More or less following on from the Topic:- 'Would we turn to Religion if we were confronted with a life threatening illness' ? I watched a DVD the other day with a few friend titled; 'Deliver us from Evil' taken from a non-fiction book by; Ralph SARCHIE a NYC Police Sergeant. It dealt primarily with the alleged demonic possession of a person who came under police notice as a result of several unusual deaths ?

I'll not attempt to recount the events that were depicted in the movie, as it was just that, a movie. Other than to aver personally, I really don't know what to believe ? Do I believe real evil does exist, absolutely I do, unquestionably. Does this evil manifest itself from the 'devil' to use a theological term, I really don't know ?

Does anybody I've ever come across, in my thirty two years on the job, ever exhibited behaviour of a kind that could only be described as aberrant and peculiar ? Yes I have, one bloke in particular that did seem to have inculcated deep within him, a real presence of malevolence about him, together with the 'quality' of the crimes he'd committed ?

Did this individual 'frighten' me in anyway ? Without question, though not in the traditional sense the 'one on one blue' situation, rather the 'atmosphere' he tended to emanate whenever you're around him. Certainly you'd never want to turn your back on him, not for a second ? I've had to search him on numerous occasions when he was in custody, I hated to even touch the bastard to be honest ! Thank heavens he's no longer in the country, fortunately for everyone !

Does this topic more precisely fall within the aegis of Religion ? Specifically, that of Judaism or the Christian God ? Or does one need to believe in any Religion whatsoever, in order to rationalise this Demonic possession question ? I don't know, do any of you ?

Dear O Sung Wu,

If one believes in the "forces of good," then on the
law of averages - one cannot I suppose, deny the existence of
"the forces of evil." I've not known any really bad
people or if I did I did not recognise them as being
really evil. I have found that people who I may have thought
were bad - could at times surprise me.

I shall have to think more about your questions and try to
go back in my memory. I suppose that basically - I prefer
to see the good in most people - and ignore the rest.

Hi FOXY...

You're always reliable ? Seemingly the subject matter has not attracted 'other contributors', I can understand that, given the 'subject' itself and all that it (might) entail ? I was somewhat cautious as to what the theme might bring in terms of responses ? I was always told, don't 'push at' a venomous snake, lest it bite you ?

Actually I only thought of raising the topic after watching that DVD ('Deliver us from Evil') and the discussion amongst us that ensured thereafter. As you can imagine I've met some interesting characters over time, most were just stupid and chose the wrong path, while others, simply dyed in the wool crooks and enjoyed the reputation that accompanied that label. And a few were murderers, and should be locked up for eternity.

However you occasionally come across someone who simply confounds you, with everything you've traditionally believed, particularly about orthodox human behaviour ? Such was Archie Beattie MCCAFERTY, thankfully now Scotland's problem !

You see, Archie murdered three people, and a fourth while in gaol, totalling four dead. He has stated publically he will kill a total of seven human beings. He has (as far as we know) three (oblivious) souls to go ? He was further charged with attempted murder of his live-in girlfriend while in Scotland, his current residential status is presently unknown to me, as my residential address is similarly unknown to him.

The necessity to kill seven has come, in the form of a message, from his deceased baby son, who's death he blames on medical authorities ? I only wish it was as simple as that ? Is Archie 'possessed' by some demonic presence ? I don't know ? If such 'things exist', probably. I don't usually fear many people, but I fear Archie, tremendously so. I could've knocked him over, with some consummate ease when I was younger, but I'd never wish to turn my back on him EVER ! His mere presence causes me an uneasiness I've not felt with another, I must confess ?

Dear O Sung Wu,

I've watched various films from "Rosemary's Baby,"
to the "Exorcist," to the entire series of
"The Omen," all of which scared the living daylights
out of me at the time. (I did enjoy them though).
I guess we all have a fascination with the "unknown"
the "supernatural," the "paranormal," et cetera.

However, I haven't really experienced anything so
weird myself. I do recall whilst living and working
in Los Angeles I got into a conversation with a
colleague who spoke about a "Satanist" cult that he
claimed he visited from time to time. He offered to
take me along to one of their meetings on a Saturday
night. I was curious, I must admit - but too chicken
to take him up on his offer. Possibly it was just as well.
He seemed to have a fixation with my long red hair at the
time that kinda rang alarm bells for me. Anyway, I would
have had to explain my actions to my husband - not a
prospect that I wanted.

The only real experience of anything unusual was as I
explained in my post on my other discussion - when we
visited the previous home of Melbourne's Cardinal Mannix
for a Charity function - and were shown the room where the
Cardinal had died. That did creep me out. The room was icy
cold and the "atmosphere" in it was very heavy. We were told
that even the resident cat would not go into that room.
I couldn't get out of there fast enough.

Dear o sung wu,

You mention Archie's girl friend. Apparently some women are attracted to such creatures. Do you know anything about her?

There are different ways of regarding evil. To some it is an entity outside of ourselves, "The devil made me do it."

Orthodox Christianity and Judaism regard it in a different way. Solzhenitsyn, an Orthodox Christian said,

"The battleline between good and evil runs through the heart of every man."

He also said,

“If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?”
― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago 1918-1956

The Jewish view is that the spirit of good, the yetzer tov, and the spirit of evil, "the yetzer hara", fight for ascendancy in the heart of every human. Which one triumphs defines you as good or evil.

I have to admit that when I read that you accept torturing people I did not think of you as a good person.

Hi there FOXY & DAVID F...

Thanks FOXY...

I've seen the Exorcist and a few other horror movies, generally speaking I go to sleep ! Though the Exorcist was quite good ?

Actually it's not quite a ghost issue here, even a supernatural incident, in fact I'm not sure what it is exactly ? It's something I found in a person, so unsettling, so inexplicable, it's hard to put into words ? To describe him as being 'bad' is inadequate somehow, evil suits him like a glove. I wasn't frightened of him, man to man as I said. Though he's threatened me on several occasions, water off a ducks back usually ? But not so with Archie ?

Having told him to shut his mouth a couple of times, or I'd help him to do so, and he did. Though the look he gave me as a consequence was truly eerie, disturbing even. The thought of turning my back on Archie, was a real no no ?

Hi there DAVID F...

Good to speak with you once more, notwithstanding I'm an advocate of systematic and organisational torture !

I don't know anything about Archie's Scottish girlfriend other than he was charged with her attempted murder ? Moreover he was quite a notorious individual, apparently the Scottish press had him in their headlines, the moment he arrived back in his native Scotland. His presence there was not a welcome addition, and I know the Scottish authorities fought to stop his extradition.

Being regarded (habitually), as a 'bad person' myself, it's regrettable that I'm still no better placed, to intuitively discuss this puzzling proposition of whether there exists evidence, there's any intrinsic evil in people ?

While it's true, I've met many who've come under police notice, it doesn't necessarily follow, as convicted criminals they're inherently evil. If one were to troll through the maximum security gaols, you'd probably find no more than perhaps 2% who represent as being very violent, even pathological in their attitude to their fellow human beings ? A massive question, no easy answers I'm afraid ?