minds greater vulnerable to such issues by potential of the failings they do or the way they think of. additionally believing in being possessed makes it each and all the greater probable, you may think of your self into any difficulty besides as thinking your self out of one.

Answer 10

It is extremely well covered by Jesus himself in God's word the Bible. Also by the Apostles where they talked about the Demons in a girl who followed them calling out to the people about them. They expelled the offensive demons. Remember?

A lot of truth is passed off by unbelieving scientists...........