Possession, Demons, and the News.

[LV426]

In reading the articles about the town in Sicily that thinks it's appliances are under demonic forces and causing fires and then the team of exorcists, priests, and doctors that are now combating demons and possessions, I just wanted to know what everyone thinks about demonic Possession. In some ways it feels as if the world is stepping backwards into the Dark Ages and bringing technology with it to further battle evil.

Now I am not sure that demons are specifically religious deities because there are mentions of other demonic type entities throughout cultures and history but for all intents and purposes let us use this as a religious topic since the Catholic Church seems to be involved most specifically in these instances.

So what is your view on possession by demons or demonic forces?

[WolfHawk]

As far as demons go, I believe in Werewolves, ghosts and the such so why not demons? I've seen WAY too much shit in my life to not believe in the supernatural, so it's not really an issue for me. It just does exist. Demonic possesion is possible in regards to humans, but appliances? I'm not so sure about that. It would be considerably easier for me to believe that a wraith or poltergeist was behind it all. Where did you read about this happening? I'd be interested to look through it myself.
Oh, and don't even get me started on the holier-than-thou attitude that the Catholic church seems to represent.

[Wolffy13]

I do believe in demons and believe they are out there, but choose to not state my reason why.

As far as pssessions go, I believe they happen (not often, but yes). A friend of mine managed to piss off some spiritual entity one time and it followed her back to our coven (in the days of yore when said coven existed). It eventually made her black out, something that is HIGHLY uncharacteristic of her, and then it managed to get in the heads of all the other coven members, minus myself who was home in bed. My good friend, who was also the High Priest, and my husband managed (and damn lucky too) to make it go away. Long story short, I ripped my friend a new one and told her if she had gotten possessed that she would be S.O.L. The High Priest and myself were delving into such knowledge, but there was no way in hell we could do any sort of exorcism.

As for those fires in Sicily, that's very strange. My father's a former fire fighter, so I'll ask him when I can if he knows of any theories. If I find out anything relevant, I'll post it in the corresponding post. Maybe it's something natural :shrug: Maybe not, who knows

[phantomroller]

I believe in demons. why not? I mean there are werewolves, vampires, dragons, and otherkin folk, so why can't demons exist? now, on the subject of possesion, I bleive they are possible. I've never experineced one myself, but I believe they are completely possible, but applicances....come on now.

at my school, we were talking about demons in our relgion class (I go to a Catholic school. help me!!!!) and everyone in the class all came to the same notion that every demon is evil, works for Satan. Now, I don't think all demons are these evil little creatures from hell that worship Satan and reck havoic where ever they are. I think that Christianity has drilled that into people's brains to scare them or something. some demons are evil, just like some people are evil just like anything else, which means that there are good demons too. but yeah, I do not believe in the Chrsitianity view of demons at all.

[Frostbeard]

There's nothing like the Christian concept of demons in my beliefs, but I think there are other explanations for what's happening, not all scientific.

Basically, I think it's far more likely that these people are creating the events surrouding themselves. Whether they're doing it consciously or not doesn't really matter. If exorcists are managing to have an impact, that, to me, reinforces this idea rather than dispells it. *shrug*

[DarkHunter]

Sure i believe in demons. But like it was said before, they're not all evil.
Possesion? Yeah I believe it. I've had a friend who was possessed. Followed her back from the astral plane. Freaky thing.

The priests and exorcists are having an impact eh? I'd attribute that to the belief in the idea that they can make an impact.

[LupineShaman]

I very deeply believe in demons and possesion. And it is not just the catholic church that tries to take of it. Many times they only make the situation worse. I am a Wiccan, and very much a warrior of the spiritual world. I myself have even taken part as an exorcist. Before you are going to ask me to describe one read my other post in "Exorcism or Psychiatry". Demons and possesion are very real, and sometimes suck very much to take care of depending on how powerful what you are dealing with is.

[LOBO REY]

I belive in demons. But demons have the ability to be good or evil. Most are just "raised wrong". Devils are the evil ones.

[Darth Cluich]

I belive in demons. But demons have the ability to be good or evil. Most are just "raised wrong". Devils are the evil ones.

Please don't tell me you're going to extend the nature-versus-nurture argument to demons... :rolleyes:

[Thought]

Demon is another name for malignant spirits, just as angel is another name for benevolent spirits.

They are beings that are fully capable of learning, and have adapted to the changes in the world throughout human history. It makes sense that they would learn how use human technolgy to their benifit.

As to possessing appliances, there have been stories of buildings and items (such as the Hope Diamond") which are inherently evil or malignant.

As for the fires, I've been following that story as well, and after the first few incidents, all power was cut to the town. Now i'm not an electrician, but I'm fairly certain that nost appliances do not contain any materials capable of spontaneous combustion at room temperature or lower. So there has to be some other source.