I converted to Catholicism at the age of 24. Three years later, being an unmarried man filled with zeal for the faith, I entered the seminary to study for the priesthood. American seminaries have had a rough time over the last forty years; author Michael Rose documented some of it in his book, “Goodbye, Good Men.” In short, for many years seminaries were hellholes of heresy and homosexuality. They’ve improved much since the dark days of the 1980s and 90s, and my own experience was mostly positive.
However, some seminaries still have notable blind spots. It’s no great secret that the Catholic priesthood is disproportionately homosexual compared to the general population, despite the Church’s official ban on homosexuals from Holy Orders. It creates a vicious cycle where the Church needs more good men to be ordained priests, but good men shun fields that are dominated by gays and women (80% of lay volunteers and employees at the parish and diocesan level are women).
I Meet The Exorcist
I arrived at the seminary at the ripe old age of 27, part of the smattering of white men in an institution filled mostly by young Mexicans and Asians, either Filipinos or Vietnamese. The faculty encourages the men to form small support groups: five or six who would form friendships and support each other through the trials and tribulations of priestly life.
I fell in with some of the other white guys. It was a lot of fun: going out for tacos, cigars, whiskey, movies, and griping about politics, liberal faculty, and bad liturgy.
Who says priests can’t have fun?
The one time my writing has ever gotten me in trouble in real life was when I was a seminarian. I wrote to a priest friend back home about my experiences, describing both the good and the bad. Something I said pissed him off because by the end of that year the rector expressed “concerns” about me and wanted a meeting with my vocation director and me. That was the beginning of the end of my time as a seminarian.
The vocation director at the time also served as the diocesan exorcist. On the morning of our meeting with the rector, he said, “I need to make a stop along the way. You’re welcome to assist if you want.”
“Assist with what?” I asked.
“I need to bless and cleanse an infested house,” he replied.
“Oh. Uh… what do I need to do?”
“Well, first we both need to go to confession.”
The Nature Of Evil
Exorcism is a subset of “Deliverance Ministry.” All baptized Christians may offer prayers of deliverance from demonic oppression, but only a validly ordained Catholic priest, with the authorization of his bishop, can perform exorcisms (as Roger Ebert once said, everybody knows that if you’ve got demons, you call the Catholics.)
The Church is initially skeptical of all claims of paranormal activity. Before people can speak with an exorcist, they are asked to see medical doctors and trained psychiatrists to rule out any physical or mental illnesses. Nine times out of ten, that’s exactly what they’re suffering. The exorcist puts on his stole for that tenth case.
According to Catholic theology, ordinarily we have free will. We are not guilty of sin unless we freely choose to do evil. Only the most hardcore psychopaths choose evil for the sake of it. Most people choose to do evil because they believe it’s for a greater good: think of the woman who blows up her family because she believes she’ll be happier once she ditches her boring beta schlub, or the man who embezzles money from his job because he believes he deserves better than what the company gives him.
In the normal order of things, demons cannot force us to act but can only tempt us. These mundane temptations are considered ordinary demonic activity. However, if we are immersed in a sinful lifestyle then we are more susceptible to temptation and demonic influence than a man who lives righteously. There are several levels of extraordinary demonic activity.
The Power Of Christ Compels You
Demonic oppression does not entail any loss of consciousness or involuntary actions, but what appears to be extraordinarily bad luck. An example from the Bible is the Book of Job: God allows Satan to torment Job with afflictions to his family, his business, and his health. The afflicted individual is sometimes physically struck: both St. John Vianney (1786—1859) and St. Padre Pio (1887—1968) were beaten bloody by unseen spirits, much to the consternation of witnesses.
Demonic obsession afflicts the mind in ways that cannot be explained by natural mental illness. The victim suffers from obsessive and irrational thoughts that persist no matter how energetically they fight them. Almost always it affects their dreams through night terrors. The object of this demonic assault is to wear down the victim’s defenses, to shake their resolve. If the victim allows this to happen, then they often end in complete anguish, despair, and thoughts of suicide.
It happens
Of course everyone knows about the final stage: possession, the subject of countless books and movies. We’re all familiar with William Peter Blatty’s masterpiece, The Exorcist. The phenomena portrayed in the film are exaggerated for dramatic effect, but they are based in factual accounts of exorcisms: the possessed individual gains superhuman strength, they can speak in elegant Latin despite never studying the language before, they begin calling out the sins of everyone in the room, or they may levitate above their beds.
Demonic infestation is different: it afflicts inanimate objects, places, or animals. When people speak of haunted houses, it’s possible that a demonic infestation is to blame for the preternatural goings on inside.
Vade Retro Satana
The exorcist and I pulled up to the house in a large California suburb. “Time for a smoke?” I asked.
“Sure.”
As I lit up, I said, “So what’s going on?”
“This couple who lives here called my office complaining about problems with the house. I came out a few days ago to meet with them. They say some rooms are freezing cold, they hear bangs and laughter at night, and there’s just a heavy feeling when they’re inside.”
“What do you think?”
“I did some research on the house’s history in addition to what they told me about it. There’s definitely a good chance this place is infested. So I’m going to use some blessed salt and holy water in the four corners, and then I’ll celebrate the Mass in their living room. You’ll be my altar server. Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
Crux sacra sit mihi lux, non draco sit mihi dux
This took place in the middle of June. It was about 90 degrees outside, but as soon as we crossed the threshold into the house it was like stepping into a meat locker. I went from sweating a bit to being able to see my breath, and it definitely wasn’t because of any air conditioning.
The couple’s infant child was in a crib in the living room. They said the baby would wail and cry uncontrollably inside its upstairs room until they took him out. I noticed that the baby, bundled up in blankets, and the pet dog spent most of that morning staring at the top of the staircase and whimpering.
A murder had taken place in the house during the Great Depression. During the 1960s, the then residents practiced Santeria. The residents immediately prior to this couple were into Tarot cards and Ouija boards. If you take nothing else from this column, hear me now and believe me later: stay away from this stuff. I don’t care if you think it’s all superstitious mumbo-jumbo, but whatever you do, do not screw around with the occult.
I Cast Thee Out
I literally carried the exorcist’s water as we went around the house. He liberally sprinkled holy water everywhere, scattered blessed salt in the corners, reciting prayers of deliverance from the ritual book. One of the rooms upstairs was definitely the coldest. Downstairs, the dog barked as the priest entered that room.
Afterward, we celebrated Mass downstairs without a hitch. The priest interviewed the couple again. They were fallen away Catholics who weren’t yet married. The priest said that he can only do so much, and that it was up to them to go to confession, get married, and begin a regular life of prayer. When we finished, I noticed that the house was much warmer. Again, the couple was with us the entire time, so nobody was messing around with the AC.
The exorcist takes it all in stride. Another time I was doing volunteer work at his parish, when he told the office staff, “I’m seeing someone today about deliverance. If you hear anything strange, don’t worry, it’s just the devil.” His patient, so to speak, was a mousy middle-aged housewife. She went into his office with him. Later on we heard what sounded like a raspy old man screaming that he would murder us all and eat our souls. All in a day’s work I suppose.
Fr. Gabriele Amorth, chief exorcist of the diocese of Rome
There Are More Things In Heaven And Earth
A few years ago there was a movie called The Rite, based on the life of San Jose exorcist Father Gary Thomas. I’ve met Father Thomas, and he’s an awesome priest. Near the end of the film, the demon is taunting the protagonist who has been suffering terrible doubts about his faith. “Do you believe now, little atheist priest? Do you believe in me now?” the demon hisses.
“Yes, I believe in the devil,” the priest admits. “And that means I believe in God too.” The look on the possessed man’s face is priceless.
If being “red pill” means seeing the world as it really is, then men need to understand that there is more to this world than sensory experience. You may not believe in the supernatural but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. To borrow a line from Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, you had best unfuck yourself or Satan’s minions will unscrew your head and shit down your neck.
Read More: What I Learned From Death
Quite fascinating. You mentioned the beginning of the end being a seminarian, were you speaking metaphorically in the “and then I grew up and moved more into faith” way, or did you mean you left the seminary entirely?
I was wondering that myself. It’s like he started to explain and got side-tracked.
Eventually I left. The diocese sent me a “Dear John” letter thanking me but saying my services were no longer required. I’m still a practicing Catholic, but the seminary experience left me somewhat cynical as I saw how the sausage gets made so to speak.
In your article you mentioned the bit about possessed people speaking Latin. Was a person speaking a foreign language that something you ever ran across in person?
I personally haven’t encountered it. But the exorcist I wrote about has heard everything from Latin, to Koine Greek, to Hebrew from people who have never set foot in a university.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EteJtXUmqrE For you to have an idea. Would you bang?
possession sounds more effective than Rosetta Stone, and a lot cheaper probably
I am 100% confident there’s already an article on the merits of banging demonically possessed girls somewhere on this site, and I’m discounting the blue haired feminists
It’s indeed a very interesting lay.
Lol.
Would gag her throat for sure.
Otherwise 5/10 would not bang.
I don’t think the returns would be worth the necessary investment.
Lol ain’t that the truth.
I laffed.
‘Dammit. Demon never seems to wanna go into Russian or Portuguese mode when I need it to game hot bitches. Aramaic & more Aramaic & some Hebrew. All the goddam time! I want my money back!’
-disgruntled customer #342
Sheeesh, scare the sin out of us why don’t you…
I suppose it you were doing her doggy style, she could spin her head around and look you in the eye. That would be – interesting. Myself, I’ll pass on banging demonically possessed females. No thanks.
“the seminary experience left me somewhat cynical as I saw how the sausage gets made so to speak.”
Could you elaborate a little bit?
I try not to go into too many details in public forums because I don’t want to speak ill of men who aren’t here to defend themselves. Suffice it to say, the seminary I attended was a politically correct, feminist environment and my realtalk rubbed some folks the wrong way.
One of the all time great movies.
“Your mother’s in here with us, Kharis. Would you like to leave a message? I’ll see that she gets it.”
The director was a confirmed atheist when filming began, but his unbelief was seriously shaken when he read about the real life case the screenplay and novel were based on.
Right . William Freidken who went on to direct “The French Connection”. Saw a special on the filming of the Exorcist and the director , Freidken, was allowed to read the official dossier of the actual exorcism. You could tell Friedken was questioning his atheism after
One of my friends, who is a Lutheran Pastor, while in Seminary actually interviewed the last surviving priest for the case the movie is based on. I asked him about it. His report was sobering to say the least. In many ways the real case was far less spectacular, but in other ways it was more deeply disturbing.
We need Mike Chang. where is he?
Fucking around with a Ouji board.
http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20150401021629/villains/images/c/cd/Pazuzu-0.jpg
thanks i tried to block it, but then i switched it to fullscreen….
“I don’t care if you think it’s all superstitious mumbo-jumbo, but whatever you do, do not screw around with the occult.”
This is true because a demon cannot take possession of one’s body without some form of consent. And screwing around with the occult is giving that consent (even if unwittingly) by allowing the demon entrance through evil practices.
Also, the worst thing one can do regarding the practice/existence of evil/the Evil One is to not only deny its existence, but also to show an unhealthy fascination with it. This is why one should never screw around with the occult. As Nietzsche observed if you stare for long into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you. Anyhow, great column.
We’ve talked about this before at church and I agree completely.
Even if you’re atheist, why would you tempt fate? It’s one of those situations where if you’re right, you gain nothing, but if you’re wrong, you lose everything. Either way, you don’t win anything so why push it?
Pascal’s wager?
I’m not an atheist but I’m not Religious either. I mean if I wanted to cover my ass on all accounts I would be worshipping every God a society has ever believed in, ya know, just to be really sure.
Yes I am using Pascal’s wager for this example but I’m not quite going so far as to say you should worship every deity known to man just to cover your bases. I’m simply saying why bother playing with evil forces that may or may not exist when you have zero chance of gaining anything either way?
Well, there’s the tricky thing. What evil forces are we speaking about? Are these evil forces just apart of this life or do these evil forces only have connection to a certain Religion?
It’s actually more like the inverse of pascal’s wager. Pascal’s wager is that if you don’t believe and do nothing, if you’re wrong you’re damned. If don’t believe but still act in accordance, if you’re wrong you’ll still be rewarded, and if you’re wrong you lose nothing. Unfortunately it’s a false dichotomy. It’s always presented as a binary (my god is real or he isn’t.) but there isn’t one religion, but hundreds, many of them contradictory,
Really, “do not screw around with the occult” is the opposite. As long as you don’t do it, it doesn’t matter if Santeria, or Voodoo, or Stanism, or something else entirely turns out to be true, you’re not a part of it. While Pascal’s wager attempts to get you something, it is built on a logical fallacy. The advice not to “screw around with the occult” isn’t and doesn’t try and get you to believe something, or require you to give someone money, or do anything really, it just asks you to abstain from something.
Also, if the occult were real, let’s let scientists figure it out, not you and your friends after you’ve had a few.
I encourage you to open and pose questions to a Ouija board. Just for fun. Then don’t say goodbye and simply leave it open.
Though even if you think it’s all in good fun, don’t do it in a home loved ones share. Do it in your own place, by yourself.
Logically, isn’t the secular position that either you’re a person of faith (i.e., a superstitious fool) or a “man of science and reason” also a false dichotomy?
I’m pretty sure ouija boards have been debunked through scientific experimentation, involving blind folding the participants etc
How could you possibly think that the scientific method applies to spirits interfering in the physical world?
Cause they work fine til they blind folded 👎👎
Wow. The theory behind ouija boards is that spirits help guide your hands and then can communicate with you. It is neither necessary or even thought that there are spirits every where all the time, or that they are forced to participate. I would think this would be obvious. But I apparently I need to calibrate my communication to be even more obvious when dealing with spergy atheists.
The theory behind Ouija boards is the idiomotor effect, read up on it, lots of studies to back this up. It’s hopeless to try and reason with believers because they can always just say that the spirits are fooling us. Kind of like how God planted all those dinosaur bones to test our faith.
The thing is, if they are right, their claim that spirits may be fooling us is entirely plausible. So why would you even try to apply the scientific method? It clearly does not apply because the theory is not about a scientific law.
Do you believe in Santa clause too? I’ve never actually seen my parents put the presents under the tree, so the best thing to do is jump to a physically impossible conclusion that one man flies around the world in a sled and crawls down chimneys. right?
Do you disbelieve in Santa Clause because you can’t prove him with the scientific method?
Yes, I disbelieve in Santa clause because at around 7 years old I started to see that the stories I was told didn’t make any sense, I asked some hard questions and nobody could explain it other than to say it’s magic. After I asked some more questions my parents broke down and told me the truth, it’s just a story to make kids behave. Santa clause and the bible have very much in common. As do children and Catholics. The difference is that when Catholics ask the hard questions, the church has had 2000 years worth of practice in covering their story, and the supposed punishment is a lot worse than a lump of coal.
Well, I’m glad you understand how the scientific method is properly applied.
Now I understand. The spirits in all cases choose to prove their existence to humans, except during a controlled experiment. The second the blind folds go on, the spirits disappear. Now I understand.
I didn’t use the scientific method to figure out that Santa doesn’t exist, I used my common sense at seven years old. The scientific method has been properly applied to Ouija boards, and it has found on more than a few occasions that they do not work as advertised. It also found a logical reason with strong evidence to back it up, as to why they appear to work. This is apparently not good enough for you to stop believing in their supernatural powers, so I don’t know why you are questioning my knowledge of the scientific method.
“I don’t know why you are questioning my knowledge of the scientific method.”
Well maybe it’s because I asked “Do you disbelieve in Santa Clause because you can’t prove him with the scientific method?” And you said “Yes”.
Well that and apparently you believe that the scientific method is a good way of proving that spirits don’t exist.
Yes and no. If you viewed all religions as separate entities then yes, however the secular position sorts everything into the “religion” or “Science” categories creating an actual binary choice. Pascal’s Wager presents the two choices of “believe in (my) god” or “don’t believe in god at all” when the third choice of “believe in a god other than mine” exists.
An acquaintance of mine had an experience with that game. He said that after that, a demon was following him around and slashing things and scaring him. Eventually, he lost it through an exorcism.
I am quite sceptical, but there are things about human existence that are hidden from us daily. These things intrigue me. I admit not having the courage to try that game myself.
You mentioned in another comment that you are a non-believer. Why this subtle warning in your second paragraph, then?
You are so right. I was one of those who tempted fate.
Part of the reason for me to dip my toe in the waters of satanism was to debunk it as nonsense no less nonsensical than christianity when I was still an atheist. That was the segue.
As I said elsewhere I never did any of the rituals or ouija (didn’t have the balls yet for that) but I did try astral projection, I tried intense meditation (my mother got me into that actually) contacting the devil and demons, etc.
It was strange because I felt the more I was doing it the more powerful I was getting. I was always intelligent to begin with but I felt this satanic exploration was exposing my mind to forbidden truths and knowledge beyond human perception and it made me feel like worshipping my self through my mind. I started to think that only intelligence mattered and anyone who did not possess a standard of intellectual ability commensurate or lesser to my own should be annihilated for the benefit of everyone else. I started thinking of myself as more than just a man….more than all men as well.
Someone else here said that they knew stuff they had no business knowing…well for me that was true also. I started developing a passion for learning latin, and was picking it up fast. I knew a few things before they actually happened as if my mind was traveling to the future and experiencing future events and relaying the information back to my subconscious, which would release the information into my awareness if a temporal trigger of a related event (like a news story) was experienced…I believe this is called deja vu.
I was developing psychic powers. I once watched a game show with my family and the host was saying that a car prize was hidden under one of 24 slots on a board. I still remember the number I picked: “catorce” (14) and I said it with no doubt in my mind whatsoever as I looked over my family seated on the couch.
A few minutes later after the contestant failed to guess the right number the host revealed the right number slot: 14. My mother and grandmother looked behind themselves and saw me with a grin, and I walked off. I heard them whispering as I left. Part of me felt I had left them in fear. The rest of me enjoyed it.
A few years after that I remember playing card games with a military friend when I told him about the story I just told you. I told him I thought I was psychic and he called bullshit, so he had me tell him what number card he was holding.up.
He held up the number 3 of spades and when I guessed it he said it was luck, so he held up another card. I said “three” again and he looked in shock…he had purposely held up the same card just to prove me wrong and he failed. He started calling me “paco” after that, after a spanish soap opera character who would talk to a spirit. I guess he thought I was haunted.
Anyway, that’s how I made my transition from atheist to wannabe satanist. As an atheist I felt it necessary to disprove the mumbo jumbo behind the devil and hell and it ended up seducing me literally to “the darkside.”
You could say I did “win something” in the form of a few tricks but the payment for that (perpetual nightmares, weird visions, evil thoughts, chronic depression, misanthropic motives, sleep paralysis) definitely wasn’t worth it.
Satan always promises you power and pleasure, but there will always be a toll. A big one.
Like Andrew said, steer clear of the occult as best you can. If you recklessly engage with spirits, some unclean ones will be more than happy to oblige.
Do you think what you experienced was supernatural, or just the power of your subconscious mind? I believe the subconscious mind is very powerful.
Maybe you accessed it by doing certain rituals, but maybe they were the wrong rituals, as it turned against you. Some sort of protective shut off valve was screaming at you to “STOP!”
But maybe, if a person did for reasons of doing good for themselves and other people, it could be a blessing instead of curse. The subconscious power isn’t good or evil per se, either way, but could be use for either, like a tool or a weapon.
Well, the subconscious mind is a different can of worms.
“Do you think what you experienced was supernatural, or just the power of your subconscious mind? I believe the subconscious mind is very powerful.
Perhaps the first influencing the second?
“Maybe you accessed it by doing certain rituals”
I never did any rituals, my method was simply enclosing myself in a closet and trying to channel the devil. Crowley and Levay would have called me a pussy lol.
“if a person did for reasons of doing good for themselves and other people, it could be a blessing instead of curse.”
No…any sort of occult practice even if it’s meant for a noble purpose inevitably backfires. Magic is a gateway beyond the realms of aesthetic consciousness which allows creatures beyond our 5 senses to speak, influence or otherwise harm us by tapping into the subconscious gateway we foolishly created.
I meant accessing the “subconscious mind” for good, rather than evil, not “occult rituals.” I switched the topic from “occult” to the “power of the subconscious mind” on you. I’ve veered off topic, sorry for the confusion.
When I mean the “power of the subconscious mind,” I am thinking of a hypnotist I saw at a high school event years ago. He hypnotized a person to make their body so stiff that he stood on the hypnotized guy’s back. Or people get hypnotized to quit smoking, etc. It stands to reason that people have those latent powers naturally if they can do it while hypnotized. But most people don’t know how to tap into them
Perhaps they could tap into those power to do all kinds of things. But, to do them in such a way that they are aligned with “good.”
A person could tap into, or learn to use those latent powers i think we all have, but only use them “in alliance with God’s will” or “Jesus will” or “doing the right thing” or however you want to think of it. That way they wouldn’t experience any of the bad blow-back..
Oh in that case, then yes.
The power of the subconscious mind is profound indeed.
Its limit of understanding is only that which it self imposes on the self.
Upon awakening he sees, upon seeing he understands, upon understanding he knows, upon knowing he speaks…
this. Not a relgious person per se. Not big believer of superstitions and always quick to figure a logical explanation for it, but I would not fuck around with those things. Even the traditional charms to prevent them, i wouldnt mock em but encourage that those bits of knowledge be preserved.
I have dabbled in the occult and seen…things.
I don’t recommend it.
What…things? Cant leave us hangin’…
No man can bend the will of the devil, but he can bend around the devil’s will.
Beware of what doors you knock on…. if you don’t know whats lurking on the other side.
Okay, now you have to tell us.
Were waiting…….
I never did any real rituals or messed with ouijas, but I did try contacting the devil a few times at night and in pitch black darkness. Never succeeded, or at least I don’t think I did.
I remember a few nights waking up and feeling “not myself.” Paralyed in fear. Science calls it sleep paralysis, but I know what I felt. There wasn’t just paralysis, there was genuine terror involved. It coincidentally stopped when I was born again at 22.
Also, my desire to join USMC was at the time when I was still an aspiring satanist and I wanted the legal excuse to kill people. My military career was short lived which was probably a godsend, since I wouldn’t have ended up in the medical field (where I’ve found professional success) if it had, all things considered.
I’ve had bouts of sleep paralysis since I was about ten years old and still do, about once a month. Yes, it’s incredibly terrifying, but there’s nothing paranormal about it. I’ve had everything from voices, to hands touching or hitting me, footsteps on my mattress, dark figures standing over me etc. over the years I’ve learned how to control it when it happens. The first few times it happened I swore it was a ghost or aliens abducting me. My mom was all freaked out until she looked into it a little further. It can be caused by sleep apnea (which I have) and other sleep disorders. If this had happened to me a few hundred years ago I would have went to a priest instead of a doctor. This is exactly how these kinds of stories got started.
Maybe that’s how it was for you dude, but there’s no reason why i had to be in terror every single time it happened.
We can just agree to disagree of course.
I had a terrible dream once. I was locked in a school bus full of ghetto blacks, mostly fat female ones.. They weren’t violent, but the noise and the sense of suffocation was unbearable. I don’t have words to describe the noise. Like monkeys screaming at each other.
The worse part about it was that bus was locked up, and there was no way off. And the ride was never was going to end. Some part of my consciousness forced me to wake up, and I was bathed in sweat, I was almost screaming.
The place I lived in had a negative spiritual energy about it, and I had a lot of bad dreams when I lived in that place. When I moved out, the bad dreams stopped.
Fair enough, folks. I won’t say that I’ve seen things move by themselves, or heads spin 180.
Sometimes, in the weeks following an occult ritual, I had flashes of knowledge (suddenly knowing, for example, the exact atomic weight of Boron) followed by a long bout of depression. Occasionally, I would become immediately outraged, with no cause. Most nights my bedroom was full of whispers. These were easily explained away.
A few times I had something (with a name – they always had names) talk to me, follow me around, and mock me. That was less easy, but each time it happened I would give up the occult for a while, and they’d eventually go away.
I left the occult because, when I was attempting to call on a Goetic demon (using the Lemegeton), an angel appeared. It seemed to radiate malice, and it mocked me for a fool.
I called on Jesus in absolute terror, and the thing fled. I then had a “Damascus road” experience wherein the presence of the Lord weighed me to the floor as I became fully aware of my sin and need for the Savior.
So it worked out in the end. Still don’t recommend it.
Care to elaborate? I tried looking up Ouija board stories and half of them went: I don’t want to talk about what happened, but it was terrible. The other half sounded like total bullshit. If even 1% of people who played with these things was physically attacked by a spirit, toys r us would have stopped selling them long ago.
I did, but it might be elsewhere in the thread.
I don’t believe in the inherently evil power of any object. Heck, I play variants of poker and 21 using Tarot cards. However, when you actively court occult forces, sometimes they actually show up.
“by allowing the demon entrance through evil practices.”
What would you define as evil practices?
I can only speak as a Catholic myself, and for the purposes of this article and the admonitions of messing with the occult, what I define as evil and allowing a demon entrance is Ouija boards, attempting to communicate with the dead, spells, voodoo etc. All things that run contrary to the faith and lead one farther from God.
Just as women lead man “farther from God”?
A view of a uterus. fallopian tubes, and vagina from the front does look a lot like the devil goat head.
I knew it ! Those demonic sluts !
I don’t think Tarot or Astrology are a problem, but any sort of attempt summoning could be…
Thanks for your thoughts Peter. What if someone commits suicide? Are they damned? Or is this something else? Had a friend who did this a while back.
According to Catholic doctrine, yes.
So suicidal people are going to hell then? No way of redemption even in the Catholic faith?
The Bible says the only unforgivable sin is “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.” That’s it.
Matthew 12:22–32
http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Matt%2012.22-32
Mark 3:22–30
http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Mark%203.22-30
Thanks for finding this.
Sin.
Every sin, even venial, weakens the ability of the will to resist temptation. Mortal sins are worse. The difference may be likened to an enemy planting a ladder against the wall of a fortress or making a breach in the wall. This is why it is standard practice to go to confession before attempting an exorcism, and why regular use of the sacraments is so important even to those who never run into an obvious supernatural evil in their life.
Witchcraft, divination, conjuring spirits, etc. make one particularly vulnerable to attacks of that nature, but pretty much any sin will make one at least a little more vulnerable to temptation and possession than one was before.
Of course, God has promised not to tempt us beyond what we can bear; but the corollary of this is, the better able we are to resist temptation, the stronger the assaults we may reasonably expect (as happened, for instance, to the saints mentioned in the article).
You ain’t kidding. My dreams haven’t been the same since!
Ahh the nightmares. That was the other thing.
I used to have nightmares practically every night back during the worst of my life. A good day for me was not waking up in a cold sweat.
Ever since I embraced God through Jesus, the nightmares practically ceased, coincidentally enough. I still get them but its so very rarely I can’t remember the last time it happened, maybe last year.
Those who fear the abyss are doomed to never navigate it.
CS lewis said that the two great mistakes you can make regarding demons are:
1) not believing in them.
2) believing in them and taking an unhealthy interest in them.
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That’s pretty good.
Even Christopher Lee (of whom many assumed was a Occultist, though he were self-admittedly not) stated that it is not wise to have dealings with the Devil (so to speak)
The greatest lie the devil ever told was to convince the world he didn’t exist
I’m so glad he wrote that line (and this article). I’ve experienced things like this and the occult and the devil are very real.
Look not too long in the face of the fire, O man! Never dream with thy hand on the helm! Turn not thy back to the compass; accept the first hint of the hitching tiller; believe not the artificial fire, when its redness makes all things look ghastly. To-morrow, in the natural sun, the skies will be bright; those who glared like devils in the forking flames, the morn will show in far other, at least gentler, relief; the glorious, golden, glad sun, the only true lamp- all others but liars!
When I said this one year ago, people around here said I was crazy…with one guy Cui Pertinebit making an exception, who actually had some knowledge.
Me and my friends had played with Ouija boards and had seen bizarre things that haunted me for years later.
Beefy speaks the truth. Don’t fuck with that shit. Satan and his cohorts have a fucked up sense of humor.
I haven’t read this yet, but I’m sure the lessons learned are that feminists are possessed by unclean spirits, can crab walk, turn their necks 180 degrees and above all projectile vomit feminist theory at anyone holding up a cross
michael we all know feminists are far, far scarier (especially in physical appearance).
they are the thing that possesses! They are legion
Lol, that’s actually pretty close to reality.
It is, really. They actually do hiss and go nuts when a crucifix comes out.
Pat Robertson was right.
Before feminism it was called the Jezebel spirit
The early feminists were into spiritualism and attempts to contact the dead. It was reported years ago that Hillary Clinton was trying to channel Eleanor Roosevelt. The left wing press tried to laugh it off, but I think it is probably true that she was.
Not surprising, really. Liberals stick their noses into everything. It stands to reason that they wouldn’t even leave the dead alone in peace.
I’m quite interested in the phenomenon actually. Blavatsky (ISIS Unveiled) Bailey etc were both theosophists and keen on women’s rights. Secret Societies often had female leadership, and affirmed hermaphroditic principles, carnality etc and that preoccupation with gender continues to this day. Wicca & esotericism remains feminism friendly as far as I’m aware. As far Hillary Clinton , I have no idea whether that story is true, but it wouldn’t surprise me.
Good luck with that.
not into witches?
Nope, not into Wiccan things, at least as it’s practiced generally these days.
Wasn’t really a serious question. I’m just interested in the connexions between all these witchy things
Oh. Well, I answered it seriously, anyway. It’s hard for me to tell sometimes, what people mean online. It’s much easier for me to tell what a person means when I’m face to face or talking on the phone, as I have voice and body language cues to work with.
Have you inquired about, or tried to join a coven where you live? I bet you could learn a lot if you’re willing to take it to that level.
lol – no! I’ve seen the Wicker Man. I’m out of the UK at the moment , and can’t speak the language of my local witches, but there are actually a alot of covens or equivalent not that far from where I live. They’re actually very respectable middle class folk mainly. To be honest I doubt they’re doing much sacrificing, but they do meet in the woods on full moons and things. Its mainly alternative hippy spirituality and pagan / celtic influenced stuff. There harmly – probably – but its interesting nonetheless
Andrew this was a fascinating read, You tend to wax on epistemological matters which inspire those with a true thirst for knowledge to consider, however briefly.
I have one question though…what is the Catholic view on the possession of children? Do they believe that even children can be possessed, or do they believe that the demons have to ask permission from God in order to do so?
Generally, i’ve heard some say that any child can be possessed and other say that permission must be granted from God as it was with Job, so i was curious what your take on it was.
If the child is properly Baptized, I would say no. Part of the rite is basically commanding Satan “hands off! this child belongs to God.”
Tiny beat me to it, but baptism is the best defense. Even if you’re unbaptized, demons can’t just possess anyone willy-nilly. Someone has to willingly open himself to it, and children can do that.
infant baptism is unholy. God is not so vain as to damn one infant that dies before they can be baptised yet save the other that is lucky enough. if so you have imagined up a very unjust God. Jesus speaks plainly in the new testament, He loves little children for they inherit the kingdom.
I suppose though at some point the child grows up into an adult or perhaps even the teenage years are sufficient. thus they sin and go whatever way they will.
that said my research and experience tells me Demons can attack as early as conception. partly if they know who is being conceived and partly based on the lives of the parents involved, especially the mother. and of course we are ourselves can do all kinds of things to open up demons to attacking children. the old cliche of a drunken abusive father would be a great way or even things most think are not harmless like circumcision aka rape and mutilation, that opens up the window to some serious demonic harm to your child.
a child may start off as innocent….but the world is not innocent and can very much harm the child.
“Someone has to willingly open himself to it,”
not really. Satan has full reign to go whereever really. Job didnt do anything to actually invite Satan in.
“Part of the rite is basically commanding Satan “hands off! this child belongs to God.””
again not really. Baptism is a sign of obedience to God….Jesus gets baptised simply because God wants EVERYONE TOO….nothing in baptism ever says “Begone Satan”. and infant actually can’t make that decision, it gets forced on them.
also even supposing baptism said “hands off”….you really think Satan wouldnt oh I dont know….TRY AGAIN????
you want to protect your children? get right with God. Satan is not so easily fooled that dunking your head in water will get rid of him….you’re going to have to actually want to do that.
he employs many secret devices to attack. and is quite pleased if anyone actually thinks they can get their head dunked in the water and that is the end of Satan. he’ll gladly hide in the shadows and let you think that meanwhile whisper things to your soul that you think are random thoughts you give into yet are really him.
Whoa hey…slow down Tex…i actually agree with you. I don’t believe in infant baptizing because the child is unaware of what is happening and what it’s meant to do. Baptism is about accepting Jesus into your life through a transformation and renewal of the spirit…to be “born again” as if one was being delivered up from the amniotic fluid they originally came from. An infant has no concept of the process so it ends up being symbolic and for the Parents’ benefit more than anything else.
I was thanking Andrew on an inspiring read, i never said i agreed with his remarks about infant baptizing. This was better addressed to him.
I see….I probably just hit reply to the latest comment thread….but good you and I see eye to eye here. I figured he’d see the reply anyway since it is part of the comment thread???
that said I do disagree I don’t think parents benefit at all. Baptism is a wasted thing on one who cannot even fathom the concept of it. and I think they openly mock God when religions claim that infants that don’t get baptised then promptly die as infants sometimes do, that those infants are going to hell.
It benefits their egos…puts their mind at ease, sort of the way a baby gets put at ease when you rock it gently in your arms…
perhaps but when you do it falsely under the notion that “If I dont do this quickly in case the child dies, otherwise the child will go to hell”….you are kind of sort of missing the whole point of baptism and thus are not even christian.
baptism is a fairly simple concept yet it is amazing how many variations of there are.
Totally in agreement…remember, we’ve been in total agreement so far 🙂
Cleanse, purge and kill!
Burn the Heretic! Kill the mutant! Purge the unclean!
Do you even praise the Emperor, bro?
For The Emperor
Good article. I’ve always been fond of the whole ‘get lost’.
Vade retro Satana! Nunquam suade mihi vana! Sunt mala quae libas. Ipse venena bibas!
The funny thing is the Chinese I met in China were not all that religious but they were very superstitious. The Asians know not to mess with that demon/ghost shit.
“If being “red pill” means seeing the world as it really is, then men need to understand that there is more to this world than sensory experience. You may not believe in the supernatural but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”
Damned good point.
When I was a kid around 8 my sister got a Ouija Board and she dabbled in it, and so did I but I never got anything but radio silence. I’m guessing she did too, and any so-called experiences were her imagination. The ouija board simply never did anything. How can you tell if one is being followed by evil demons? Is it not true that one doesnt have to be possesed, yet have the ugly ‘cloud’ over their head all the time?
You can’t really, but you should not obsess about it. Angels are always on duty.
If you think you got some dark spirits about, imagine yourself emanating bright golden light. Works for me.
I have always used white light. Ive had a few harrowing situations. Until you experience this that cannot be explained you cannot understand the experiance. Nor does it ever make complete sense.
White light attracts
I would be interested to hear your opinion on that. In my experiance it has worked. I havent had to do that since I lived in a certain house. Agian just my experiance.
It is good to read an article about the supernatural from a person who writes in a reasonable and measured manner.
Many have consigned the concept of evil to the dustbin of history along with Hera, Zeus, and all the rest.
I am glad that you have included the skepticism with which the church considers people who claimed to be possessed. They are not as gullible as many with a modern sensibility believe.
I am also glad you included this:
“If you take nothing else from this column, hear me now and believe me
later: stay away from this stuff. I don’t care if you think it’s all
superstitious mumbo-jumbo, but whatever you do, do not screw around with
the occult.”
There are plenty of other things in the world to explore. Occult appeals to the power seeker inside of every man, and even if there is no real supernatural dimension, leads a man step by step away from respect and kindness, and leads him down the road to self aggrandizement, and even self worship.
And you end up hanging out with a whole bunch of people just like you. Give it a miss.
Tough line for ROK to walk, exploring spirituality without proselytizing.
This one found the balance.
If you like the badass holy man archetype you might wanna read Preacher.
I heard that they were going to make that into a movie years ago. I’ve heard Johnny Depp and Clive Owen being tossed around for the role of Jesse. I don’t believe it came to fruition though.
i heard that too but I doubt it’s happening
I love being Catholic. It is the ultimate Red Pill.
i’m not catholic, but my wife is. she’s a very traditional central american girl, very devout. when we were talking to her priest shortly before our marriage, he told her to remember that “when you go to the US, feminism is of the devil and is not a good basis for family life.” i’ve been to church with her a few times here in the US, and i get the impression that it’s watered down here, much less strict. do you think an priest in the US could get away with saying what her priest said about feminism? i’d like to think so, but i doubt it.
Find somewhere in the diocese where the extraordinary form of the mass is offered or do an Internet search on where a fraternity of saint Peter priest is in the diocese and start going there.
i’m going to have to look into that. i think the wife would prefer a more hardcore version of catholicism too.
should we do that, what are the odds they’ll start telling us what we can and can’t do in bed? that’s really my only concern. right now there are no restrictions. i get blowjobs on demand, for example. i told her before we got married that i absolutely will not accept the church regulating our sex life.
Speaking directly to your position try and take the time to watch all of this, it will help you see accurately the Churches teaching on this topic. Again watch start to finish. http://www.churchmilitant.com/video/episode/catholics-sex
Pfffft. You worship a middle eastern god, and want to be his/his sons/his prophet’s bride.
Red pill.
Pffft.
Yep I agree. Yep it’s Red Pill. But the current pope isn’t …
Oh, almost forgot. There is a documentary about Padre Amorth, exorcist of rome:
http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/father_amorth_the_exorcist_padre_amorth
The lower levels of possession are characterized by obsession. Obsession used to be defined similarly to possession just that the object is without. Pride saying I deserve this gives rise to the destruction of a man by his God given instincts run amok. There may be no Latin or head spinning but the destruction caused by malignant pride is just as real and it opens you to possession.
Man’s real sin is in taking what’s not his because of pride. What’s really mine is given freely. When my pride says I must take it from another I’m separating myself from God.
Fascinating article Beefy.
I was listening to a radio interview with that priest from the movie “The Rite” once; he claimed he saw serial killer Liz Wuornos’ eyes turn completely black while being interrogated by cops. He said it was one of the few times in his life he was truly terrified. Have you heard about this??
I’ve heard about that. Trust me, if you want to be scared shitless, ask an exorcist to tell you some stories from the field.
See this the real truth. I honestly wish more people believed because this stuff is real. We trash talk women/feminists a lot but the truth of the matter is that all of our problems stem from a spiritual cause. Feminists and the like are just carrying the jezebel spirit and are rebelling against God more so than they are rebelling against men.
Much of the “red pill,” or neomasculinity, or whatever you wish to call it is rediscovering the wisdom of our ancestors. I laugh at men who dismiss 2000 years worth of Christian history out of hand. Even if you aren’t a believer yourself, attempting to erase our own past is a progressive project.
I have to agree with you sir. I myself went into the wrong path after walking with the Lord as young boy/teen. I found myself going after the blue as a beta schmuck denying the Lord and then found myself defeated. We cannot deny Christian history, only fools will deny Christ. His teachings and life talk more than what we can comprehend.
this string of comments is spot on
What do you know about remote viewing? Is this ability good or evil?
Before the atheist trolls usual suspects descend like a swarm of locusts to shit on this article, let me at least address one point that Andrew addresses here:
“If you take nothing else from this column, hear me now and believe me later: stay away from this stuff. I don’t care if you think it’s all superstitious mumbo-jumbo, but whatever you do, do not screw around with the occult”
This guy is absolutely right. I’ve heard stories from friends who messed with tarot cards, Ouija and so forth, and they warned me off of it (i was fascinated by the occult years ago) from Ouija specifically. not only that, but i have my own personal stories to share in regards to this, and what it likely resulted in.
Let me give you all some examples of what i had to endure:
-My own family (mother and grandmother) were into tarot cards and i played with them myself before i was even old enough to understand what they meant.
-They bought candles in droves, to such a degree that the house almost looked like a church. There were no black ones though…i guess they were candle wax racists haha
-They also had so many statues of every catholic saint imaginable to the point that you’d think they were catholic. They would correct you and say they were “Christian” though. (shrug)
-They had a coconut by the door with 3 holes drilled in it to “Ward off evil spirits.
-You had to walk into the door with your right foot, or you were bringing “bad luck.”
-They consulted with mystics like that flamboyant Mexican Walter Mercado who touched me on my shoulder and said i had a “grand destiny.” I just think he was getting Mexican wood off of it, although I’ve done pretty well for myself.
-My Mother/Grandmother would do the whole “egg in water in a clear glass rubbed over your chest” thing that you might remember from “The Godfather” and that too was another occult ritual. It’s called “limpia” which means cleaning/cleansing in Spanish interestingly enough.
-I had to go to school with garlic cloves in my bag, to ward off evil spirits (i remember getting smacked for mentioning if vampires were included)
-I was given “holy baths” where my grandmother and mother would go into the shower while i was naked and pour “agua florida” aka holy water on my head. Disturbing isn’t it?
-They would keep a horseshoe hanging over the entrance to the house to ward off evil spirits.
Those are just a few i can think off of the top of my head, I’ve probably blocked out the rest. You could say i didn’t have your typical Ozzie and Harriet background haha.
These practices tend to be common in the Spanish occult religion known as “Santeria” but to hear my family speak, you’d think that everything they did was from the book of scriptures itself.
Anyway, our house was always full of drama and evil…maybe no actual possessions to speak of, but we did have the cops called on us several times because we would fight loudly (and sometimes violently) with each other, over a dozen times by my last count. It got so bad the last time it happened they said they’d arrest every last one of us. There was a few times where i attacked my grandmother and mother (thanks to all the bullshit they put me through, not that i’m excusing it) my sister attacked me and vice versa, my mother’s boyfriend attacked me, they attacked each other, he would attack my grandmother, and so forth…pretty much any combination you can think of. Take it as you wish.
Now, some would say “I’ve played around with tarot cards and Ouija boards 100’s of times and nothing happened, so its bullshit” and to those i say:
You keep fucking with fate and you will eventually get fucked back and fucked worse by it. Maybe all that occult shit i dealt with through my family didnt actually cause all that drama in my life but it certainly didnt help.
It’s always that one time too many, that “101st” try that gets you.
For a comparative example, try playing russian roulette once a day with an old style revolver…you will probably luck out (you only have 1 in 6 chance of dying after all) more often than not, until that day comes when the chamber with the bullet pops up.
For people of faith and specifically in regard to the occult, we consider it the same circumstance…except with much worse odds.
Don’t mess with the occult. You can lose far more than your life over that shit.
PS: It goes without saying that i was saved by Jesus, but i still did things i regret…like killing pigeons “saw” style.
Yeah, i had issues.
I knew a neighbor who was into all that stuff. I did some house-sitting one time and heard some weird stuff.
that was interesting. Thanks for sharing
Someone above mentioned that sin would be like an outright attack on the fortress of the soul. But an attack is OK- you can see it and you can tackle it.
The occult…it’s like giving the enemy intelligence of your fortress. Everything may be calm, no attacks…and then suddenly they know all secret entrances, or someone hands them the keys to the central gate.
And then it gets difficult to get the intruders out.
interesting. A more prosaic explanation may be that such things can become quite obsessive, and play on the psyche
The amount of hatred you apply to those who don’t share your superstition shows your true lack of faith.
Atheist spotted.
The amount of hyperbole you apply to my remark by calling it “hatred” shows your true level of ignorance.
Muh flying spaghetti, muh sky beard, lol autheists. No one likes obnoxious fedoras.
Autheists. I’m going to steal that one, heh.
I agree dude. I’ve had family members who messed around with that stuff and unleashed monstrous things. All an unbeliever needs is to tango with the devil one good time and he’ll become the most hardcore christian ever.
I went from indoctrinated believer (pre teens) to self indoctrinated unbeliever (teens) to practicing satanist (late teens) to aspiring Christian (20’s) to Jesus Christian (30’s and beyond until now)
I’ve seen evil. I’ve been evil. I’ve done stuff I regret. Harm against others and myself. People say you cant cure sociopathy…God is proof that you can.
If people wonder why I go so hard for Jesus they need to realize its because I used to go so hard against Him. He saved me from myself.
I think it´s pretty weird that a grown up man needs somebody else saving him from himself. That´s something women usually do.
Since you consider God “somebody else” its obvious you have no clue as to what faith actually represents and how exactly it benefits a person, as is typical with the blue pill atheist.
Prick.
Does Jesus told you this violent behaviour? No, he doesn’t. See, you are just another pseudo religious person. No clue about your own religion.
Blue pill? According to your other posts you’re the one with mental issues and voices in the head…not me.
I’m no atheist either my friend. I’m just posting here because it’s funny and super easy pissing of hardcore religious people. I think God would laugh his ass off about all the hypocrisy in here.
GFY
That’s beautiful
No, I WAS the one with issues, emphasis on a past tense setting. Nice try on spinning my words, dolt.
You’re not an atheist? Coolers. You’re just an asshole then. Coming here just to troll is the mark of an immature mind, in case your daddy never bothered to tell you.
you’ve discovered the way. Congrads’ man !
Thanks brother.
Someone who can’t even form a coherent sentence has no right to lecture anyone on the nuances of their faith.
Pot meet kettle…ass meet hole.
Mental issues breaking out again? Take your funny pills and think about Jesus holding your hand, fruitcake.
Someone who thinks he has vikings for family has no business calling anyone else a “fruitcake.”
Pot meet kettle. Ass meet hole…again.
Living in a big city definitely showed me that a lot of people need some saving from themselves; me included.
The funny thing is so many people shun that notion and go back to perfectly ruining their lives. They’d rather self medicate than truly cure themselves.
Amen brother.
Exactly. People think you’re crazy for admitting you needed help from a higher power, while they walk around addicted to drug, disease and mental disorder.
In a screwed up world, the inmates are the ones who make the laws.
“If people wonder why I go so hard for Jesus they need to realize its
because I used to go so hard against Him. He saved me from myself.”
…like a modern day Paul/Saul.
It can be hard to see where human evil ends and demonic activity begins. Thanks be to God you have been redeemed.
Don’t mess with a ouija board!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykvd__Wv9po
Daniel,
Being Latino I have heard of all of this. Including the egg in water under the bed to ward off bad dreams. Its something we all grew up with i guess
“You keep fucking with fate and you will eventually get fucked back and fucked worse by it. ”
saving this amazing line.
words to live by.
Thanks bro!
Weak people with meaningless lives need to believe in something.
Perhaps, but, based on this post, your screenname is retarded. You sound pretty red to me
Marxism is actually one of the most common beliefs among weak people with meaningless lives.
Awesome. Glad to see you’re above the fray. Hows the weather up there?
Marxism certainly was efficient at murdering millions of people in the last century that’s for sure.
This site seems to get more and more filled with christian sheep. A bunch of middle aged white men, descended of germans, celts, and gauls, believing in the fairy tales of a middle eastern king wishing to be his bride.
I am astonished about how popular Christendom, and especially Catholicism, is in this forum. Honestly, I consider it one of the hippiest religions ever.
Their savior is a magic commie zombie
who praises poverty around.
And being meek and subservient.
How is that red pill or alpha?
Gents, ridiculing something you don’t understand is your business. I’m not one to prostelize, but this one article by a Catholic author and is but a small part of a larger, ongoing conversation. You need not be astonished or offended, you’re not being attacked. If this were a site where the only commentary allowed was from either atheists or theists, those who complain about women ruined by the carousel or aspiring PUAs who want to be part of the carousel,… (well, I hope you get the picture) this would become but a boring echo chamber. Perhaps both/and is a viable option to meet on common ground? Just a thought.
So why did your badass ancestors accept Christianity in the first place? Are you asserting that the Europeans were universally pussified for 2000 years? Jan Sobieski III, Don Juan of Austria, and Charles Martel would like a word with you.
Because we had no explanation for the natural world and events. Events like floods, storms, solar/lunar eclipses and diseases, etc were blamed on spirits and whatever else they could think of. But science has explained just about everything with the natural world and our knowledge is always increasing.
I find it remarkable that people in this day and age still want to believe this bronze age nonsense.
I’m astounded that grown men still seriously believe there’s a necessary conflict between faith and reason.
Don’t put faith and reason together in the same sentence or context. It’s called faith because it’s void of any fact, logic or reason.
I’m always amused when flat earth atheists who vastly overestimate their own intelligence presume to tell me what faith means. I suppose you’ve personally worked out the mathematics of quantum physics, for example?
And whining about it like a feminist on her period doesn’t say much about you either.
Don’t like what passes for writing here? Don’t come here. Simple, isn’t it?
Science is infallible to you?
I’ve got three words for you: the “planet” pluto 😀
Believing in nothing means that your life has no meaning beyond the fact of circumstance.
I live until I eventually die. That’s all. I’ve been given some time in this World and I try to enjoy it, despite feminists, socialists,etc. trying to make it less pleasant.
Sounds nihilist and empty but it is your right.
Accept Jesus you heathen!!!! DO IT!
The meaning to life is just life itself. That’s it. We are the result of an evolutionary offshoot. We exist because we just do.
Do you know that to be a fact?
A talking snake in my garden told me so.
Was that before or after you ran into the missing link ape?
Well I did actually ask the talking snake about that. I asked about the fossil record and all the other evidence for the evolution of the human species. It told me all such evidence is a book that was written a few thousand years ago somewhere in the Mediterranean by a bunch of goat herders.
Well i don’t talk to talking snakes and they don’t talk to me, so i really can’t comment there. If you happen to come across the missing link ape though, ask it to show you how evolution is a fact even though it’s never been proven as such. Then bring it back here.
Cool story bro.
It is huh? I am glad you agree. The best part of it is, that they did real science, not this pseudo biased theories that evolution tries to pass as science.
You mean that Watson, Crick and Wilkins were not actual scientists? Maybe you should call the Nobel Committee and tell them.
It’s funny that you mention these two, for they only proved that DNA is a language, a language that was clearly made by someone. DNA has proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that it cannot be made by random.
They proved that evolution is a physical reality not just an abstract theory just like Dobzhansky suspected it a few decades earlier.
Can you give the link to a scientific article or research stating that “DNA has proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that it cannot be made by random”?
There is no data to support evolution that passes the scientific method. That is why it it s still called the theory of evolution. The more insidious aspect of it is that it is passed as law, published and dictated as fact, when it is not. Both creation and evolution are in the realms of faith entirely. There are even atheist scientists who do not believe in the theory of evolution. You and the masses are easily fooled by these “honest” scientists. There have been scientists who offer large amounts of money for proof of evolution, nobody tries to claim the money. Why? Because real scientists are not fooled by assumptions and biased “evidence”. They have no proof, because it is all a fraud. If there was proof, they’d submit it and claim the $100,000 prize. Dyou know anybody who does not want that much money?
Haha. I think that’s most biologists will disagree with you on this one.
Evolution is BS and I have BS in biology
By ‘bilogists’ I’m referring to people with PhD who do research and get published in major scientific revues.
I have a BS in Law but I don’t go around calling major doctrine BS.
Of course they will, they get their truth from the lies they hVe learned.
So now you know more than academic professor? hahaha
I’m not American.
So you must think you are wiser than Isaac Newton? He was more Christian than scientist, and that is saying a lot. I guess he was weak and lead a meaningless life. Surely you brilliant atheist can outdo him, yeah? Have you defied an empire like our founding fathers did? They all believed in God too. Gregory Mendel the priest? Can you outdo what he did?
He lived 300 years ago. I don’t blame him. My comment was more about the present day.
So what if he lived 300 Years ago? You seem to think that science is what makes you an atheist. The Old Testament talks plenty about the atheist, long before any science came along. The scripture teaches the reason why people don’t believe. It is because men love darkness rather than light. C.S Lewis was known as the hardest atheist at his time, and he turned Christian.
I believe in Mike Chang.
Hes got what atheists’ crave.
Does Mike Chang have electrolytes?
CHANG ! ( BIG EXPLOSION )
May Mike Chang sprinkle holy electrolyte rich krakatom at thee Mr Kent, for thou hath recognised the true king of the home towel back workout. May his cha-chingness bless your lifts and with his wisdom aboard you need not spoil thy coin on fedoras or leather bracelets to make dah pussy float to your pelvic area.
lol @ true king of home towel back workout.
ROK is nothing without the lulz 😛
Check out
https://encyclopediadramatica.se/Main_Page
some time… Wikipedia by guys with a sense of humor
I was scrolling looking for my beloved Kratom joke reference, and there it was.
I was not disappointed.
Damn CJ you actually followed the tracks!!!
I’m getting mixed signals from that “:P”!! Hmmmm…..are you hitting on me Clark??
Fucking smileys
Those six pack shortcuts believe in you too, Son of Jor El 😛
Rise before Zod. Now… on your back before Zod. Hands under your hips before Zod. Fifty flutter kicks before Zod. You will have a bod by Zod.
That’s exactly what a Red would think.
I used to be like you when I was a kid. I would always go out of my way to talk down religion and tell people how its all made up bullshit because I thought that i was smarter and more enlightened than everyone else and i had all the answers to life’s questions and that people should listen to me when i tell them how to live and what to believe.
Then I grew up
Nice! this goes for every person. everybody does that.
you sound like the SJW when they accuse ROK readers of being basement dwellers.
So what will we do about demons when the Catholic Church eventually disappears?
Because religions disappear all the time, and no one living afterwards notices their absence. Harper’s magazine an issue or two back ran a story about the rapid decline of the Zoroastrian religion, a faith older than Christianity that had millions of adherents at one time. The last Zoroastrian could very well die in this century:
http://harpers.org/archive/2015/08/house-of-fire/
I suspect the last christian, of any variety, will die within the next thousand years after the religion’s long twilight.
The Catholic Church on earth will disappear around the Second Coming, and obviously we won’t need to worry about Satan by then.
catholics have anti christian teachings. they are not the church of God. do you really believe that? Catholic Church is part of Babylon the whore
I have met individuals who said they had given their souls to Satan. And they were very smug and pleased with their decision and the results they had. Invariably, when I met them again years later they were devastated wrecks, emotionally, physically and financially. No one sells their souls and makes a bargain. They give them away.
It’s worth mentioning that Aleister Crowley’s last words were “I’m Perplexed.” He died alone and penniless.
The Devil’s greatest trick is convincing people he doesn’t exist.
Yes. If the Devil can convince people he doesn’t exist, then he can convince people God doesn’t exist either. But as it was said in The Rite mentioned in this post, not believing in The Devil doesn’t protect you against him.
what a stupid movie.
Semper ubi sub ubi
Ha ha!!
As a Computer Scientist and a rational man, I still believe in things beyond our comprehension
In fact haunted is the wrong word. I simply believe in extra spatial dimensions, which is enough to explain everything
i think that the explanation for the supernatural would be found in the existence of higher dimensions too. never really ran across another person who believes the same thing.
I am somewhat close to that belief, a fellow IT type. The way I explain it is that humans didn’t know infrared was a thing until it was discovered but it was always present, same with radio waves and gamma rays. What other things are present that we have yet to discover a way of observing otherwise?
And that is why I understand that religion and faith speak to things that we as normal human’s cannot fathom or understand on our own.
i live in an extremely liberal US city, with lots of atheists (and pseudo-buddhists, naturally, but that’s another story). an argument i’ve used successfully with the atheists is that explaining the nature of god to a human being would be a lot like explaining the nature of the color red to a dog. the fact that the dog lacks the physical and mental capacity to comprehend the color red doesn’t prove that it doesn’t exist. in the same way, although there’s no way to logically prove the existence of god to a human being, that doesn’t prove that he doesn’t exist.
stealing your argument. well said
I’m inclined to agree. Imagine a peasant from the Middle Ages trying to make sense of a laptop connected to the modern Internet & playing YouTube videos. Or looking up in the sky & observing a flying drone. Electromagnetic waves?
As of now, we lack the tools & know how to peek past the curtain of our current three dimensional reality.
This is my take as well. Only a moron dismisses something outright without the scientific method backing him up.
The supernatural realm may simply be another level of reality/extradimensional reality beyond our conscious reach.
Our 5 senses are rather limited; animals tend to perceive a lot more than we do. Its foolish to think our minds understand everything there is to understand when the senses supplying them with information don’t have all the facts available.
When we mess with occult rituals, they may create “awareness gateways” into our subconscious that creatures beyond our realm of conscious perception can use to not just communicate, but actually influence or even harm us.
A lot of these people who end up criminally insane may be people who dabbled in the occult, and they paid dearly for it.
Have you ever seen the movie “pulse?” It presented an interesting take on it, using technology as the means for which creatures could enter our dimension and harm us.
Yup. There are known unknowns and then there are unknown unknowns.
As a somewhat lapsed protestant I have no idea what the position is on exorcism and demons.
This article made me think of a time I had almost forgotten. When in high school I got bored during lunch breaks and so I brought this old tarot card set (description book included) to school and decided to do some predictions for whoever was willing. I think I got through a couple people and then I finally got one of my teachers to take a shot at it.
I liked it when predictions were more specific and had a timeline so I used a 12 card spread with one card for each month. I had shuffled the deck and told her to pick from the deck while focusing on it or believing in it.
We flip the 12 cards one by one and all of them are shit. Without a doubt of the few tarot card reading I had done this one held the worst outcomes for the person. The predictions for her were so bad that we were acting laughing as we read each cards meaning. The general prediction was that for the next year her life was going to be shit, she most likely get sick, may get fired, and on the last month she got a slight maybe things will get a little bit better.
Now this woman was the sickly type, so when she got sick a month or two later I didn’t think much too much of it and I think I joked with someone else that it was the prediction. After 10-11 months of her being able to attend work at our high school sparingly, however, she was fired and this was the part that really stuck with me. She had been fired the same month the card that stated that she was going to face something bad on the scale of getting fired had been drawn for.
Now people can say that what happened to her was a bad luck coincidence and with her sickly record it was probably inevitable, but I think that pushes a bit past coincidence.
When someone speaks with the exorcist, one of the first things he asks them is if they have Tarot cards or an Ouija board. If they do, he says they must burn them ASAP.
Thanks for the advice. I don’t mess with these kind of things anymore. Your article has brought up a few memories for me that make it if I don’t believe in some of these things I’d have to be braindead.
I know I’ve been blowing you up today. I promise that this is the last comment lol. (this article just hit close to home and I’m very glad that you wrote it):
1. Is it true that when you try to get rid of a Ouija board and You don’t utterly destroy it, that it will return to your house? I know 3 different guys (including my father) who threw them away into the dumpster only to find that they had almost magically returned into the house weeks later.
2. I always assumed that Tarot cards don’t actually predict the future but by drawing them (and believing in the result) you are inadvertently giving supernatural forces the permission to cause those things to happen. Would you say this is true?
You are correct about the Tarot cards. Even if you’re just screwing around with them for laughs, you are unwittingly opening yourself up to otherworldly influence.
I personally haven’t heard about Ouija boards returning like that, but in any case you must burn them to ashes.
They say the only proper way to dispose yourself from a ouija board is by breaking the board in seven pieces, sprinkle it with holy water then bury it, never burn it..
Why seven pieces? Why not six or eight pieces? What if your dog goes and digs it back up after you bury it?
Like Obi-Wan said, “In my experience there are no such thing as coincidences.”
Suggestion is powerful indeed. Believe it or not at your own peril, or at your own advantage.
For the win: while exaggerating active repulsion via body language and saying out loudly “the power of Christ compels you!” to a tatted, obese, pierced, rainbow-coloured-hair, obnoxious, unattractive female as she is trying to cockblock you, that is almighty Game.
Ps: I was brought up as Catholic. Blue pill, in hindsight, even though some experiences resonated… or was it just me?
Great article. But there is little I can say. Far outside any realm of knowledge I have.
I will say that a few years back, I was into various types of Eastern meditation.And tarot cards. Had some strange experiences. (But I do believe it is possible to apply tarot in a Christian way. See works of Valentin TOmberg).
After which, I just decided to be a more conventional Christian. For me, things like gardening satisfied my desire for something “spiritual”.
The Lord but me in a body. So I will live in the physical world as along as it is my destiny.
Probably the only thing badass remaining about Catholicism is the exorcism. I’ve read about exorcists and how they have to be the perfect definition of stoic in order not to let dark spirits get under their skin and shake their faith.
A special note about this though:
“The victim suffers from obsessive and irrational thoughts that persist no matter how energetically they fight them. Almost always it affects their dreams through night terrors.”
If you get idle thoughts in your head (“An idle mind is the devil’s workshop” is an old saying that has meaning) and then “energetically fight them”, then you are giving a lot of power to those thoughts. What might have become merely a mindless thought or conclusion has now been inflated in power and scope. Do not give idle thoughts a lot of power over you, because what you think and what you do can be two different things. The human mind is a strange device, enough so that it should not be taken too seriously when, for example, you might wonder what it would feel like to say screw a chicken. If you get up and do that just to find out, then you’re sick in the head (or very drunk).
I should also add that there are people who obsess about being in the presence of evil spirits or demons. I recall a Coast to Coast interview of such a person, claiming that even in the previous night he had to “get rid of a demon”.
I have found that anxiety can lead to this state where you think something evil is hovering about. But if you go looking for it or trying to fight it, you lend it even more power like a wayward thought in your head.
But what of “just in case this is an actual demon” or something?
Well, there’s a solution. You need not have to give real power to anxiety, nor to some dark thing in the corner either if you think there is.
First, what’s your qualification to know that some spirit is evil or not? Do you see them every day?
Second, would not the darkest spirit attempt to come forth as light? Deception is a big deal with forces of darkness.
Third: don’t fight them. That’s what angels are for. Yes it’s been said and written that we have angels about whose job it is to deal with dark spirits and demons. You won’t be risking a friendly fire incident with them either. They’ll deal with real demons but if your deceased grandmother wants to drop by they won’t be dropping holy smackdown on her (something you risk doing if you think you’re a ghostbuster). Let the angels handle it, relax, and carry on with your day.
exorcism in movies like the rite is repeating their catholic prayers 100 times and then it finally worked. the demon is gone.
Evil is just good that went the wrong way. Keep your mind on your god, as you understand him.
Must read classic regarding the devil, The Master and Margarita, by Bulgakov…
The scariest movie I’ve seen concerning these topics is “Needful Things” by Steven King… I saw it on TV many, many, many years ago. I later rented or bought it, and it was severely cut and edited and tame. The version I saw was intense and awesome. If you haven’t seen it, it’s the story of this old man who moves into town and people come to his shop and whatever the object of their desire is, it’s there for purchase. But every purchase comes with some twisted obligation to the old man, and one day he calls them all in and let’s pure destruction and mayhem rain down on this town. Max von Sydow plays the devil guy, Ed Harris is a cop, it’s a really awesome film, but only if you can find the unedited version which I never could. I don’t necessarily believe in this stuff but I sure wouldn’t tempt fate and go messing around with the occult.
I’ve actually never read any King, but I should probably get into him at some point. Michael Crichton was always my favorite modern author.
Needful Things the book was pretty good. Long but good and a lot more disturbing than the movie. But like you Crichton is my favorite, Sphere was my favorite book of all time.
The book is superb
‘Salems Lot and Insomnia are worth reading too
So god exists and is all knowing and all powerful. Ok fine.
Then for some reason, an angel decided to rebel and work against god and became the devil, knowing that god, his opponent, was all knowing and all powerful and therefore could not be tricked or defeated in any way. Ok sure, even supernatural beings can be completely retarded.
Now this same all knowing and all powerful god came up with a set of rules and anyone on earth who broke enough of these rules during their (max of about) 100 year lifespan would be punished for eternity (14 billion years and counting. Err I mean 6000 years, whatever). Seems rather harsh for a loving god.
Oh and obviously non believers, (including the billions born before this god made its presence known through a rather odd and convoluted rape story resulting in a bastard son’s death) were condemned to this eternal punishment as well regardless of their actual behavior because god’s first three rules basically amount to “pay attention to only meeeeeeeeeeee!” (the or else is implied due to lack of space on large stone tablets of course). Again, rather harsh. But who am I to judge?
Oh and babies? Yeah those fuckers are born already sinners because of something that their waaaaaay back ancestors did. Can you believe great-great-great-…-great-grandma ate some fruit? What a bitch amiright? Better half drown them days after they slide out the vag. Again, or else.
Now back to god. An all knowing being created these waaaaaay back ancestors and plunked them in a garden with said tasty fruit. This being made his creations fully aware that they would eat the fruit after he warned them not to. Now maybe it’s just me, but I don’t put the roasted turkey on the floor where my dog can get at it the second my back is turned. I put it way up on the counter where he can’t reach it. Know where I would put a tempting fruit tree that would damn my creations and all their descendants to banishment from paradise if they ate it? Center of a black hole on the other side of the universe. That’s if I loved them I mean. This would probably mean a paradise earth would be dull to watch though, so yeah fuck em let’s put the tree like three feet away from their dinner table. I need me some Jerry Springer action amiright?
And just to make sure that things were kept interesting, this superior being was damn sure to keep out of sight and send no clear messages. Because if there’s one thing that a superior being just cannot do is show up in person to confirm his existence and the way that his creations need to worship him without any ambiguity or doubt. No better to let everyone fight over which of the million faiths is the correct one and damn all the ones who pick wrong. Because reasons.
After thinking about this some more, I think the feminists are right. God, if it exists as described, HAS to be a woman. It’s the only thing that makes the above story make any sense at all.
Careful, blind faith is more red pill than common sense around here…
You mad bro?
More like mildly amused.
Whatever you say, slick. I don’t care why you do it, so long as you stay away from the occult.
haha i could really answer and correct all your assumptions like:
Now this same all knowing and all powerful god came up with a set of rules and anyone on earth who broke enough of these rules during their 100 year lifespan would be punished for eternity Seems rather harsh for a loving god
But you are a nonbeliever so it wouldn´t do anything, why should i educate you about biblical topics if you have every little thing you “know” twisted in ignorance.
i educate the Lost sheep only. i could be wrong but you don´t seem like one of the lost sheep.
now I’m waiting for you to twist the term lost sheep into something like slaves of media, government etc.
hey beefy catholics are not even christians, how could they be able to perform exorcism on “demons”?
Thank you for this article. I was actually within the last week thinking, from playing Persona 4, “tarot cards sound cool. I should see what they do for laughs and giggles. As long as I treat it as entertainment, it should be fine.” NOT ANY MORE. Thank you very, very much.
They did a mass exorcism in Mexico a few months ago.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3132975/Catholic-preists-exorcise-entire-country-Mexico-seeks-drive-demons-causing-drug-crime-violence.html
What the hell (pun intended) is happening to this website?
Yeah, it’s kind of mind blowing how different writers have different opinions and write about different subjects.
Paranormal and “new age” stuff are for girls. I think men should focus on rational topics.
Like where to stick our dicks, and the millionth article on how to attract women?
The engagement of the male catholic priest into the very real and dangerous world of exorcism is about as bad-ass and manly as it gets…. and it’s not ‘new age’….. it’s ancient.
Someone in the comments below mentioned that exorcists have to be almost superhumanly stoic in their work because demons will try to rattle them and get under their skin. As a Jesuit friend of mine put it, “You gotta have your balls screwed on tight for that work.”
‘The engagement of the male catholic priest into the very real and
dangerous world of exorcism is about as bad-ass and manly as it gets’
Dude, in the old days, you became a catholic priest because your older brothers inherited the family business. Many of these guys were frustrated. Besides, don’t get me started on the paedophiles.
For instance. Or how to realistically move to Alpha countries (e.g. Russia).
Just take more kratom, what’s so hard about that?
Andrew how can catholics who are not christians, perform exorcism on “demons”?
Catholics are the ORIGINAL Christian’s, (until Martin Luther lost his wits). So you have 1500 + years of solid catholic Christianity until 40,000 denominations approx. made their claims to the truth.
Which one of the 40,000 do you claim to be the truth? Do they exorcise demons? If so, great!
It’s been nice trolling with you.
the original christians = slaves of the LORD were the 12 apostles. they brought the gospel tho the lost sheep = God´s elect family.
Few will enter the Kingdom.
Nah! I’m gonna see a psychic and check my horoscope before eating my vegan lunch. Then I’ll write an article about these manly activities!
Vegan? Fuck that shit dude. I live mostly on red meat, eggs, and whiskey.
Dude. I’m being sarcastic here.
Guess what factor contributes to this country being alpha? Religion.
Not sure about that. The were communist (i.e. atheist) for 70 years and it didn’t affect their ‘alphaness’.
.Besides, they are not THAT religious: Russian girls are among the easiest lays in Europe.
Actually ‘religious’ people are among the most hypocrites. Look at Latin America: the most Christian region in the world and so many kids born out of wedlock.
The bible is pretty red pill (or should that be the other way around?). Especially the parts on how to be a good wife.
Articles like this are why I will be making a donation to ROK. Keep up the great work!
Thank you very much.
I stayed over at a girls house one time who told me the place was haunted by the spirit of a little girl. I laughed at her and told her she was full of shit. Then i woke up in the middle of the night listening to slow footsteps coming up the stairs towards the room we were in. We were home alone…
The director of The Exorcist , William Freidken was an atheist but after doing research and filming the movie he had doubts. He was allowed to read the dossier of the actual possession and subsequent exorcism of the young boy that the novel and movie was based. Freidken was shocked at the events of the demonic possession detailed in the case file. The events were recored by Jesuits who are very rational and are the worldliest of the Catholic orders. During the interview you could tell that Freidken’s was questioning his nonbelief
The Exorcist. The most terrifying movie I’ve ever seen. I would not watch it again….
Now is a great story to share with you all about an experience I just had within the last month. It’s absolutely uncanny but by all accounts, I am giving you my own personal experiences.
A bit of background: I have always grown up around the church and have been within it and had Christianity instilled in me at a young age, but have attended Church off and on since I was a kiddo, parents clergy, (especially Jamaicans and their Christianity lol). I am not particularly spiritual, but certain premonitions and whatnot do run in our family believe it or not. For example, I could tell when one of my cousins was pregnant before she told anyone, she overheard me saying this and I was promptly slapped. Beyond that, I am a highly logical and critical thinking IT NetSec guy (age 24) and most things don’t give me any kind of scare, what with being (at least what I believe myself as being) a solid, logical, intelligent guy.
So I have been at renting houses for my living arrangements and I move to this new house with a nice, 50 year old land lady and have an efficiency set up. However certain things kept happening that were starting to make me unsettled and were getting worse and worse, to the point where I was dreading being in the house.
I almost terminated my least early and moved it got so bad.
At first I didn’t notice it, just an uneasiness in the house, the closet door being left open when I clearly remember closing it, a bit of mounting apprehension at night, but my girlfriend finally said something randomly (she was having similar dreams, she sleeps over a few nights a week) and that put me on edge; there was no way she was having the same dreams about the closet I was having without any sort of prior conversation or provocation. For example, I would sleep and have nightmares about the closet, or I would walk into the house and feel an oppressive aura about the place, especially from the closet. It was even getting to the point where I was afraid of the dark! This is me, a 24 year old logical Jamaican! It was steadily getting worse and worse every night, to the point where I would stay awake as long as possible for fear of sleeping (Ridiculous!).
It got to the point where I was getting jumpy in broad daylight and was peeking around corners, any light touch (say from either of her two dogs who might sneak in) would have me jumpy. Sometimes I would see fleeting shadows out of the corner of my eye (like one time during sex, I completely almost stopped dead), or feel something watching me in my sleep to the point where I would leave a large light on.
The final straw was a lamp fixture in my closet randomly fell on my head
after having used it for 2 weeks without incident and it knocked me a good bit, and I
emailed my mom and dad to have them come by and cleanse the house. My mom gave me some jamaican old wives rituals to do that I have yet to do (such as burning sage, printing out particular bible scripture and lining the walls with them lmao), while other recommendations I did pursue (leaving a door open and rebuking whatever is there, and giving it permission to GTFO).
My dad came by (ordained minister) and he checked out the house, and immediately felt something was wrong. We discussed it, and he felt it was either from the landlady herself or some other …thing… that could be affecting both of us in the house, and we drove around for a bit, had lunch, and there -just so happened- to be a confederate cemetery about a block away, not even, right here in the neighborhood..
Go figure.
We burned incense (frankincense and myrrh), spread salt _everywhere_, I have yet to burn sage, and had prayer candles (can be found at local walmarts in spanish areas with different prayers and meanings on them), and he prayed the place up and down, every single corner, because he definitely felt something there. (She also has these creepy mariachi bronze manikins she keeps in the driveway; salted, blessed). Finally my dad did some other small rituals and said to be careful, and to seek any changes in behavior in my landlady just in case. The day after we finish this all she’s much happier and she’s cleaning the house (she had piles of clothes everywhere). I was a bit jumpier for a few days but now everything is okay. Regardless, I am about to do it all again.
With her sudden change in mood I assume there was actually something here and it was malicious, because now everything feels better and I can sleep soundly without interruption or fear, and I can walk around freely without any mounting suspense.
This was all about two weeks ago, and It sounds crazy and it was long winded, but let me add my little testimony to this for any skeptical. This shit is real, it’s a threat, and it can be scary. I’m just thankful I had some kind of devout connection that could help me out.
Finally, if you read this far, I would like to thank you for your time in listening to my personal anecdote that I am sharing with you all.
Very interesting Beefy, thank you.
I was brought up as a Christian and continue to consider myself a religious christian (despite lower church attendance and prayer).
Ive always believed in god and the devil but never put much thought to possession, evil, demonic spirits etc. For me that was quite a thought-provoking read and something i will be more mindful of.
Appreciated sir.
This is a wonderful article. I was brought up Roman Catholic but this is one aspect that didn’t seem to get much mention when I was growing up. Evil existing as an entity itself instead of just a concept that manifests itself through human acts.
Thanks for sharing this well written & insightful article Mr Levinson.
I’m amazed that so many find this trash article “deep”
yeah very deep…. the intelligence in humans especially in brainwashed americans is way too low. even animals are more mature than most people.
i resign from this forum. there is nothing interesting here anymore. How to get girls? that´s the main question.
I’m out
Allow me to expedite your departure. Banned.
I’d like to think I take a balanced approach towards phenomena but every so often I hear stories which throw my shit out of gear. I’ve never, NEVER heard positive outcomes associated with the occult. Let some other skeptic mock it. I was raised protestant Christian and our then family pastor’s recollection of a missions trip particular sticks out in my mind. The locals of an impoverished country took him to an area where witches/demon possessed purportedly took flight.
By the Blood and Resurrection Power of Jesus Christ I rebuke you Satan. A Prayer I say when I feel the Devil’s Temptations.
Can anyone explain this recent pope speech and if it ties in with the exorcisms topic?
Is everyone in the Vatican possessed and would it be right to follow these idols who insert themselves between you and god?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcpVrtv2t-M
A typical example of protestant ignorance.
In Latin, “lucifer” literally means “lightbearer”, often associated with planet Venus and so translated as “Morning Star”. In this case, it refers to Christ, as you can read in Revelation 22:16: “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to attest these things to you for the sake of the chruches. I am the sprig from the root of David and the bright star of the morning”.
The video shows the Roman Rite liturgy’s Exultet chant that is sung to praise the paschal candle.
“Flammas eius lúcifer matutínus invéniat:ille, inquam, lúcifer, qui nescit occásum. Christus Fílius tuus, qui, regréssus ab ínferis, humáno géneri serénus illúxit, et vivit et regnat in sæcula sæculórum.”
“May this flame be found still burning, by the Morning Star: the one Morning Star who never sets, Christ your Son, who, coming back from death’s domain, has shed his peaceful light on humanity, and lives and reigns for ever and ever.”
People who claim demonic possession are suffering a form of mental illness.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/why-we-worry/201412/spirit-possession-and-mental-health
But instead of assisting them by directing them to proper psychiatric care some people and organisations exploit them by feeding their delusions with this exorcism garbage.
No. The church sends the person for a mental and physcial examination before they do anything. It usually ends there 90% of the time.
A mental and physical examination by who? Another priest?
Demonic possession = schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia is a debilitating brain disorder characterized by hallucinations, confused thinking, and abnormal social behavior. Sufferers often struggle to recognize what is real and what isn’t. Its causes are still up for debate, but most experts believe that it’s tied to an imbalance in brain chemistry and is — to a degree — genetically inherited.
http://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2014/06/published_scientific_paper_blames_schizophrenia_on_demons.html
You do realize that psychology itself is considered a pseudoscience by traditional scientists…right?
If irony was a pie your face would be covered in it right now 😉
DuD,
I have heard there are three tests for possession.
a. Possessing knowledge that the person could in no way have known (Speaking dead or ancient languages, exposing the secret sins of others whom they do not know.)
b. Super human strength. Think 10 year old kids kicking three grown men’s asses.
c. Levitation
Any one of these or any combination rules out natural causes.
Have you seen what she’s done , your cunting daughter ?
The occult will encourage and grow your self-doubt.
Fantastic post Andrew!
There are things that are with us in this world that we cannot even comprehend. Evil itself is goes deeper than anyone can imagine. I believe that Demons do exist and are living among us just watching out for those who are weak spiritually so they can posses them.
The reason why I believe that they do exist as it happened to a relative of mine. I know you probably think I’m crazy but let me tell you what I saw and heard years ago with my brother still to this day raises the hairs in the back of my neck.
I was 11 and my younger brother was 9, it was a Saturday I think and as always we had relatives over for a visit including that relative.
She always complained about dreaming of the same man having sex with her while she was alone. She would feel someone touching her without anyone being in the house. I remember hearing about this while i was a little kid when the adults were speaking and i just happen to walk in while they were talking.
Being Latino I was raised a Catholic so we would go to church on Sundays and the few times this relative would come with us she would get immediately sick and her skin would be extremely cold. You see back in the day when she was smaller my Grandmother like most Latina Women went to see a Santero for a reading.
This is how the story was told to me and my Grandmother brought the relative along when she was a girl. As she waited for my Grandmother to finish she sat alone in the living room. My guess is she may have picked up something being that children are much easier to pick up things like spirits being that their souls are pure.
Anyway on that particular Saturday evening my Mother and tow other relatives were in my Parents room while we were in the living room watching TV. When all of a sudden me and brother hear a commotion in my Parents room. I hear my Mother shouting and my Godmother shouting in Spanish when I start to hear a deep mans voice.
Me and my brother darted to my Parents room to see what was going on. When I opened the door and we both walked in I saw my Mother my Godmother holding down my Aunt in the bed. While my Aunt spoke in what I thought was Spanish but mixed with other words I did not understand. As we both stood there astounded by the scene my Mother saw us standing there and yelled at us in Spanish to leave.
I remember looking at her and the fear on her face I knew it was real! I grabbed my Brother my the shirt and ran out the room! I was scared as I tried to calm my Brother down because he was scared as well. We sat in the living room and heard my Mother and Godmother praying in Spanish.
We just sat there in the Living Room waiting for it to all calm down!
After like 20 minutes or so but it felt like hours things calmed down. My Mother came out and we ran to her and asked her what had happened. I knew already but i just wanted to make sure. My Mother went to the Kitchen grabbed a glass of water for my Aunt. We trailed behind her when she went back to the room.
There she was sitting on the bed exhausted with my God Mother brushing her hair. She was crying and could not help but to go to her and comfort her but I was so scared of her.
Since then when people say that they dabble in the Occult I tell them this story as a warning to them. Be careful in messing around with things you do not understand as it will destroy your life. I have not heard of any other outbursts since that Saturday evening and I hope that whatever was on her was gone forever.
I talk about it with my Brother from time to time and our Wives just laugh but thats fine because I know what I saw!
Sorry about the long comment Andrew and thank you for talking about it here!
Jose
Thanks for sharing that. I had seen some samiliar things, but don’t want to go into it. Something I wanted to add to my above post. Nerver underestimate the power of prayer.
Just when I was starting to get tired of the same bitchin and moaning on ROK, we get something like this. Thank you sir, refreshing!
Great article Andrew. I have known several guys over the years who went to seminary with only one becoming a priest (the others met a woman– natch). One was in up state NY in the 70’s and told me about some unexplained activity while there. The director warned him when he arrived that as you have given yourself to serve God you are going to be targeted by the devil. He wasn’t kidding.
I also had a former comrade who in the past dabbled in the occult. He admitted to me some things I wish I didn’t know, but he repeated your words. “Do not mess with tarrot cards or oujie boards. If you ever find it in your house, throw them out.”
Whenever a man left the seminary for that reason, we’d joke, “Well… at least it was a woman.” A man may be called by God, but that doesn’t mean chicks stop being hot.
I was embittered over the circumstances of my departure for years, but I’ve come to forgive them. I rather enjoy being free to speak realtalk in areas where the average priest fears to tread these days, heh.
True that. Priests are still men with the same desires and temptations. Happy to hear you have forgiven and moved on. Did you get a good education from your teachings at the seminary? I heard it is usually top notch.
I am actually heading home next week and will drink a few beers with the locla parish priest. He was my classmate 30 years ago and a hell of a defensive cornerback. He met a woman and thought about it, but went back to the seminary in the end.
Indeed I did. I got two years worth of Masters level education in philosophy, and they sparked my interest in classic literature. One of my buddies organized a weekly classic movie night. Originally it was just our circle of friends, but a lot of the foreign guys started coming to learn more about American culture.
My place had its problems of course, but overall I enjoyed my time there. If any unmarried Catholic men are reading this comment, I’d recommend giving it a try if you’ve ever leaned in that direction. Even if you don’t become a priest, you’ll learn a lot and make life-long friends.
I thought about it when I was 17, but I knew I wanted a family. I joined the army instead. Heh.
Really? It was my brief hitch in the Army that got me started on the road to conversion. I was 11B.
I was a 95B. Dad was artillery with 25th ID. Both grandfathers were in WWII. I grew up thinking all men should do a hitch in the army (but of course that was not the case).
My paternal grandfather enlisted in the Army after Pearl Harbor and mustered out after the war. My maternal grandfather joined the Marines in 1940, made it a career, and retired in 1968 as a Master Gunnery Sergeant. He made it through WWII and Korea unscathed and got his first Purple Heart in Vietnam a few months before retirement, heh.
Unscathed till Nam? His guardian angel was busy. Dad is still carrying sharpnel in his chest (he hates the VA) and one my grandfather got bayonetted (lost a testicle) and shot a few times in Saipan. He didn’t come home until 46′
Grandpa was on guard duty on the USS Pennsylvania the morning of Pearl Harbor. His shift ended about ten minutes before the bombs started falling.
Wow. Regarding Pearl Harbor, have you heard the story about Mitsuo Fuchida?
No I haven’t.
Long story short. He was one of the pilots who lead the attacek on PH. After the war he dismissed the war crimes committed by the Japanese and was curious when he heard about the humane treatment given to former Jap POWs. He travled to the US and became a christian.
Oujie is very bad news. Opening a portal for evil to enter is one thing, trying to get the badness to leave is very difficult. Never just throw an oujie board away for someone else to pick up. These boards need to be properly disposed of and sent back to the bowels of hell.
Burn them. Check. I haven’t seen one for quite awhile though.
Right you are.
“You may not believe in the supernatural but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist”
I’m sorry, but this is A grade bullshit. Unless you can prove the existence of the supernatural, then we can reasonably assume it does not exist. The burden of proof is on you. I don’t believe in the supernatural because I see no evidence for it. When you can bring peer reviewed studies that demonstrate the existence of a supernatural force, then we’ll talk.
It’s clear you understand neither philosophy nor science, so why should I cast my pearls before swine?
Science is based on verifiable evidence. Stop using science and the occult and religion in the same context.
Scientists necessarily rely on unprovable axioms in order to do any kind of work at all. Can you use the scientific method to prove the scientific method is reliable? Can you use reason to prove reason has any relation to reality at all? I’m sure you’ve memorized a lot of scientific facts of which you have little understanding, but like most Godless heathens you know two things about the philosophy of science: jack and shit.
It’s the “you can’t disprove it” claim. Because it can’t be disproven therefore it must exist.
Demonic possession, the devil, god, spirit guides, reincarnation, the afterlife, talking to the dead, angels, mental telepathy, psychics, tarot cards, ouija boards, tea leaves, etc. There seems to be no end to the bullshit that people are prepared to believe in and hand over their money for.
Edit: You can add alien abductions to the list.
You are applying science to things that are not governed by science. There’s a reason that faith in God is called “faith” and not “observable fact.” The whole point of Christianity is that Christ gave Himself for us, so that we, as imperfect people, can achieve Heaven. All we have to do is believe in Him (and believing means being like Him the best we can, not just acknowledging Him.) It’s up to us to notice God and do right. There’s no proof. If there were proof, no one would be not religious. If the Lord showed up, did something miraculous, then said “Believe in Me,” everyone would. The whole choice is based on the fact that you choose based on no proof; it is YOUR choice. You act like you are God’s equal “bring me proof” etc. You won’t get proof, I don’t think. It would be easier for me to receive “proof.” I’ve asked the Lord to talk to me once, just sit me on the straight and narrow. He only answers prayers that are in your best interest, I think. Maybe it’s better that I don’t have proof; I may be a better man that way.
i’m protestant, have been since my early 20s but recently have been exploring christian mysticism, meditation and discovering the faith practices of others. during this journey i learned about the st. benedict’s medal (pictured above) and found some inexpensive wrist bracelets on amazon that i’ve been giving out to some of the 20 something cuties i’ve connect with. when i tell them that it’s been used to ward off evil spirits, bad luck, and in exorcisms for almost 1000 years, they can’t get enough of it. best chick crack i’ve used that God willing has good results in helping them get healthy, for lack of a better word. the bracelet is about the cost of a drink.
great article by the way. i know some of the ROK crowd aren’t really thrilled about articles involving spirituality and religion but i think there is greater wisdom for men in those old texts where principles of masculinity, male virtues, and a path to the meaning of life than most recognize. the problem is organized religion has repelled s many because it is politicized, incorporates a social agenda, and doesn’t promote individuality in developing one’s own faith based practice. it’s group think on someone else’s terms. but look at the giants of biblical times: abraham, issac and jacob (the true patriarchy) then moses, david, jesus, and paul. forget about what you may think about their preachings and beliefs, they don’t come amy more alpha male than that, bros.
and as far as becoming a believer, i’ve never found a better reason to become one than pascal’s wager. but to each his own, it’s been a power force in my life and the way i practice works fine for me the way i live my life, and i ain’t no saint.
One thing you learn when you study the masculine writings of the past (and 99.9% of them were masculine focused), is that they viewed a man’s mission in life was to master himself. They wrote very little about how and how regularly they got their rocks off. It was a challenge they acknowledged but It was only talked about in the background. Some men fought their lust their entire lives, others did their best to take it in stride, get some release wherever they could on the side and then get back to the business of building your life. I know specifically of stories of Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin, who would regularly visit prostitutes to avoid masturbating! I personally believe Luther was talking about masturbation when he said, “If you’ve done all you can to resist sin and you’re going to sin anyway. . .Sin Boldly!” A slight paraphrase
There is so much more to being and becoming a full grown man than getting as much strange as you can. Mastering the matrix of your own mind? That takes a lifetime.
you’re spot on: man’s mission in life is to master himself and woman’s role in a man’s life is limited to sex and reproduction, which is a biological and evolutionary compulsion. i think that is the key to realigning a man’s life in today’s gynocentric culture: be the master of your destiny and stop getting sucked into this feminized western pop culture. value your time and attention and use it judiciously when it comes to satiating your carnal needs. in other words, just cut to the chase when it comes to chasing tail and stop thinking you need a co-pilot in making life more meaningful. and developing a spiritual relationship with your maker has a way of setting your vector in life towards overcoming your greatest challenge as a man: fear of death.
Fantastic article.
One day we received a package at our house. The name was wrong but the address was correct. We checked the names around the area, couldn’t find anyone so we decided to open it and see what’s inside. I kid you not, that was the book about the exorcist of the diocese of Rome (the one you used in your article). My housemates were spooked as fuck when that happened, that was funny.
Wether you believe the devil is a real spiritual entity or is just a symbolic mental projection of what’s bad inside yourself doesn’t matter: it exists.
I personally turned Christian (Catholic) a couple years ago, one of the things that made me convert is acknowledging the existence of good and evil, and understanding that Good will prevent in the very end (on a metaphysic level at least).
Beefy, I really like your articles, do you have book recommendations for recent converts like myself? I read some CS Lewis (Mere Christianity), Simone Weil (french philosopher turned Christian). I’d like to find some “redpill” Christian philosophers to solidify my inner core.
Also, have you done St Ignace exercises? Would you recommend it for young converts?
Cuckoo Alert!
It’s pretty cool that red pill men, masculine men, can discus such topics and happily disagree with each other, and still work together to achieve in other areas
This topic started a conversation with my russian orthodox acquiantances. What is the position of the orthodox church on these matters?
They say the Orthodox church allows members to get their fortunes read on certain days (it’s usually young women wanting to know when they will marry).
“Demonic obsession afflicts the mind in ways that cannot be explained by natural mental illness.”
So I see you’ve met my ex-wife.
I laffed.
Apart from the occult I would say that Feminism used to be called the “spirit of Jezebel”. Just reading the life of this demonic women reminds of the fat ugly slobs that now proceed her.
Andrew Lavinson it would be interesting to know your point of view in regards to Queen Jezebel and modern feminism. What can men learn from the story of Jezebel and how does it apply to women?
Ouija boards are a toy, mostly used by thirteen year old girls at slumber parties. Numerous studies have been done on them, and not one has found any evidence that they work. Read up on the idiomotor effect, same goes for pendulums.
Can anyone explain to me why demons would speak Latin? Could it have something to do with the fact that the people who made up all this bullshit (the Catholic Church) also spoke Latin.
“If being “red pill” means seeing the world as it really is, then men need to understand that there is more to this world than sensory experience.”
While I don’t disagree with this statement, It should be obvious to anyone seeing the world for what it really is, that Catholicism is a business. They’ve fought and financed many wars throughout history and into the present day to protect their interests. They are one of the worlds richest organizations and their prime goal is making money.
“You may not believe in the supernatural but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist”
Fair enough, but just because you do believe and I can’t prove you wrong, doesn’t mean it does exist, especially your catholic version of it. For all you know some other God could be sitting up there grinding his teeth at the stupidity of your religion. Maybe the Buddhists are right and you will be reincarnated as a worm for all the bad karma you accumulated worshipping a self serving religion. Or maybe the alien cults are right and our consciousness will be transported to the home world when we die. The organized religions of the world all believe that theirs is the one true God, yet none of them have any more evidence than the next. Why not just keep an open mind? Except for all the Ouija board, ghosts, and demons bullshit. That was just made up to scare people.
The entire comment section here is laden with Christocentric viewpoints – ie.assumign every spirit is out to get you, assuming everything is evil, etc. Also, I’m pretty sure Santeria doesn’t summon ‘malevolent’ beings to fuck you over.
I am sympathetic to your position. However, in a public forum we must accept the fact that 50%/of the people commenting will be below average. No slapnat my fellow commentor, but 50% of any group is below average by definition.
Me? I try to identify those comments as quickly as possible and skip over them.
There is a BIG difference between talking to the average Catholic, for example, and reading Thomas Aquinas or even Thomas Kuhn.
Jesus said, “Go out into the highways and call the lame, the blind, the dumb, the poor, everyone! And compel them to come in.” Its a very big tent.
This article is one of the reasons I love ReturnofKings.com. I never know what I’ll see! Where else on the internet are you going to come across an article like this on a site about masculinity and mastering women? It’s great. Keep it up! You don’t have to believe any of it, but you get a perspective you may never have considered. I just finished commenting on an article about the connection between throat cancer and cunnilingus! Now this! Hilarious.
P.S. My brother was the provincial of the religious order that handled the case that served as the basis for Blatty’s book. It happened in the 1940s in an Alexian hospital, I believe somewhere in the midwest. Ohio or Missouri? I can’t remember now. My brother told me about it and I believe he’s read the medical records.
Somewhere in the archives of the National Security Agency (NSA) is a police report I was required to write and submit regarding my efforts to exorcise a demon from a female PFC while stationed at a semi-covert NSA site on a former Luftwaffe base. That base itself had an amazing history of poltergeist activity going back to WWII! Even an atheist I worked with told me stories of unexplainable things he’d seen in his on-base apartment. I wish I’d thought to ask for a copy of that report!
The bible is a just some stories. Filled with mystique, questions and above all: laws. Great for keeping uneducated people in line. “Hey it’s not my law, God made it”.
That people still go for that BS in 2015 is beyond recognition.
– There is no God
– There are no ghosts or demons.
– When you die it’s over. There is no afterlife. Just like when you turn of a computer it doesn’t compute anymore.
it’s hard not to be snarky when someone announces with the certainty that only comes with youth that everyone else throughout history, or at least 99.99% of everyone, has been wrong about those question most important to human life, “Does existence have meaning beyond mere survival?”
And they always say it with such absolute certainty you can almost miss the fact that they are claiming to be more intelligent than some of the smartest men who ever lived.
Isaac Newton, Johannes Kepler, Galileo, Thomas Aquinas, Socrates, Aristotle, Plato, Jesus, Thomas Jefferson, Voltaire, ad infinitum. According to atheists, none of these men knew shit about the deepest mysteries of life because… Life contains no mysteries. Human consciousness is nothing. I am nothing. My values are nothing. My existence has no rhyme or reason beyond eating, shitting, and fucking the next generation into existence because of a pointless urge.
Except it’s not pointless. It’s operates with a goal in “mind”. To create the next generation. To propagate life. Yet what is life and what cause could be great enough to produce such an incomprehensible effect? You do know that axiom of logic, don’t you? The cause must be greater than its effect? Yet you have no answer.
And the challenges to a materialistic worldview just grow greater and greater with each passing day, each unanswerable question.
Ah, the arrogance of the atheist! It reminds me of the arrogance of the SJW. Neither position can understand how anyone can disagree with them.
in essence you are right. What you do is indeed pointless. The human species will eventually go extinct. We are not even a particle of dust in the universe.
Life probably is nothing more than the right conditions + chemical reactions + time. Religious people always have to look for some masterplan. Well son, there is no masterplan. Life is temporarily, it’s what you make of it. Enjoy the ride. That’s all.
The thing with the evolution theory and atheism is that it’s not a belief for fainthearted people. It takes courage to belief that when you die it’s over. Way easier than believing that some man in white robes will welcome you to party somewhere forever, or have sex with virgins, or drink in the hall of the Gods. etc.
Ah, yes! The bravery of the nihilist. The courage of the atheist.
Except history is nearly devoid of any examples of atheists being courageous or excessively brave. At least none that I can think of off hand. It was CS Lewis who observed it is those who thought most about the next life who ended up doing the most good in this one. I’m not going to bore you with a list of the good things believers in God have created. No need. They are everywhere. But I would like you to just name something of value created by, motivated by, dedicated to, atheism. I’m trying to think of something but I’m drawing a blank.
tagging this comment thread…I am curious to see where it goes.
Thanks, but I doubt it will go anywhere. Atheists have a very inflated opinion of their philosophy yet if you try to study the history of atheism what you discover is a “philosophy” that is a dead end. It leads to nothing. It inspires nothing. It creates nothing of lasting value.
The only thing one might argue atheism has created was communism and that was and is an unmitigated disaster for hundreds of millions of people.
Atheism has never built a hospital, never established a charity, never built a school of any significance. Never generated any testable scientific theory. Even evolution, supposedly the crown of atheist thought, was not advanced by Darwin as atheistic, because he assumed it was the mechanism God used to create the world.
So why is that? Why is atheism so devoid of creativity and goodness?
Because it is a negation. A nothing. A dead end. You can’t compose a symphony to nothing. You cannot have a holiday celebrating a void. No one can live a life of significance if they do not believe in the possibility of significance.
Atheism is a nothing.
I agree that atheism is nothing, that it is a trash philosophy….that said beyond my own belief and speculation…..I know atheism is quite popular today and science is full of atheism….really you cant be a scientists and a holy man anymore.
so with science constantly inventing random crap or doing various studies and so on….how can you make the claim that it contributes nothing?
granted I would agree that atheism overall has done A LOT MORE harm than good. and one might question whether the contributions of modern science are actually good or not as I really do think science has been morphed into some unholy unquestionable religion that people follow blindly.
I never said SCIENCE didn’t create anything. I said atheism never creates anything. Modern science was not created nor developed by atheism but by Christian philosophers and theologians who wanted to understand the laws God used to create the world.
And I am also willing to bet that there are still more – many, many more – theistic scientist than atheistic ones.
My thesis is that Atheism as a philosophy for one’s life and outlook does not inspire anything constructive. No one has ever built a monument to the Nothing that created Everything.
I see.
though Im not sure I would call more scientists thiest than athiests. hell its all based on evolution now days just about. God gets openly laughed at really.
I do agree with your thesis though and I especially LOL’d at:
“No one has ever built a monument to the Nothing that created Everything.”
Thanks for the LOL.
Also, I think you will find, if we are speaking about theists and not just Christians, the majority of scientists, even evolutionary scientists, believe in a supreme being of some kind. They may not advertise it, but most of them recognize the limits of the materialist worldview.
Years ago when I lived in New Jersey, the Adult Sunday School teacher of the baptist church I attended was a tenured professor at Princeton. Mechanical engineering, I believe. I mentioned to him after class that I was surprised at how nearly every engineer I had ever met (at the time I worked for engineers at the Mobil Research Facility in Princeton), were at least theists and most were believers. He said, “Yes, that’s just the nature of engineering. Engineers know when a theory has enough evidence to be believed. We can recognize when something has been proven; when an explanation “fits”. Other scientific disciplines have a problem with that.
Science is not against God. Only scientism.
I suppose yes theisim might be more common but even still…..I just came out of a 4 year degree so my mind is pretty fresh….I hear a lot of folks and even teachers claim they are Christian yet it is merely a claim, they still sincerely believe in crap like evolution.
it seems nearly everyone is a God believer of some kind and even athiests now like to claim they are merely agnostic. yet to pick on Christianity again, it requires far more than simply giving it lip service. Jesus was clear, if you believe in Him He has a work for you to do. and virtually every religion is the same in that regard. the old scripture faith without works is dead.
so call me skeptical but I just dont believe most people when they say they believe in God because I see so many that pay it merely lip service and nothing more.
it is sort of like even the most devout athiest will casually say pray for me, or is suddenly a devout holy man when he is battling cancer…..Im sorry but thats not how this works. then we have the folks that decide to play the game of scripture cherry picking.
“Science is not against God. Only scientism.”
I completely agree. I do not think the infinite Supreme Creator who made the laws that govern this world, is anti-science. However that said I doubt science will agree with this notion. I do not think science can as a whole handle anything that is pro-God.
“They may not advertise it, but most of them recognize the limits of the materialist worldview.”
perhaps this is true, but that isnt actually what they promote and sell.
so while we agree mostly….I just do not think the current incarnation of science is anything resembling pro-God and I do not even think the supposedly Christian America is actually pro-God just based on our general behaviors.
A couple things, friend. First, “The map is not the territory.” Your head is not the world. Also, there is no place less like the real world than an American university. You’re suffering the effects of acute exposure to toxic Marxism. Get out of your head and into the real world. Get around normal people for a while.
Second, your reading is too narrow. There are scores if not hundreds of science books published in the past twenty years that are pro-God. Not textbooks, because that’s not the point of a textbook, but books written about science from a theistic worldview. Check out “The Science of God” by Dr. Gerald Schroeder, as well as his other books. He looks at Genesis from a physicist’s point of view. Also, “Darwin’s Doubt”, “The Privileged Planet,” “Darwin’s Black Box,” etc.
If you can handle it, the book, “The God Problem: How a Godless Cosmos Creates,” by Howard Bloom, is actually a pretty strong argument for intelligent design in spite of what its author thinks! Several theists wrote blurbs for the book because they thought the way he presented the information was so good it tended to disprove his point! And I agree with them.
I think your big issue is you are disillusioned by the quality of spiritual life apparently lived by most Christians. You think one’s faith should stand out and shine brilliantly for all the world to see. It is a noble idea and I hesitate to say anything to discourage you from your quest to live an authentic Christian life. So let me just encourage you to focus on YOUR spiritual life. Pay attention to developing your spiritual worldview. Jesus said, straight is the gate and narrow is the way… And few there be that find it,” if you are hoping or expecting to find a church anywhere that can measure up to your current expectations, you are heading for a crash. The answer to your disillusionment is to look to Jesus, not as an example, but as the only one who can make you inside what you want to be on the outside.
God’s best.
“You’re suffering the effects of acute exposure to toxic Marxism. ”
oh I agree completely. its why I have my bachelors degree and even that is too much. no more university for me. though maybe it wasnt a bad thing…..i did during my years there seek the counter point aka red pill. despite that, it was toxic, and my brain is still suffering.
“There are scores if not hundreds of science books published in the past twenty years that are pro-God.”
this might be, but my point was, you don’t actually hear about that stuff. it’s hidden and buried. thus most of what I know about modern science isnt actually pro-God. I know of very few science books that arent very anti-God.
so perhaps you are right, but I simply havent seen that yet with my own eyes. hence my point of view on the matter.
as for those books…I’ll try and remember to check them out one day.
“I think your big issue is you are disillusioned by the quality of spiritual life apparently lived by most Christians.”
I will say this might be so, but having grown up christian and my spiritual path has taken many insane turns….I do find the current state of christianity quite alarming.
” You think one’s faith should stand out and shine brilliantly for all the world to see.”
you are right, and I think this way because the scriptures of times gone past had people who did exactly this. their faith shined brilliantly and the world saw it even if the world hated it. and I have no problem with the world hating me.
“if you are hoping or expecting to find a church anywhere that can measure up to your current expectations, you are heading for a crash.”
indeed and this is exactly why I dont actually attend a church. they have all become a bunch of pussies.
“The answer to your disillusionment is to look to Jesus, not as an example, but as the only one who can make you inside what you want to be on the outside.”
sound advice and I Do agree.
I am sure you will make it! And it is true you have tonl search for those resources that support your worldview. But you have it 1000X easier than I did in the 70s/80s because of the internet. Any question you have, any resource you might need, is just a few searches away. I had quite a bit of hunting to do back then, but I took it in stride. I just assumed the information I wanted would be hard to find because it was not the narrative the world system was advancing. But that just made every discovery even more of a treasure!
You might also want to check out “The Answer to Moscow’s Bible,” by Richard Wurmbrand. I just recently went looking for a copy on amazon and found it for as little as one cent plus shipping. He was a Christian pastor in Romania, imprisoned by both the Nazis and the Communists, for a total of 11 years! His approach is not conventional and he is Orthodox, not evangelical, so some doctrines you may stumble over. But it is a powerful little book.
99% of the time I live in the scientific, rational world in both my career and personal life.
Having said all that, whether you choose to believe in an unseen plane of existence or the idea that your own psychology is producing self-created events; the result is the same and usually not positive. You are opening a door to something that you cannot control, despite what many “experts” proclaim. If you screw around with the Occult, even Ouija boards, you are putting yourself and your loved ones at great risk.
I base this on personal experience, you’ve been warned.
this is a topic that doesnt give near the attention it deserves…in christianity of all walks, and in life in general. we are so convinced science has all the answers, everyone is just mentally disabled or disordered somehow.
no folks…I’ve seen the devil. that unholy bastard is real.
some movie somewhere says “The greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing man he isnt real”
and as you stated:
” You may not believe in the supernatural but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”
this exactly this. Just because you are an atheist….DOES NOT MEAN SATAN AND GOD CEASE TO EXIST.
just because it is your opinion that they do not exist, does not mean they don’t.
I’m sorry atheist…but you are just wrong. flat out undeniably wrong.
I’ll just add….a person doesnt actually have to do anything to have demons attack. Job being a great example, but take a child that is raped….they get fucked literally, and thats plenty enough to bring in demons. and that is no fault of the child. If the Demon knows how you are, and you are important, you’ll merit an attack or 2 or 100.
I’ll also toss this here as a second seperate comment thread…..as someone who has actually spoken in demonic tongues and knows quite a bit about summoning Satanic power…..I’ll just add….get the fuck out. shit is more addicting than this…it’s a drug so addicting the users keep using despite the consequences:
True story, I was stationed in Northern Italy and hooked up with this fine Italian girl, we got together and then I had to leave her for a month to meet up with another lady traveling from CA to meet me. When I returned the Italian girl’s sister approached me and told me that I made her sister sick when I left and that she was a witch and she was going to kill me. She was a carbon copy of Elvira, mistress of the dark and It screwed with my head and on my way to Florence I got really sick. At my hotel I contacted the doctor and told me a witch put a spell on me and he told me I was nuts. Later I found out it was food poisoning! I think the gypsies who I refused to give money to in front of my apartment also put a curse on me. But again it was food poisoning!
I used to fuck with Occult stuff. Even had a succubus visit me a few times while meditating. Recovery has been difficult even 20 years later.
According to the Book Of The Month Club, Stephen King uses Tarot cards for story, plot, or character ideas. So I bought their deck, and a book explaining how to use them. Should I get rid of them?
I do not own an Ouija board, but our family did have one while growing up. Which a sister and a friend once used, for writing a poem. Because they asked the Ouija board to write them one. They came downstairs two times to look up words in the dictionary, before taking it upstairs with them.
And then there is the time I was in the Tao once. Or was it transcendence, or reverie? After fooling around with some brainwave meditation cds. And two different healing experiences I had. One, directed by myself, using Wayne Dyer’s Manifest Your Destiny as a guide. And the second one, came from outside myself. Which is the one that convinced me, there is a God alright. What name I may give to God, do not ask me. I have no idea. All I can say is, Christians are too gung-ho about this being the end times. So can only hope God is a libertarian.
I remember as a child seeing only a scene of this movie…accidentally. I was watching the news, and they suddenly showed a clip of Reagan, the possessed girl, doing the spider crawl. I ran upstairs crying, and into the arms of my mom. This was back in 2000, over 16 years ago.
I just now watched the movie in It’s entirety with a therapist. Today. All of it.
Sixteen years ago today, I was just a child and I ran away. I was terrified, and I spent many, many, many weeks, months, and years sleeping with the light on and avoiding websites and certain tv stations.
And now, as a man, I gathered the courage to face my fears. Yes, the therapist helped me out tremendously, and if it weren’t for her I may not have been able to do this.
But I did it. I conquered my childhood fear of The Exorcist. And the one scene I do remember most was not the infamous head spin, or the spider crawl. No. It was when the old priest, after kneeling by the bedside, grabbed her hand.
I will never forget this image.
That was courage.
That was faith.
That was hope.
That was humanity.
What an extraordinary film.