An interesting insight.

For me, the key takeaway from the article cited in the OP was this:

"...a growing number of people are approaching the church to seek help in expelling what they believe are demonic spirits."

It's the "...what they believe..." that intrigues me. Because demonic spirits do not exist anywhere except in the mind, what is being described can only be a form of mental illness.

This self-diagnosis is often helped along by society's attitude towards mental health in general. Depression is poorly understood by the populace at large, and generally gets a reaction along the lines of "snap out of it".

No surprise, then, to find that at the same time as we are experiencing a rise in the numbers of clinically depressed, a percentage of them prefer to attribute their illness to "what they believe are demonic spirits".

If it helps them come to terms with it, then that is probably not a bad thing. But I would imagine that the waiting list for a competent exorcist is pretty long, and not available under Medicare, so in the long run they'd be better off recognizing mental illness for what it is, and seek proper help.

Boaz, this attitude doesn't help, you know.

>>Attempting to make this a 'rite' is plain unbiblical. It was a power encounter between Christ and the demon.<<

You make it sound like a battle between King Kong and Godzilla. How is that supposed to help the poor creature who, having decided that he'd rather classify a mental affliction as demonic possession, comes to the church for help?

I guess you'd simply say "get over it", would you not.

In a nice, Christian way, of course.

what all the 'clever' secularist ignore here is that many of these distressed people have already had loads of drugs prescribed to them by mental health 'experts' and are in worse condition than before they started attending. A number of them top themselves even after seeing the 'best' mental health experts. Whilst there are many religous charlatans don't forget the drug companies are cashing in on these people on a much larger scale. Another inconvenient truth.

Runner

So, "the drug companies are cashing in on these people on a much larger scale" given you say that, presumably this is your seal of approval for Mumbo to be trotted out.

Yes, there are problems with drug companies, patent laws, health systems, and in Australia a total disregard for mental health issues, but that should not be use as an excuse for promoting demons as the source of problems.

I accept Dr. Bob Montgomery's comment on the placebo effect helping large numbers of people, with modern medicine, with 'alternative' medicine and with Mumbo too, but that is no reason to excuse the exploitation of fearful people, I would have thought.

As for this vacuous comment, "all the 'clever' secularist", do please find out what 'secular' means.

OUG, you are totally incomprehensible in your rants, even AGIR manages to convey something of a message within his ranting.

i cant reply further
without enabling..your compulsive obesesion

so will leave you hanging..on your own blue cross

i wish you well..in ignoring your igno-rants
lest you go further into phycosis

keep taking ya meds bloke
those nasty jesuits...wont get ya..then

Try using a spell-checker OUG, that might be your first step in Posting Rehab' and Understanding 101.

You'd obviously know what it's like OUG, once you suffer a "compulsive obesesion" there's no end to anything, and only an exorcism can save you from the demons.

Good luck in your shelter-from-life.

I imagine you'll be popping up for air every now and then though so I look forward to your next post.

Interesting indeed. Well I'm an atheist, and yet I DO believe in
what ever you call it...DEMONIC POSSESSION !

In my vocational life I've seen some things - crimes, atrocities, abominations, extreme cruelty, whatever perpetrated by so called human beings.

That could only happen if the individual concerned was possessed by something very very evil indeed. If one doesn't believe in any God, can evil actually exist ? Or, does one follow the other ? Black is to white, as wet is to dry ? I dunno, it's all far too deep for me.

However, I DO KNOW ABSOLUTELY, there is something very very bad/evil/wicked/vile etc etc, lurking deep within the human heart and/or mind, of some ?

Yet, I'm an atheist. Beats me ?