Exorcisms

[EgoDeath]

I had more in mind the potential psychological trauma of an intense exorcism, not to mention physical traumas of certain exorcism rituals, which may involve beatings or other physical distress with the aim of making the demon want to leave that body. I recall a recent case where a man drowned his son attempting to perform a home exorcism, which some evangelical protestant sects practice (the home exorcisms, not the drownings).

That's fucking nuts! It's bizarre to me that you wouldn't say, "Hey, let's get you a doctor," before trying an exorcism.

Or flying jet planes into office buildings.  Pretty demonic.

Boru

Casualties:

-WW1: 40 Million
-9/11: 2,977 victims

Your comparison is obsolete.

Yeah... cuz everyone knows, if less than 3,000 people died, it basically never happened. You're a real idiot, you know that?

[Fake Messiah]

Interestingly it is usually kids (teenagers) who are behind ghost prankings, like the boy who inspired the movie "The Exorcist". It was non other than two teenage girls, Fox sisters, who launched modern Spiritualism back in the 19th century and they did it by doing trickery of poltergeist-like disturbances. They began their shenanigans to their mother, who was very easily frightened and who did not suspect her daughters of being capable of a trick. The schoolgirls threw slippers at a disliked brother-in-law, shook the dinner table, and produced noises by bumping the floor with an apple on a string and by knocking on the bedstead. They later admitted it were all just their tricks, but they nevertheless became very popular mediums.

The Fox sisters were followed in 1854 by the Davenport brothers who started with tricks around family's kitchen table which launched and maintained their careers as two of the world's best-known Spiritualistic mediums. One of the brothers later in life admitted to Harry Houdini that it was all trickery and they had been caught in deceptions many times.
These were not isolated examples, so you can imagine a teenage boy in 1949 doing tricks on his grandmother only to revive exorcism mania in 20th century, possibly even satanic panic.

[arewethereyet]

During my time in the Catholic church and at Catholic school exorcism was sort of glossed over. We didn't talk about that any more than we talked about pedophile priests.

[EgoDeath]

During my time in the Catholic church and at Catholic school exorcism was sort of glossed over.  We didn't talk about that any more than we talked about pedophile priests.

The difference between demons and pedophile priests is that the former doesn't exist.

---

Interestingly it is usually kids (teenagers) who are behind ghost prankings, like the boy who inspired the movie "The Exorcist". It was non other than two teenage girls, Fox sisters, who launched modern Spiritualism back in the 19th century and they did it by doing trickery of poltergeist-like disturbances. They began their shenanigans to their mother, who was very easily frightened and who did not suspect her daughters of being capable of a trick. The schoolgirls threw slippers at a disliked brother-in-law, shook the dinner table, and produced noises by bumping the floor with an apple on a string and by knocking on the bedstead. They later admitted it were all just their tricks, but they nevertheless became very popular mediums.

The Fox sisters were followed in 1854 by the Davenport brothers who started with tricks around family's kitchen table which launched and maintained their careers as two of the world's best-known Spiritualistic mediums. One of the brothers later in life admitted to Harry Houdini that it was all trickery and they had been caught in deceptions many times.
These were not isolated examples, so you can imagine a teenage boy in 1949 doing tricks on his grandmother only to revive exorcism mania in 20th century, possibly even satanic panic.

The Satanic Panic is an interesting phenomenon, especially considering that tales of Satanic ritual abuse have been completely debunked by many sources over the years, including the FBI themselves, if I'm not mistaken.

https://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/31/us/pr...al%20abuse

[Fake Messiah]

During my time in the Catholic church and at Catholic school exorcism was sort of glossed over.  We didn't talk about that any more than we talked about pedophile priests.

You didn't? Well back when I was a kid in the 90s I decided for my own amusement to enroll, for a short time, in a religious class in the school that was held by a woman Catholic teacher-theologian. And I can't say that it wasn't amusing hearing those insane people, like theologians, talk. There I found out about the exorcism because she couldn't stop talking about it. She would say "Oh I used to like that name Damian, but since the movie 'Omen' I hate it." She talked about exorcisms and fairy tales about it, the movie "The Exorcist" and so on. I must say she was (and still probably is) one fascinating lunatic.

[arewethereyet]

During my time in the Catholic church and at Catholic school exorcism was sort of glossed over.  We didn't talk about that any more than we talked about pedophile priests.

The difference between demons and pedophile priests is that the former doesn't exist.

---

Oh, but in the Catholic church the opposite is true.

[brewer]

American protestant form of exorcism:

OKLAHOMA MAN SAYS HE WAS BEATEN BY CHURCH MEMBERS ATTEMPTING TO 'PRAY HIS GAY AWAY': https://www.newsweek.com/oklahoma-man-sa...ay-1459809

NC church members indicted for allegedly kidnapping, beating gay man: https://myfox8.com/2014/12/13/nc-church-...g-gay-man/

[arewethereyet]

During my time in the Catholic church and at Catholic school exorcism was sort of glossed over.  We didn't talk about that any more than we talked about pedophile priests.

You didn't? Well back when I was a kid in the 90s I decided for my own amusement to enroll, for a short time, in a religious class in the school that was held by a woman Catholic teacher-theologian. And I can't say that it wasn't amusing hearing those insane people, like theologians, talk. There I found out about the exorcism because she couldn't stop talking about it. She would say "Oh I used to like that name Damian, but since the movie 'Omen' I hate it." She talked about exorcisms and fairy tales about it, the movie "The Exorcist" and so on. I must say she was (and still probably is) one fascinating lunatic.

I was in Catholic school from 6th grade through high school graduation...mainly because the only schools in town were the Catholic schools.  Only the kindergarten was public.

This was the late 60s to mid 70s and the diocese we were in was actually pretty liberal.   When I hear stories of the things other went through in the Catholic school system, I realize that we were pretty lucky to not be part of the hard line Catholic doctrine.

[Fake Messiah]

I was in Catholic school from 6th grade through high school graduation...mainly because the only schools in town were the Catholic schools.  Only the kindergarten was public.

This was the late 60s to mid 70s and the diocese we were in was actually pretty liberal.   When I hear stories of the things other went through in the Catholic school system, I realize that we were pretty lucky to not be part of the hard line Catholic doctrine.

Well it seems you were lucky because I remember that Michael Moore said how not only did they discuss exorcism in his catholic school but priests demonstrated it. For instance this is from his autobiography

Father Ogg was an exorcist. We were told by Father Ogg that he had a “one thousand percent batting average” when confronting Lucifer.
“I always win,” he said.
He told us that he would show us the ceremony but it would only be “pretend,” as none of us had shown any signs of being consumed by evil.
Yes, but wouldn’t this be better, I thought, if there were someone here at St. Paul’s who actually was evil? Of course it would! And of course there was.
“Father,” I said with fake sincerity, “before you start, I think Dickie O’Malley is going to be really upset that we left him out of this. He keeps saying he doesn’t believe you’re an exorcist and that he’d like to see you try it out on him. Can I go get him?”
“Sure,” Ogg said, somewhat miffed that anyone would question his devil-disappearing powers. “But make it quick.”

And so on

[arewethereyet]

I was in Catholic school from 6th grade through high school graduation...mainly because the only schools in town were the Catholic schools.  Only the kindergarten was public.

This was the late 60s to mid 70s and the diocese we were in was actually pretty liberal.   When I hear stories of the things other went through in the Catholic school system, I realize that we were pretty lucky to not be part of the hard line Catholic doctrine.

Well it seems you were lucky because I remember that Michael Moore said how not only did they discuss exorcism in his catholic school but priests demonstrated it. For instance this is from his autobiography

Father Ogg was an exorcist. We were told by Father Ogg that he had a “one thousand percent batting average” when confronting Lucifer.
“I always win,” he said.
He told us that he would show us the ceremony but it would only be “pretend,” as none of us had shown any signs of being consumed by evil.
Yes, but wouldn’t this be better, I thought, if there were someone here at St. Paul’s who actually was evil? Of course it would! And of course there was.
“Father,” I said with fake sincerity, “before you start, I think Dickie O’Malley is going to be really upset that we left him out of this. He keeps saying he doesn’t believe you’re an exorcist and that he’d like to see you try it out on him. Can I go get him?”
“Sure,” Ogg said, somewhat miffed that anyone would question his devil-disappearing powers. “But make it quick.”

And so on

My first exposure to the concept of exorcism was when I read the book 'The Exorcist'.  I was in early high school and scared the bejebus out of myself reading it one night while babysitting.

That was seriously the only thing I knew of exorcism.

We 'studied' Jesus Christ Superstar in music class.  Of course that was well before we could have watched it on VHS tape.  We listened to, and discussed, the soundtrack album.

I guess I got the 60s/70s hippie version of Catholic education.