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are there follow-up studies? Why didn't the news guy ask about that?
And the most telling remark by the priest. "the way this guy does it isn't the way we would do it." Who knew that the RC's could actually make some sense?
Except that we're tlaking about demonic possession.
posted by Anonymous, at
5/24/2008 12:04 PM
Fear and love are my archtypes, not god and the devil. But it is true, some people are possessed by evil spirits as I can attest. Not only from personal experience of having nasty little schmucks enter my body, but also having them follow me harrassing me to send them to the other side, to the Light, which I used to do almost on a daily basis until I said no more. It was getting to be too time consuming I am very private. My apartment was a literal waiting room when I walked in.
But Larson is right on. He uses the Bible to run his sessions but that is not necessary at all. You do not have to believe in JC or even be religious to understand and navigate the mechanics of the spirit world. But you do have to have a developed 6th sense. And have a few reeeeally awesome good guy guides working with you and you're then pretty much protected and can help others.
I do it occasionally now and it's really quite fulfilling, because the changes people exprience is quite profound.
And FYI, spirits do not turn you gay, but they CAN bug you to do things out of the ordinary like over sex and over drink drug etc. Especially if the spirit was a drunk and a sex addict while in a body. These things literally emit through you when they step into you. And it's true, it's really not you.
I have done countless Q&A with my guides and they have been emphatic to say sexuality is chosen by your soul prior to entry, and that it is an experience you choose to have if for no other reason than to experience something different.
And if you shift from str8 to gay or the other way around during a lifetime with minimal fanfare, you can be sure that was written by you prior to being born into amnesia.
As for biblical interpretation, almost the entire book gets dismissed as conjucture from men's minds. All the fanfare about homosexuaity being evil is a bunch of hoowie airy fairy evil manmade mucky muck.
We souls live in a world of polarity opposites. It would be against nature NOT to have opposites in sexuality. Polarity is in the Earth's genes. Understanding this basic foundational reality can collape most every subject where extremes are involved. The truth is, it's not real.
Blessings,
David Michael Palm Springs, CA
posted by Anonymous, at
5/24/2008 6:46 PM
Actually the first thing that came to mind when I read the title, was "exorcisms" is now part of some Vegas act.
That's nothing. Bring in the pentecostals! Pentecostal church is the next best thing to seeing the circus.
posted by S., at
5/25/2008 1:46 AM
Larson preys on mentally ill people. He's part of the whole deliverance movement, a brand of Pentecostalism that believes mentally ill people, among others, are demon possessed. Most deliverance ministers think they are honestly helping people, though obviously they aren't. Bob Larson, however, is a total charlatan.
LOL I like how his "challenge" is, if you think it's not real, you are free to go up on stage and take his place to confront the "demon".
Riiiiiiiight, so I'm supposed to wait until you get these suckers all worked up into an altered state of emotional frenzy, and then get near them while they lash out irrationally?
What the hell would that prove??
Sorry I make it a point not to approach anyone who has temporarily lost their marbles and become a danger to themselves or others, whether they're intoxicated or just delusional.
And yes Ben in Oakland, follow-up reporting would be nice. Like, I wonder how many of these people are dealing with deep-seated psychological issues, and instead of counseling and the correct medication, they are following this quack around waiting for a miracle.
Or maybe it's ALL just bullshit and he "exorcises" demons from the same three or four people wherever he goes.
But we're talking about American news here. The news is mostly just entertainment now, no longer an effort to inform anyone.
posted by Anonymous, at
5/25/2008 3:21 PM
Actually, I think this is serious news, it's just the way that it's reported is not. Deliverance ministries are senssationalized and glorified, preventing people from taking a closer look at how evangelicals treat their mentally ill population.
To think that this is the 21st century and the RC church sends out exorcism squads across the globe to cast out demons and devils. Makes you wonder who is possessed. What primitive thinking though, but then catholicism like most others is a cult if you look closer, e.g. every altar in a catholic church is supposed to have an altar stone containing a relic of a saint, usually a piece of bone upon which mass is celebrated. Now how primitive is that and if its not cultism, I don't know what is. Total insanity!
posted by Anonymous, at
5/26/2008 5:52 AM
Larson's a Pentecostal, not a Catholic. Exorcism is virtually unknown in Catholicism nowdays, though unfortunately its still on the books. Pentecostals are statistically much more likely to be exorcists than Catholics are.
All religion and spiritualism is nonsense, and all religions are "cults" if you aren't a member. There's no need to single out the Catholic church as especially "primitive" just because you think some of their rituals are bizarre, such as honoring relics (they aren't the only culture to do that).
Plus the guy in this video isn't even Catholic.
Whil sadly it appears to be changing for the worse, for the time being the Catholic church is still ahead of all the nutty evangelicals and fundamentalist Protestants, especially in the United States who, for example, claim our planet is 6,000 years old or that evolution is a lie and caused the Holocaust.
posted by Anonymous, at
5/26/2008 3:15 PM
John, FYI, Ratzinger has ordered exorcism squads to wander the earth and take care of the possessed.
Eshto, I never said Larson was Catholic, just making a point. No, its not the only cult honoring relics but its the one that most villifies and denigrates the lives of LGBT people by telling the world our "behavior" whatever that means is intrinsically evil. Such language incites hatred, bigotry and in some instances the death of some of our fellow LGBT brothers and sisters. They bash us, we bash back, with impunity. By the way, I was a former catholic so I know about which I speak, now an avowed atheist. I didn't hear Ratzinger's predecessor decry the murder of Matthew Shepard either, did you? Like most homophobes, probably glad it happened. Silence gives consent my friend and the catholic church among others has done a lot of that throughout millenia.
posted by Anonymous, at
5/27/2008 5:57 AM
Eshto, you think the Catholic church is not as nutty as the evangelicals? What about the prohibition of condom distribution in third world countries where AIDS is wiping out vast numbers of people. The Vatican has blood on its hands for that. They're just as nutty if not worse. The RC church may not believe the world is only 6000 years old but it sure as hell believes in nutty scripture such as that one scant reference in Leviticus but deliberately ignores everything else that you'll find in www.fallwell.com. How convenient for them. The RC church et al to me represents pure evil.
posted by Anonymous, at
5/27/2008 6:04 AM
Make no mistake, I'm not defending them!
Well it just sounded like the RCC was getting accused of believing in nonsense, like the relics remark. All religions are cults and all believe in nonsense. Even so-called "liberal" Christians who are for gay rights STILL believe in "nutty scripture", like people doing magic and rising from the grave.
But it's totally debatable which denomination's message is more demeaning toward gays and lesbians. Aren't they all pretty much saying homosexuality is wrong or inferior? Splitting hairs I think. And it seems they are growing closer together on that, for example Catholic ex-gay groups are starting to spring up.
I think there are two discussions going on here: which denomination is nuttier, and which is more harmful.
I think the former is subjective and the latter can be proven with evidence.
The RCC's opposition to condom use while the third world dies of AIDS is a MUCH better example of the harm they are doing. If there is a hell they'll all be rotting there for eternity, I'm right with you on that!
posted by Anonymous, at
5/27/2008 2:44 PM
This same bullshit went on in Salem with Tituba and the girls; and as a result many innocent people were murdered. It only stopped when the governor of Massachusetts' wife was accused of witchcraft. Hysterics and attention seeking whackjobs are with us always.
posted by Anonymous, at
5/27/2008 3:06 PM
What's more frightening is that these people are allowed to vote!
posted by Anonymous, at
5/27/2008 5:30 PM
Eshto et al, check out the article below. A classic example of the evil perpetrated by the RC church, among others. This is a perfect example of what I'd intimated in my original posting. It does nothing more than to incite hatred, bigory and sometimes violent crimes against us.
Robert, NYC. http://ukgaynews.org.uk/Archive/08/May/2702.htm
posted by Anonymous, at
5/28/2008 8:06 AM
