Exorcism

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(Roman Catholic exorcism)
(Roman Catholic exorcism)
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[[Image:Exorcist_Movie.jpg|thumb|right|''The Exorcist'', a movie that gives people nightmares.]]
 
[[Image:Exorcist_Movie.jpg|thumb|right|''The Exorcist'', a movie that gives people nightmares.]]
 
The [[Vatican website]] has this to say on Exorcism:  
 
The [[Vatican website]] has this to say on Exorcism:  
{{cquote|When the Church asks publicly and authoritatively in the name of Jesus Christ that a person or object be protected against the power of the Evil One and withdrawn from his dominion, it is called exorcism. Jesus performed exorcisms and from him the Church has received the power and office of exorcizing. In a simple form, exorcism is performed at the celebration of Baptism. The solemn exorcism, called "a major exorcism," can be performed only by a priest and with the permission of the bishop. The priest must proceed with prudence, strictly observing the rules established by the Church. Exorcism is directed at the expulsion of demons or to the liberation from demonic possession through the spiritual authority which Jesus entrusted to his Church. Illness, especially psychological illness, is a very different matter; treating this is the concern of medical science. Therefore, before an exorcism is performed, it is important to ascertain that one is dealing with the presence of the Evil One, and not an illness.||
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{{cquote|When the Church asks publicly and authoritatively in the name of Jesus Christ that a person or object be protected against the power of the Evil One and withdrawn from his dominion, it is called exorcism. Jesus performed exorcisms and from him the Church has received the power and office of exorcizing. In a simple form, exorcism is performed at the celebration of Baptism. The solemn exorcism, called "a major exorcism," can be performed only by a priest and with the permission of the bishop. The priest must proceed with prudence, strictly observing the rules established by the Church. Exorcism is directed at the expulsion of demons or to the liberation from demonic possession through the spiritual authority which Jesus entrusted to his Church. Illness, especially psychological illness, is a very different matter; treating this is the concern of medical science. Therefore, before an exorcism is performed, it is important to ascertain that one is dealing with the presence of the Evil One, and not an illness.|||<ref>[http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c4a1.htm Vatican Archive on Exorcism]</ref>}}
<ref>[http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c4a1.htm Vatican Archive on Exorcism]</ref>}}
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[[Baptism]] did or still does include exorcism because during birth the infant is in intimate contact with its mother's [[vagina]].  People used to believe this invariably caused an evil spirit to enter the child.  According to [[Cardinal]] Jorge Medina Estevez belief in the devil is necessary for full Roman Catholic [[faith]].  The devil manifests when lies and deceit are widely accepted, when [[sex]] or money are idolized and the frequency of all this shows the state of world subject to the ''malign one''.  <ref>[http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_exor2.htm  Roman Catholic beliefs and practices about exorcism]</ref> We assume the vast wealth of the Roman Catholic Church is ''nothing'' to do with idolization of money.
 
[[Baptism]] did or still does include exorcism because during birth the infant is in intimate contact with its mother's [[vagina]].  People used to believe this invariably caused an evil spirit to enter the child.  According to [[Cardinal]] Jorge Medina Estevez belief in the devil is necessary for full Roman Catholic [[faith]].  The devil manifests when lies and deceit are widely accepted, when [[sex]] or money are idolized and the frequency of all this shows the state of world subject to the ''malign one''.  <ref>[http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_exor2.htm  Roman Catholic beliefs and practices about exorcism]</ref> We assume the vast wealth of the Roman Catholic Church is ''nothing'' to do with idolization of money.

Revision as of 13:39, 8 July 2012

Can such things be?

Paranormal

Icon ghost.svg
The Twilight Zone

Exorcism is the practice of purging Demons, evil ghosts, dark influences, malevolent spirits, lost souls, and/or Satan out of a possessed person's body and/or soul, a haunted house, a cursed object, etc. It usually involves invoking God, Jesus, angels, saints, doing funny dances, pouring holy water or dangerous substances on the patient, praying, sacrifices and amulets, fasting either by the clergy or by the patient, among other things. It is generally performed by a member of the clergy or other holy dudes.

The existence (albeit rare) of demonic possession and exorcisms is officially recognized by the Catholic Church,[1] though it is not exclusive to Christianity. It is present in Christianity, Islam, Hinduism among other religions.

Contents

In Christianity

Roman Catholic exorcism

The Roman Catholic hierarchy are reviving interest in exorcism because they hope to convince people they are different from secular institutions as they deal in spirits and demons. [2]

The Exorcist, a movie that gives people nightmares.

The Vatican website has this to say on Exorcism:

When the Church asks publicly and authoritatively in the name of Jesus Christ that a person or object be protected against the power of the Evil One and withdrawn from his dominion, it is called exorcism. Jesus performed exorcisms and from him the Church has received the power and office of exorcizing. In a simple form, exorcism is performed at the celebration of Baptism. The solemn exorcism, called "a major exorcism," can be performed only by a priest and with the permission of the bishop. The priest must proceed with prudence, strictly observing the rules established by the Church. Exorcism is directed at the expulsion of demons or to the liberation from demonic possession through the spiritual authority which Jesus entrusted to his Church. Illness, especially psychological illness, is a very different matter; treating this is the concern of medical science. Therefore, before an exorcism is performed, it is important to ascertain that one is dealing with the presence of the Evil One, and not an illness.
[3]

Baptism did or still does include exorcism because during birth the infant is in intimate contact with its mother's vagina. People used to believe this invariably caused an evil spirit to enter the child. According to Cardinal Jorge Medina Estevez belief in the devil is necessary for full Roman Catholic faith. The devil manifests when lies and deceit are widely accepted, when sex or money are idolized and the frequency of all this shows the state of world subject to the malign one. [4] We assume the vast wealth of the Roman Catholic Church is nothing to do with idolization of money.

The Roman Catholic Church has a body of exorcists that follow tightly regulated rules, most of which are kept secret from all but a very few church members.

Protestant exorcism

Many Protestant fundamentalist churches are less regulated in their use of exorcism, leading to violent and occasionally deadly attempts to exorcise unwilling and/or uncomprehending victims. In Texas forcible exorcism is legal or was legal in 2008. [5]

Exorcisms are needed because society is often skeptical about the teachings of the more hard-line Christian groups has lost its moral compass. According to J F Cogan demonic possession is behind a wide range of happenings including gay ordination, woman's ordination, even spontaneous human combustion. People can get themselves possessed by a range of activities that Christian fundamentalists dislike such as viewing pron, illicit sex gay sex, drug abuse and even Rock music. astrologers and other psychics are vulnerable to demonic possession as are those who do Hindu or Buddhist meditation. Demons may time share, they torment one person then rush off at a speed slightly below the speed of light to torment someone else. Therefore possessed people may be worked up one moment and calm the next when the demon has gone off to its next victim. [6]

In evangelical Protestantism, exorcism is often practiced as part of a broader spiritual warfare agenda. In an even more ludicrous variety, exorcisms are performed at long distance over the telephone by Bob Larson or over the television by name it and claim it preachers ("laaay your hands on the television set")

Protestant exorcism is frequently a way televangelists make money, others also make money through exorcism by selling scary books etc. See Deliverance ministry.

Scientific explanations

Science does not classify demonic possession as a mental illness, but rather as a misidentification of different mental illnesses. Mentally ill people are known to identify themselves as possessed.

Although validity of exorcism would be a hard argument for theism, it surprisingly isn't brought up in debates very much.

External links

  • 12/29/07 news item: the Pope orders Catholic bishops to ramp up exorcism efforts to combat the worldwide rise of Satanism. Update: This was immediately followed by an official denial in Cwnews.com. So who to believe here - the Daily Phail or the Catholic World Propaganda News? Questions, questions...

See also

References

  1. Catechism of the Catholic Church, §1673
  2. For Catholics, Interest in Exorcism Is RevivedFor Catholics, Interest in Exorcism Is Revived
  3. Vatican Archive on Exorcism
  4. Roman Catholic beliefs and practices about exorcism
  5. Texas court approves traumatic exorcisms
  6. Demonic Possession, Oppression & Exorcism, Conservative Protestant, Beliefs & Practices
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