So the pope just recently declared war on Santanism and the occult. What are your thoughts on this?

Question

Yes, it has made world news that Pope Benedict XVI suspects that demon posession is dramatically on the rise, due to teenage interest in Satanism, witchcraft, atheism and the occult. He has made a call for more excorcists, and a stronger belief in a literal Devil, citing the weakening of this view among Christians as a leading contributor to this paranormal dilemna. Does any of this sound just a bit 17th century-esque to any of you others on Y!A???

Answer 1

He's declared war on the imaginary?

Answer 2

I read your question and was like "Oh, no, that guitar player went and started a cult? Crap, I really liked him, too..."

=)

The easiest way to unit a disparate group is to create a common enemy. Demonize the enemy and the faithful flock around. Worked for Nixon and the drug war, worked for the Inquisition, worked for Bush to invade Iraq (get them terrorists! because Iraq was totally responsible for 9/11!).

I'm reminded that the earliest christians didn't believe in excorcism. Read your dang bible, what does it say? Read scripture, pray with your brother? Unh hunh. So how interesting is it that an authority figure pushes the idea that specialists from within his organization are needed?


Saul

Answer 3

Stupid idiot. I wish John Paul was still around... he was a cool pope.

I mean what kind of moron would believe that someone choosing to practice in the occult or not believe in some God is possessed by demons?? Typical control method- anyone who poses a threat to your complete dominance is branded as not right in the head.

Answer 4

So the Pope thinks that demonic possession is on the rise does he... and oh that means we need more exorcisms don’t we?

Of course the only people qualified to do that are none other than……. You guessed it—even more catholic priest.

Talk about creative marketing and expansion.

I think the pope ought to be more concerned about purging its own ranks of abusive pedophiles and the thousands upon thousands of cover ups over God only knows how many centuries of clerical abuses before it starts creating artificial problems for their equally artificial remedies—doncha think Padre?

Answer 5

you're harkening back to an uncivilized and barbaric church that no longer in basic terms waged "holywar" yet murdered hundreds of thousands of innocents in th maximum barbaric way. So referred to as witches burned on the stake,value many hundreds of thousands of ladies their lives. the phobia of the Inquisition,that exchange into the adult adult males who waged "holy conflict."happily no such desire to by utilizing an incredible and discovered Pontiff are in this guy's innovations. extremely he might convey peace an unity to all mankind. regrettably you're suitable approximately some Muslims who deserve no longer something decrease than annihilation for their primitive ideals and what they do as a results of fact of them. enable the purely Political Powers convey the worldwide under administration till all adult adult males think of as Pope Benedict,then that righteousness would be triumphant edit total settlement with reflexol...

Answer 6

He is just a crazy old man who says crazy old things - too bad some people still take his word as the truth.
I do not believe in god in the slightest and the same with the devil.

Plus it is winter here in Canada and satan wouldn't like the cold.

Answer 7

I was into satanism and had demons cast out because I was possessed. Jesus waged war on demons and cast them out of those in bondage. What the pope is declaring is nothing new. Casting out demons has been going on for over 2,000 years by believers. You don't have to be authorized to cast out demons, any born again believer can do this. You have to have Jesus living inside of you to have this aurthority, otherwise you will land up with the demons inside of you.

Answer 8

Well isn't he getting out the wooden poles and matches. Time to summon the dark forces he so fears and unleashes upon himself and the world. This attitude has a way of backlashing against a HYPOCRITICAL person...........

Answer 9

The Vatican has denied expanding the number of exorcists: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/166065.html

However Catholics have been casting out demons ever since Jesus and the Apostles did it.

Modern psychology says that most of the people who had demons cast out of them were probably miraculously cured from schizophrenia and other mental illnesses. But their cures were still miracles.

The Catholic Church believes that real demonic possessions are rare but possible, so they keep a few exorcists around just in case.

The Church has guidelines in place to take great care to exhaust psychological options before calling in an exorcist.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, sections 1673: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2chpt4.htm#1673

Anglicanism, several Protestant denominations, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Judaism, Hinduism, Scientology, and Islam also practice some kind of exorcism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exorcism

With love in Christ.

Answer 10

Oh well I am sure the masses will follow and spawn the End Times. Why they keep throwing the damn Apocalypse onto us I have no clue. They want it so badly they will just create their own. Just get ready for them to all stand there and point the "I told you so" finger at all the rational people left.

Answer 11

Science and new-found freedom to be an atheist accounts for the rise in the number of atheists, actually. What a horrible representative the Catholics are stuck with.