Police: Suburban couple locked girl in basement because they believed she was possessed by demon | WGN-TV

A suburban couple is charged with keeping their 10-year-old daughter locked in the basement because they thought she was possessed by a “demon.”

Randy Swopes, 48, and Katherine Swopes, 49, were both arrested and are held on child endangerment and unlawful restraint charges.

Police responded to a home in the 200 block of Liberty Street in Waukegan Tuesday after receiving an anonymous call that someone was held captive in the home’s basement.

Police discovered the girl in the basement living in “poor conditions.

Police: Suburban couple locked girl in basement because they believed she was possessed by demon | WGN-TV

Zombies Are Making Way For Demons, Which Means Our Anxieties Have Turned Inward | Inverse

What hasn’t changed, though, is that zombies are used to talk about our society, our anxieties about being taken over, and our fear of having our humanity co-opted, whether its by disease, addiction, prejudice or a kind of cultural numbness. Zombie narratives are very clearly about our fears on a societal level, and they often operate to expose and comment on the perceived evils within systems. 

Demons, however, reflect a totally different set of anxieties that may have much more to do with a fear of ourselves than a fear of society.

Like most of our cultural monsters, demons are old and have a bizarre and winding history. Prominently featured in a number of the world’s religions, demons are often regarded as wicked creatures, as the malevolent equivalent of angels, and as evil beings capable of possession.
,,,
Just as “inner demons” speak to our internal anxieties, the things we dont like about ourselves, the things we struggle with and rebel against, the demons we see in popular culture may speak to our fears about who we are, about the evil that’s inside of us or that might be allowed to take root within us.

Zombies Are Making Way For Demons, Which Means Our Anxieties Have Turned Inward | Inverse

Horrifying moment girl 'possessed by the devil' screams and convulses after playing Ouija board app - Mirror Online

Take this story for what it is worth.  What I find fascinating are some of the comments:

She opened a door she is powerless to close...foolish little girl.
,,,
People laugh at the thought of being possessed, but the truth is, it is a very real and extremely dangerous possibility when you play around in satan's world. You may get a whole lot more than what you bargained for, and it could mean the destruction of your soul. So don't play around with satanic things or you me sorry beyond your wildest nightmares!!
,,,
The devil's greatest trick is to convince us that he doesn't exist.

Rational thought goes by the way-side when religious superstition is involved.

Shocking footage has emerged of a young girl 'possessed by the devil' after playing with a Ouija board mobile phone app.

The 18-year-old, identified as Patricia Quispe, is seen convulsing as paramedics try to restrain her.

In a deep rasping voice she screams "666" followed by "let me go, let me go".

According to witnesses, the young woman from Lima, Peru, had been playing with her friends on a mobile phone version of the board game that evokes the spirits.

But when she returned home her parents noticed that she seemed to be unwell.

They said she began fitting and foaming at the mouth and her voice deepened into a raspy tone.

Horrifying moment girl 'possessed by the devil' screams and convulses after playing Ouija board app - Mirror Online

Whitechapel murder: Faith 'healer' stabbed to death at black magic treatment centre | Crime | News | London Evening Standard

Whether this man's "profession" had any impetus on the crime remains to be determined.  But what is at issue, an unlicensed practitioner who was treating people who believe themselves possessed by ‘jinns’.  Just as with "christianized"  so-called demonologists or scam artists like Bob Larson and their deliverance ministries, one of the primary problems is that there is a serious chance that those "possessed" they are suffering from some mental instability.

A faith “healer” was stabbed to death at a spiritual centre for treating black magic and demonic possession in East London.

Father-of-three Zakariyya Islam was killed at the Ruqya Therapy Centre’s base in Whitechapel.
,,,
Mr Islam was a co-founder of the Ruqya centre, based in a complex of small business offices in Greatorex Street, and had been treating people who believe themselves possessed by ‘jinns’, or spirit, and black magic for more than a decade.

The centre, which was sealed off by police who were carrying out forensic searches, also offers advice on sorcery, witchcraft and “evil eye”.
,,,
Last year he hosted a conference on “The World of Jinns” at the East London Mosque which he visited regularly.

Whitechapel murder: Faith 'healer' stabbed to death at black magic treatment centre | Crime | News | London Evening Standard

Show Notes::Crazy Religionist, Satanic Ritual and Abortion

As many of you may already know, I have a keen interest in what I call "Demons, Deliverance and Exorcism",  It was this mind-set many moons ago that nearly killed me.  Not in the physical sense per se, but psychologically.  So when this headline  "Ex-Satanist: Babies ritually aborted for devil" with the under title of 'Your hands have to get bloody' hit my news feed - well - you can imagine my ire and disgust.

Zachary King is a Catholic wannabe version of Mike Warnke and believes that Satanic rituals are being performed at your "local" abortion clinic (in other words, Planned Parenthood). 

Why does he believe so, according to Hohmann: 

King said he was hired to be there, casting his spells, by the abortionists.

“You have to be part of the procedure,,,They have hired you to perform a satanic spell and, in order for that to happen, your hands have to get bloody.”
,,,
“My left hand guided the way, and the right hand had a scalpel. The woman never winced or anything. Both hands were bloody. I participated in 141 abortions. I doubt my actions actually killed any children, but I was still there.”
,,,
He said [referring to King] the women whose abortions he attended would get pregnant with the intent of killing their unborn baby as a sacrifice to Satan.

“So the women knew why I was there,,,,King said. “They know there’s a satanic ritual going on.

“In 1987 (at the age of 19), I became a high wizard, and I did my last abortion in 1997,,,,From the time I was 14 to age 19, I did probably five of them.”

So I did a bit of digging,,,

The interview originated with Michal Hichborn of the Lepanto Institute; it was then "reported" on by LifeNews.com, ”an independent news agency devoted to reporting news that affects the pro-life community."  And finally reached Leo Hohmann of WND.  His article is just a repetitious bunch of junk with no fresh perspective or novelty.

Now I'm not going to get into the differences between theistic and atheistic forms of Satanism (not to discount The Satanic Temple) nor any of the other batshittery that always surrounds this topic (ie Hitler, Manson, Mengele and Margaret Sanger always make an appearance from the religious fucktards).  But I want you to think about what he said, and how fucking stupid he is.  It is a point our very own Heretic Woman made before she was banned and her comments deleted. 

• Satanists don't have covens
• Although not mentioned in Hohmann's article, King states in the original interview, "I had been in the World Church of Satan,,,"  I have never seen reference to such and organization nor have I been able to FIND any reference to such
• WTF is a high wizard [see:: CoS's hierarchy explained]
• There are no substantiated claims of human sacrifice by any Satanic groups,,,EVER
• And WTF is a non-medical person doing in an operating theater
• Exactly what type of abortion was he providing - My left hand guided the way, and the right hand had a scalpel
• This last one is self explanatory - I doubt my actions actually killed any children, but I was still there

So dude can't even seem to get his terminology correct.  Let alone provide any evidence that these "Satanic" rituals are occurring besides the fact that abortions do take place.  The author doesn't do much better, relying on innuendo and rumor:  "In December 2010, Life Site News, a pro-life website, published a profile of Abigail Seidman, who from the age of 10 was working in an abortion clinic managed by her mother, a nurse."

[Side::King can't even seem to get his narrative correct either, one minute he is in an operating room; next it is some, "farm house that was surprisingly more sterile than many of the other abortion clinics I had done abortions in."  Also note this comment is referencing his "first [abortion] one I did was about 3 months before turning 15."]

BUT that is not my interest,,, It is the hyperbole and god awful rhetoric being spouted by these insane lunatics that bother me.

So with said, a little back story for context and understanding my interest.

Flash back to the early 80s and the mentality that originally sucked me; a bit of:

• Jack Chick (Official) and his Chick Tract “Dark Dungeons” and movie (2014)
• James Dallas Egbert III, a "victim" of D&D); Egbert remained suicidal, and in 1980 he died as the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
• William Dear (Official) author of "The Dungeonmaster: The Disappearance of James Dallas Egbert III"
• Rona Jaffe (Official) author of "Mazes & Monsters" (1981) movie starring Tom Hanks (1982); died 2005
• Patricia Pulling, mother of a another D&D "victim" who went on to form BADD “Bothered About Dungeons & Dragons" and "The Devil’s Web: Who Is Stalking Your Children For Satan?" (1989).  In 1984, she became the president of the National Coalition on TV Violence (See::Summary - Thomas Radecki), but her crusade against D&D continued; died 1997

• Founder National Coalition on TV Violence, psychiatrist Thomas Radecki [Shit::  This is why Radecki's name is  is so familiar, besides the D&D debacle, "Doctor tied to Clearfield County arrested in drugs-for-sex case"]

 

• Seventies-era “former Satanic High Priest” John Todd, "but no one had to take Todd down: Pleading guilty to rape and child molestation ended his career as a Satan-chaser. Todd alienated many mainstream Christian groups by accusing them of being Illuminati fronts. Todd’s teachings still have a following in conspiracy circles and fundamentalist Christian religious sects."
• Christian comedian and author Mike Warnke (The Satan Seller, 1972), another supposed a high-ranking Satanist in a secret organization turned Bible-thumper (who BTW is trying to make a comeback); Cornerstone Magazine took aim at Mike Warnke, and found that he too was a fraud
• And last but not least, Mary Elizabeth "Tipper" Gore, who in 1985 formed the Parents Media Resource Center (PMRC) - the group responsible for the “Parental Advisory” stickers found on music because of back-masking

Not to be out done, a related trend that had been brewing along side the above "Panic" was the “Satanic Ritual Abuse” [Bullocks::Pt 2, Pt 3, Pt 4, Pt 5] scare. Led by,,,

• Psychiatrist Lawrence Pazder (died in 2004) and his patient/wife Michelle Smith who co-wrote "Michelle Remembers (1980)", a supposed account of Michelle’s childhood victimization and eventual escape from a “Satanic Church”; also a popular consultant of the  “Cult Crime Investigation Network”
• Lauren Stratford aka Laurell Rose Wilson author of "Satan’s Underground: The Extraordinary Story of One Woman’s Escape" (1988). Stratford claimed to have been a “breeder” for Satanic groups, birthing babies to be sacrificed and eaten.  Cornerstone Magazine discovered a woman with a very long, documented history of tall tales and mental illness.  Wilson as "Laura Grabowski" and started claiming that she was a survivor of the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp and that she had been subjected to medical experiments by Joesph Mengele; died 2002
• And, Doris Sanford and Graci Evans co-authors of "Don’t Make Me Go Back, Mommy: A Child’s Book About Satanic Ritual Abuse"

So why is this a problem,,,

It is this sort of Christianist masturbatory fantasy that is still extant, that its promulgators think that "the rubes" will actually believe it.  As Deb and I found, the religious fucktards soak this shit right up; and I'm not just talking the Christo-fascists either.

This is truly unbelievable, that people would allow themselves to be so over taken by the devil that they would make human sacrifices to satan, but after seeing what PP does, selling babies by the piece, I guess anything is possible, I still have a hard time understanding how people can be so depraved and evil. Their days in eternity will be long and hot, and they deserve it.

When I was an LEO, I researched this crap to find out more about a coven working in my district. What I found was so repulsive I almost threw up. Baby Sacrifices, Group Rape, Eating Feces, Kidnapping Children in other states and forcing them into this sick lifestyle and the list goes on forever. They had a nation wide network from coast to coast and this was in the late 70s. I could only imagine what they have now.

I agree. Whether or not there is a Satanist there performing a spell, it's still offering up a child, a human life, on the altar of pleasure and convenience. And given that truth, should it be any great surprise that the enemy of our souls, the enemy of all human souls and life itself, would wish to be present, cheering the practitioners on? Of course they wish to remain in the shadows, because evil hates the light, so also don't be surprised by the many naysayers who will flock to this article to leave their mocking comments, seeking to discredit the man's truthful testimony. [Article's author]

Do you mean evidence as in hearing it on the main stream media? I have heard testimony from many different ex-satanist that state child sacrifice is a common practice among them. I was told i was crazy years ago for stating that baby parts were being harvested and sold on the black market. Guess what? Its main stream news now. Also, thats not the worst of it. Those baby parts are being used in our food, cosmetics and other areas. Sounds crazy huh! That will come out too. My evidence is discernment. Any a people without God will do evil beyond imagination. Grace is available for those people if they just trust in Jesus and repent.

Imagine being 19 year old, away from home in a heavily fundamentalist atmosphere. Imagine having a mental illness, but not knowing you have a mental illness.  Imagine having psychotic episodes, delusions of grandeur, uncontrollable moods swings all fueled by an addiction to Tylenol 3s (codeine) which eventually led to Oxycontin.  Imagine being a cutter but not knowing why.

Now add to that a culture where mental illness is perceived as a spiritual issue that can be solved by prayer and Bible study.  (Sound familiar) That it is Satan and his minion demons and those he controls that are the cause of all your woes.  Then add to that a jackass named Bob Larson.  (Yes, the current master of Skpye exorcisms (for the low price of $295) and the brains behind teen exorcists.) I think without much help you can see where this is going to lead because it is still happening today.  I am an "exorcism" survivor

[SIDE::Now there is a lot of small detail in discussing Larson and my experience.  Larson actually performs, in modern parlance, "Deliverances" not the Rite of Exorcism.  No he was not present, but his early teachings along with the hype mention above were influential.  Yes I have "met" Larson and have heard him speak.  I was also and avid fan of his two-hour weekday call-in show "Talk Back" (no, I don't think I ever called in at least I don't remember ever doing so).  Yes I have read many of his books and so on,,,

I say survivor because, it didn't kill me. But the aftermath nearly did.  I say survivor, because, today many individuals subjected to this type crazy talk don't.  That fucks me off!!

Over the course of the past 5 years, I have posted numerous stories concerning "Demons, Deliverance and Exorcism" and the false narrative behind it.  People say that religion does not result in harm but I beg to differ.

These are just some of the stories I haven't published...

• SEE IT: Catholic church performs exorcism on screaming woman in Czech Republic
• 'We are being attacked by demons!' Terrified couple say they are being terrorised by poltergeist 
• Child Murders in Mexico Linked to Satanic Cult
• Teenage satanic cult murderers may have struck before: Another teen girl comes forward
• The mystery of Carole Myers
• Women Killed Two Children in 'Exorcism' Attempt, Police Say
• Demon-Filled Man Mocks, Slaps 'Powerless' Charismatic Pastor
• The Exorcisms of Latoya Ammons: Demonic Possession or Mass Hysteria?
• EXCLUSIVE: Grease star Olivia Newton-John hires priest to perform home exorcism

 "Christianity" is dying a slow death and the Christianists don't like it.  They don't like the idea of their way of life is, their dominance of the way things ought to be, their beliefs are becoming extinct.

Zachary King said satanism, in the same way abortion and homosexual rights activists have mainstreamed their ideas, is unveiling its true agenda in increments.

"It's becoming more popular, because, remember, Satan has removed himself from the picture in many respects, trying to prove he doesn't exist [18],,,,So many people think of Satan as this character the church invented to keep people in line, and then you look at everything else that's ramped up.
,,,
It's the same with abortion and satanism,,,

"Everything satanic is coming out in the open, they're not denying it anymore. They're not hiding it in the basement and out in the woods anymore," King said. "It's just out in the open like everything else." [19]

And that my friends is the crux of the whole matter.  The political agenda aside, they do not want their beliefs challenged.  They do not want people to think for themselves.  They want happy little sheep.

Oh,,,the money is not too bad either.

Is 'Charlie Charlie' a harmless game? Exorcist says absolutely not :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

I am not sure which is more frightening, the article itself or some of the comments.

Spanish exorcist Jose Antonio Fortea told CNA that the so-called #CharlieCharlieChallenge involves the very real, occult practice of “calling on spirits.”

In an interview May 27, he warned that “some spirits who are at the root of that practice will harass some of those who play the game.” Even though the priest thinks that players “won't be possessed” necessarily, the spirit that has been invoked “will stay around for a while.”

Fr. Fortea also warned that playing the game “will result in other spirits beginning to enter into even more frequent communication.”

“And so then the person really can suffer much worse consequences from the demons,” he said.

Is 'Charlie Charlie' a harmless game? Exorcist says absolutely not :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

See also:

Charlie Charlie Challenge

Update, 2 June 2015: On 1 June 2015, a rumor began to circulate claiming that the Charlie Charlie Challenge was a viral marketing hoax for the then-upcoming film The Gallows. Correspondingly, we explored the claim here.

 

The complete, true story of Charlie Charlie, the ‘demonic’ teen game overtaking the Internet

The Culture of Exorcism | The Skeptics Guide to the Universe

Thank you SGU,,,

Again, this is just one example of a handful of news stories this past week about exorcisms, and it is a dangerous trend. None of the news articles showed any skepticism by asking things like whether or not possession is something that actually exists. Rationality is nowhere to be found in the reporting of exorcisms, and until it does, we will lose the battle against “the worser angles of our nature”.

The Culture of Exorcism | The Skeptics Guide to the Universe

Put the genie back in the bottle, doctors say ahead of forum on supernatural healing | Malaysia | Malay Mail Online

“They can just wash their hands and call the witch doctors in to take over. It is the ‘god of the gaps’ equivalent of medical diagnoses. It can explain everything and thus, explain nothing,” Dr Kok Sen Wai
__
A supernatural approach involving djinns and black magic has no place in the modern healthcare system, local doctors have said ahead of a regional forum that aims to reconcile paranormal beliefs with medicine this month.

The doctors explained that modern healthcare bases itself on evidence-based medicine, and there must be a way to measure whether the supernatural approach actually works before it can even be considered.

“I understand and appreciate the efforts to introduce the concept of djinn, which is part of religious belief. However, I do not think that it is possible to have an evidence-based approach to djinn and black magic,” Dr Helmy Haja Mydin, an associate professor with University of Malaya Medical Centre, told Malay Mail Online.

“By definition, these are things that cannot be seen and cannot be measured. Without measurements, you cannot have data. How to measure belief?” he asked.

As with Dr Helmy’s views, Dr Krishna Kumar, the president of the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), said evidence-based medicine required demonstrable causality in order to be effective.

“There must be something to show what causes the diseases or something that can cure it. Based on that, we treat them,” Dr Krishna said.

[,,,]
Dr Kok Sen Wai, a psychiatric medical officer based in Sarawak, said he has witnessed various illnesses — from seizures to schizophrenia — being treated as “djinn possession” or black magic by faith healers of different denominations, from Muslim imams, Taoist priests to Christian pastors.

“There are no codified and consistent signs and symptoms for possession or curses. The diagnosis seems to be made if the cleric ‘feels’ it is supernatural. Can you imagine if medicine is practised in the same way?” asked Dr Kok.

“Can an oncologist drop chemotherapy on you just because he has a ‘gut feeling’ it’s leukaemia? Or can a surgeon lop off half of your colon and have you defecate out of a colostomy bag for the rest of your life just because he ‘really, really thinks’ that you have colorectal carcinoma?”

Dr Kok insisted that should the rigorous standards that apply to conventional medicine be applied to the supernatural, the faith healings need to have documented, testable, and reproducible evidence that they do work.

Put the genie back in the bottle, doctors say ahead of forum on supernatural healing | Malaysia | Malay Mail Online

God's E.R. helps cast out demonic manifestations - Tulsa World: Religion

A Bob Larson wannabe. Those that know me know that this type of garbage is a big sore spot. Promoting the idea of demonic possession is unethical and has deadly consequences. If you don’t deal with the reality of your problems now, you or someone you love will be dead.
__
No heads were spinning 360 degrees, and no one was shrieking or foaming at the mouth Monday night during God’s E.R. ministry sessions, which are held several times a week in Tulsa to cast demons out of people and then to help them stay free.

“We see a variety of (demonic) manifestations, but not for long,” said John Heim, a volunteer minister who is also a Tulsa air traffic controller.

“We don’t allow manifestations. They might raise their heads, but we take authority over them.”
,,,
God’s E.R. does not use the term exorcism, or deliverance ministry, to describe what they do, unlike the Roman Catholic Church, which has annual training sessions for exorcists in Tulsa and two other U.S. cities.

“We say spiritual freedom sessions,” said Sandra Williamson, executive director of God’s Emergency Restoration, which was started at Victory Christian Center and is now a separate legal entity endorsed by the church.
,,,
“Fewer and fewer people have a biblical worldview,” she said. “A lot of people are being taught by movies and books that have satanic things in them.”

She said legalization of marijuana is a bad idea because mind-altering drugs open people up to demonic influences.

Being unforgiving, harboring bitterness or dabbling in the occult also open people up to demons, she said.

People also can be afflicted because of what she called generational curses or oaths taken by their forefathers.

Heim said they have encountered people who have demons in their houses or on their property and have trained the people how to get rid of them.

God's E.R. helps cast out demonic manifestations - Tulsa World: Religion

'Possessed' husband spared jail after assaults on wife - Telegraph

A man was spared jail despite punching his wife in the face because she tormented him with accusations that he was the Devil.

Anthony Berry received a suspended sentence for his violent outbursts after a court decided he had “suffered a degree of provocation”.

His devoutly Catholic wife Claire, who had previously forced him to endure an exorcism in France, had him doused with Holy water in the moments before he hit out.

The court accepted that Berry, 52, had endured years of his wife bizarre behaviour after he admitted an affair and she joined an ultra-conservative Catholic group.

Mrs Berry, who was married to her husband for 22 years, was said to be fixated with the controversial Society of Saint Pius X which rejects the modernising, socially liberal Vatican reforms of the 1960s and has been dogged by accusations of anti-semitism.

She claimed that a blurred selfie that her husband had taken proved that he was possessed by the Devil. She also alleged that a small dragon could be seen flying in their £130,000 terraced house in Derbyshire whenever Mr Berry was home.

[,,,]
Berry was convicted of two separate assaults following a trial last month but only learned on Monday that he would be spared jail after magistrates accepted his mitigation.

Chairman of the bench Bob Graham said: "Both of these assaults were prolonged and quite brutal and I have to say nasty. Drink was also involved and you also issued threats to kill.”

"But we have taken into account there was a degree of provocation."

'Possessed' husband spared jail after assaults on wife - Telegraph

NYPD Cop-Turned-Demonologist on Why He Believes Possessions Are on the Rise — and the Most Terrifying Thing He’s Seen During an Exorcism | Video | TheBlaze.com

First "The Conjuring," now "Deliver Us From Evil" based on the accounts of a former NYPD sergeant, Ralph Sarchie. Sarchie also happens to be a protege of Ed and Lorraine Warren and the author of a 2001 book “Beware the Night.”

Despite always believing in the existence of good, evil and God, ex-New York Police Department sergeant Ralph Sarchie didn’t consider himself a particularly religious guy — that is, until he began battling what he says are dangerous, supernatural forces.

Sarchie, a self-described demonologist who was once a cop for the 46th police precinct in New York City — and the inspiration for the new Hollywood film “Deliver Us From Evil” — told TheBlaze that he believes possessions and infestations are on the rise.

“It’s definitely on the rise. I hate to say it,” Sarchie said in an interview. “As society pushes God out, no one can deny that that’s happening. There’s a good portion of society that just cannot stomach Jesus Christ and when I see that, I have to wonder where that hatred comes from.”

Of the many exorcisms he has participated in and assisted with, Sarchie — who became an independent part-time paranormal investigator while working with the NYPD — said the most terrifying thing he has seen occurred when he placed a crucifix next to a supposedly possessed individual’s head.

“We had a couple of relics in the church that day and mine was on the right side of this person’s head near the ear area … I usually stand in front,” he said. “I could see the eyes — that one eye looking over at the crucifix, but not turning the head. The head was like a statue … the eyes were going back and forth and that was a frightening thing to see.”

Sarchie described the person as looking like a trapped animal who was scared but still very much a volatile predator attempting an escape.

“I’ve been a cop for a long time. I dealt with a lot of emotionally disturbed persons [and] I’ve arrested some pretty bad people and I have never, never in my life in the street seen anything like that,” he said. “A murderer’s look from a person is nothing like a person who is under possession…

My thoughts on the matter, I will borrow from Adam Lee.  Lee, in writing for Alternet concerning the black mass controversy at Harvard, sums up quite well why I am so adamant against self-professed demon guru's.  I have experienced the damage that can be caused first hand.

We may laugh at stories like this, but we shouldn’t forget that that this belief has real and serious consequences. Demonic possession and exorcism aren’t quaint superstitions of a bygone era; they’re alive and active in the world today, causing immense harm,,,. 

In the name of fighting off demons, mentally ill people have been falsely imprisoned and subjected to torturous exorcisms instead of getting the medical care they need, and children have been tortured, abused and even killed, sometimes by their own parents. In the name of fighting absolute evil, church authorities have granted themselves the right to seize absolute power, and in the process, trampled on the lives and liberty of others. The inquisitors, witch hunters and exorcists may claim they’re working for good, but the fact remains: Fear of demons does far more harm than worship of demons ever did.

NYPD Cop-Turned-Demonologist on Why He Believes Possessions Are on the Rise — and the Most Terrifying Thing He’s Seen During an Exorcism | Video | TheBlaze.com

Mars Hill Church’s Demon Trials: Mental Illness Considered Sign of Demonic Involvement Along with Pedophilia and Habitual Lying

After reading through what Throckmorton presented, the first thought that came to mind, "Scientology's influence and infiltration on mainstream churches continues." It is not such a farfetched idea and one that caught my eye whilst researching the Nephilim of Genesis 6:4. Long story, but suffice to say this influence goes back to at least 2007 and is reflective of the auditing process within Scientology and gives the "church" an upper hand in (mind) controlling their congregation. Sharing your deepest darkest secrets, every detail of your life, in these Demon Trials gives them leverage.

Some Christian congregations, particularly in lower income, urban areas, are turning to an unlikely source for help -- the Church of Scientology.

Scientologists do not worship God, much less Jesus Christ. The church has seen plenty of controversy and critics consider it a cult. So why are observant Christians embracing some of its teachings?

Two pastors who spoke recently with CNN explained that when it comes to religion, they still preach the core beliefs of Christianity. But when it comes to practicing what they preach in a modern world, borrowing from Scientology helps.

The Rev. Charles Kennedy, of the Glorious Church of God in Christ, a Pentecostal church in Tampa, Florida, and the Rev. James McLaughlin, of the Wayman Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas, are among the theological hybrids.

They say they are not scared off by programs with ties to a church that critics say has aggressive recruiting, secretive ways and rigid theology. As men of God rooted in Christian values, they do not see Scientology as a threat to their faith, but rather as a tool to augment it.

Of all churches, you would think that the Southern Baptist Convention would be safe.

In this piece from Baptist Press we find out that the non-Christian cult the Church of Scientology is launching a frontal assault in Nashville, which happens to be home for the Southern Baptist Convention:

The Church of Scientology placed a “free personality test” — Scientology’s “Oxford Capacity Analysis” — as a paid insert into The Tennessean newspaper Jan. 7 asking in a large typeface, “Are you curious about yourself?”

Within some circles there has also been speculation concerning Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan, from 2012:

Farrakhan recently made a long, bizarre commentary about the “fall of the United States.” In that same sermon, which spanned well over two hours in length, the fiery faith leader also issued praise for the Church of Scientology — yet another endorsement and public proclamation surrounding a relationship that the Nation of Islam has apparently been courting for years.

[,,,]
It is this splinter group, led by Farrakhan, that is forging a connection with Scientology. An in-depth look at the history of the relationship, especially considering the controversial ideals accepted by adherents, is certainly warranted. According to media accounts, it was only a few years ago that Farrakhan first began promoting Scientology, the religion founded by Hubbard, a science fiction writer who died in 1986 (some sources, though, claim that the relationship’s roots were set in the late 1990s).

Regardless of when the connection took form, the public connection between the two parties didn’t solidify, the Tampa Bay Times notes, until after Scientologists honored Farrakhan at the 2006 Ebony Awakening Awards. The annual ceremony provides accolades to African Americans and is run by Ebony Awakening, a group that was founded in 1982 by jazz performer Amanda Ambrose (Ebony Awakening also has ties to the Church of Scientology’s founder and admits as much in its materials).

One has to bare in mind that mind control (brainwashing) has its roots in totalitarian regimes as a systematic means of indoctrination. Your dirty little secrets are a means to keep you planted in your seat every Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday were re-education takes place and you lose your autonomy to think independently.


Mars Hill Church’s Demon Trials: Mental Illness Considered Sign of Demonic Involvement Along with Pedophilia and Habitual Lying

ADDENDUM::Journal Under Fire For Linking Schizophrenia to Demonic Possession

Curtis Hart, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Religion and Health and lecturer in public health at Weill Cornell Medical College, told Real Clear Science that he stands behind Irmak’s paper and has no plans to retract it. “The article was published in hopes that it would provoke discussion,” he said. “The journal does not agree that demons are a real entity.”

Hart might see the paper’s inclusion as an interesting way to ignite debate, but his peers in the medical community question if it’s a useful one. Dr. Joshua Kantrowitz, director of Columbia University’s Lieber Schizophrenia Research Clinic, dismisses Irmack’s argument as “pretty unfortunate.”

“With respect, this is a way to attract eyes to their journal and not necessarily a legitimate scientific debate,” he says. “People with schizophrenia are prescribed antipsychotics, and they work for most. As the article correctly cites, they don’t work for everybody, but I think it’s a pretty big leap to jump to the explanation offered. There didn’t seem to be much actual evidence or science behind what the author was saying.”

Journal Under Fire For Linking Schizophrenia to Demonic Possession

ADDENDUM::RealClearScience - Published Paper Blames Schizophrenia on Demons

THE EDITOR OF the Journal of Religion and Health is Dr. Curtis Hart, a lecturer in public health at Weill Cornell Medical College. RealClearScience reached out to him for comment.

"The article was published in hopes that it would provoke discussion," he said. "The Journal does not agree that demons are a real entity."

There are currently no plans to retract the paper, but two rebuttals are already slated for a future issue, Curtis added. The journal's publisher, Springer, recently made headlines by withdrawing 16 gibberish papers spotted by an independent computer scientist. The nonsense papers were created with a computer program, SciGen.

RCS gave Irmak a chance to defend his paper.

"There is no scientific evidence to support the existence of demons," he admitted. "This is like the argument of creation or evolution. It is a matter of belief and I think the existence of demons cannot be proved by scientific methods."

For the record, there is an overwhelming amount of scientific evidence in support of evolution, which is not at all a matter of belief.

Irmak also insisted that readers of his paper watch the Academy Award-winning film A Beautiful Mind, which chronicles the life of genius mathematician John Nash, who suffers from schizophrenia.

"I think the creatures who disturb John Nash are demons," he said.

http://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2014/06/published_scientific_paper_blames_schizophrenia_on_demons.html

RealClearScience - Published Paper Blames Schizophrenia on Demons

New paper says maybe mental condition really IS demons | Doubtful News

Kudos to Sharon Hill over at Doubtful News for this gem,,,

Long ago, before modern medical understanding, people thought that various conditions such as mental illness and brain disorders like seizures were caused by demons. Those days have long past. Maybe not in the religious-minded. Note that this article comes from High Council of Science, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey. Turkey is a hotbed of Muslim fundamentalism.

The Journal is peer-reviewed including reports on “contemporary modes of religious and spiritual thought with particular emphasis on their relevance to current medical and psychological research.” Articles deal with mental and physical health in relation to religion and spirituality of all kinds. Therefore, that might explain why such a piece is published – that even contemporary (backwards) religions are returning to pre-scientific explanations.

I can’t fathom how such a paper would contain anything but speculation. The medical data nor any other scientific evidence anywhere in no way supports the reality of supernatural entities as a cause of human harm. Belief, however, causes havoc.

I was half tempted to pay the $40 to purchase this paper until reading K Friesen's comment,

,,,it is definitely not peer reviewed. For that matter, there is scarcely anything in the paper – no methods, numbers, statistics, nothing even about “spiritual treatment”. The five pages of this paper (three if you don’t include the abstract and references) basically describe the symptomatology of schizophrenia and delusional disorders, talk a little bit about what a “demonic” experience might be like. To be a bit balanced, this article is under a subheading of “Psychological Exploration”

Sorry forty bucks for five pages of dreck is not worth the price no matter how "enlightening" it may be.

A few thoughts to ponder,,,

A point that HIll makes, "[w]hen people believe this is religious cause, it will encourage exorcisms. Exorcisms are downright deadly." To which Improbable Research, cited by Hill, ends with this question, "The new theory raises an enigmatic question : if medication helps patients, is it acting on the patients themselves, or on the demons which possess them?

It is my question of which came first, religious belief or mental illness? In my humble opinion, the belief that one is demonically possessed is often a symptom of schizophrenia. "My feelings and movements are controlled by others in a certain way” and “They put thoughts in my head that are not mine.” Compare also to what some say in regards to aliens and demonology, Bill Alnor for example in a 2009 lecture [from my other blog].

A second point, if one looks at the references cited by the paper talked about by HIll some of the references are to sources specifically about the Near Eastern or Islamic belief jinn.

Whether Christian or Islamic, belief in demonic possession will lead to catastrophic results as I have many times highlighted.

New paper says maybe mental condition really IS demons | Doubtful News

Irony Is Dead – Catholics Demand Exorcism Because of Fears of Superstition » A Million Gods

An addendum of sorts, and an interesting point about pica is brought up,,,

Even the first murder in the Bible was a product of rage and jealousy. Of hard work being unrecognised and forsaken and the capricious nature of Jehovah lead Cain to murder Abel out of greed and anger. The other joke here is that evil never really existed. And it wasn’t Satan who caused evil to come into the world.

But man acquiring knowledge which gave him the capacity to see evil. Which means Evil Existed, We just never noticed it. In the same way that we see a pretty garden. Not a murder machine of weeds and pests. Evil is in the perspective. It is why devout jains sweep their path with feathers. Because to crush an ant is nothing to you, but a great evil to the ant.

That is a more thought out and measured and sensible approach to life than “It was magical beings that made me do it. That is a childish approach to morality. By claiming that evil came from a literal scape goat which could be yelled at. In this true social evils can never be fought effectively because rather than deal with causes, this attitude deals with splashing water on things and reciting incantations in Latin.

Irony Is Dead – Catholics Demand Exorcism Because of Fears of Superstition » A Million Gods

Decline of religious belief means we need more exorcists, say Catholics - Telegraph

The abandonment of religion “inevitably leads people to ask questions about the existence of evil and its origins”, he told Adnkronos, an Italian news agency.
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Ponder me this: why is asking a basic question about human existence a bad thing? The article speaks of the belief that there is a decline/abandonment of religious beliefs, Wouldn't it then be more pertinent to determine why people are leaving the church? What needs are not being met?

This continuation in a belief from a Bronze age culture (actually more of a Medieval world view) seems counterproductive. I'm not saying there is no evil in the world, but to perpetuate a belief in a scary being that has the appearance of power over "god's" creation diminishes the central tenet of the faith, the purpose of the deatha and resurrection of Christ.
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In the popular imagination, exorcisms evoke images of black-clad priests holding aloft silver crucifixes while trying to rid frothing, wild-eyed victims of Satanic possession.

The Church tries to play down the more lurid associations but at the same time insists that the Devil exists and must be fought on a daily basis.

“Exploring the theme of demonic possession does not mean causing general paranoia, but creating awareness of the existence of the Devil and of the possibility of possession,” Fr Truqui told Vatican Radio. “It happens rarely but you can fight it with God, with prayer, with Marian devotion.”
_

Decline of religious belief means we need more exorcists, say Catholics - Telegraph

At Weekly Exorcisms, Egypt’s Muslims and Christians Unite Against the Demons | TIME.com

I'm not quite sure what to make of this article. It is your typical debil being blamed for all the bad stuff. People reacting in the stereotypical way, but the interesting aspect of the story is this example of interfaith cooperation in the exorcism service.

The demon that had possessed the elderly Muslim woman was so strong that even an Imam couldn’t get rid of it. So her family opted for a priest. “My mother is possessed by a jinn,” the woman’s daughter said, by way of explaining why she and her Muslim family had decided to attend a recent Thursday night mass last month at Cairo’s St. Sama’an Cathedral. Her mother, who was slumped over a nearby bench, gave no indication of hearing anything. In a few hours she would be yipping and howling along with dozens of other women similarly possessed, but for the moment she just stared into the middle distance and muttered softly to herself.

Tensions between Muslims and Christians have been high in Egypt, ever since a military coup against the country’s first democratically elected Islamist President on 3 July unleashed a spasm of violence that saw churches burned, priests murdered and Christians threatened in hate speeches broadcast across the country. But there is at least one sphere of Egyptian contemporary life where interfaith cooperation perseveres, and that is at weekly exorcisms performed by one of the country’s most celebrated priests, Father Sama’an Ibrahim. He is one of the few priests in Egypt who can preform exorcisms — not even the Coptic Pope can — and his reputation for expelling demons of all kinds extends well beyond his Christian flock. Muslim Imams can do exorcisms as well, explains the woman, who declined to give her name, but her mother’s case required some extra muscle. “We went to a mosque first for healing, but the demons who harm her are more afraid of the Christian priest.”

At Weekly Exorcisms, Egypt’s Muslims and Christians Unite Against the Demons | TIME.com

Rise of the exorcists in Catholic Church - Telegraph

A fairly good look at the state of the RCC and their use of the rite of exorcism,,,

Dioceses across Italy, as well as in countries such as Spain, are increasing the number of priests schooled in administering the rite of exorcism, fabled to rid people of possession by the Devil.

The rise in demonic cases is a result of more people dabbling in practices such as black magic, paganism, Satanic rites and Ouija boards, often exploring the dark arts with the help of information readily found on the internet, the Church said.

The increase in the number of priests being trained to tackle the phenomenon is also an effort by the Church to sideline unauthorised, self-proclaimed exorcists, and its tacit recognition that belief in Satan, once regarded by Catholic progressives as an embarrassment, is still very much alive.

The trend comes four decades after the 1973 release of The Exorcist, the American horror film based on the demonic possession of a 12-year-old girl and attempts to exorcise her by two priests.

[,,,]
“People come to me thinking that with an exorcism they can resolve all the problems they have in their lives. A child is doing badly at school? With an exorcism we can make him study. They see exorcists as a last resort. Out of 100 people that I receive, there will be one who has need of me as an exorcist.”

“Demonic” possession manifests itself in people babbling in languages foreign to them, shaking uncontrollably and vomiting nails, pieces of metal and shards of glass, according to those who believe in the phenomenon.

They must undergo the official Catholic rite of exorcism, which involves a consecrated priest invoking the name of God, as well as various saints and the Archangel Michael, to cast out their demons. The growth in the number of priests being trained is “a response to public demand, but it’s also about quality control”, said John Allen, an expert on the Vatican from the National Catholic Reporter.

Rise of the exorcists in Catholic Church - Telegraph

American Family Association Director On Battling Demonic Child Possession And Witch Covens - disinformation

Once again the master of misinformation is at it again. Demonic forces?? Witchcraft?? From my feeble understanding, it appears as if Fischer is blending fantasy with uhm,,,fantasy. Or more like the medieval understanding of the craft with, hell I'm not even sure,,,a perverted sense of satanism? It's as if the satanic panic of the late 70s early 80s is returning under a different guise.

If my understanding is correct, modern day "witches" (those of the Gardnerian and Alexandrian traditions at least) do not have an equivalent concept to the Christian Devil. Individuals are believed to be responsible for their actions, with no external force truly capable of violating their free will. So how does Fischer's statement make any sense??

So to my witchy friends out there, can you shed any light on what this man may be thinking?? And are there any decent resources one could refer to as this is becoming more and more an issue out of the Reich Wing, especially those that rely on Larson and his merry band of teen exorcists. With the many different traditions (?) within the craft I'm afraid of being to general or inaccurately portraying what the craft is/isn't.

American Family Association Director On Battling Demonic Child Possession And Witch Covens - disinformation