Posted on 11/22/2010 10:20:36 AM PST by null and void
Having just read Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuers's new book, Exorcism and the Church Militant, one of the first things I asked him was whether he was afraid of demons. I shivered more than once reading through its short chapters, arranged as basic questions about the devil, demons, possession, and the rite of exorcism.
"Not at all," Father answered with a smile. "God has given me the grace to remain unafraid."
When I expressed my surprise, he explained, "Demons are basically handcuffed, and they know it."
Father Euteneuer does not speak as a theorist. Since 2003 he's had extensive experience ministering to those possessed by demons. His introduction to the demonic world happened when a family asked him for help for one of their members, and he eventually asked for permission to perform the rite of exorcism. He has been doing them ever since.
Exorcism and the Church Militant is intended, in part, as a warning to parents who allow their children to be desensitized to "the dark world" by books and films like the Harry Potter series and the vampire books of Stephanie Meyer. Father Euteneuer told me possession is almost always a result of someone getting involved in some sort of occult practices, such as witchcraft, Wicca, tarot cards, and Ouiji boards.
"Harry Potter and these Twilight vampires glamorize the power of evil," Father Eutenener explained, "and this has lead to many, many cases of possession among young people." It may begin with a child or teenager simply "playing around" with the occult, but that seemingly harmless act is "opening a window" to possession.
Father Euteneuer emphasized this point, "Demons do not discriminate between intentions -- no matter how innocent -- and children lose the clear distinction between good and evil."
What makes the occult so dangerous is the fact that it is based upon something real -- the preternatural world of fallen angels, headed by Lucifer himself. Below him are the "choirs" of devils and demons who are a reverse mirror, in their fallen state, of the hierarchy of angels.
Yet, as Father Euteneuer made clear, this entire dark spiritual world "cannot operate without permission from human beings." He pointed out that the widely-seen film, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, based upon the actual case of Anneliese Michel, makes it seem like a possession can occur against a person's will.
Demons play by the rules, as it were. They can only enter a person when invited, and they will leave when subjected through the rite of exorcism to the authority of the Church. "All demons understand is authority," according to Father Euteneuer. He told me of a time he was with someone who was possessed -- not intending to do an exorcism because permission had not yet been given -- and the demon spoke to him saying, "The Church is not here."
Father Euteneuer reminded me that as fallen angels, demons are smarter than any human being. "The darkest demon is smarter than I am," he said. An exorcist must remain aware of the demon's ability to know everything about the person they are possessing, including family members, and those who may enter the room to cast them out.
One demon attempted to negotiate with Father Euteneuer, offering to help him with his Latin if he would let him stay put. That story prompted me to ask if demons had a sense of humor. "No," Euteneuer replied. "The demon was only trying to resist being cast out. They know what an exorcism is, what is going to happen to them."
Possession usually involves more than one demon. Father Euteneuer explained that when "one demon gets in it will help to create more invitations to other demons." The more powerful ones have biblical names, and he often runs into demons with the same name, as if they had a kind of demonic family name.
The possession of an individual person is a perverse imitation of the Incarnation. "They know they've lost the war in heaven, now they've come to earth and are doing all they can to exert their power and be an obstacle to heaven." That's why demons experience some form of pain when they are exorcised -- Father Euteneuer said demons will often complain that "It burns." They have been deprived of the satisfaction of entering a body in imitation of the Word made flesh.
By the end of my interview with Father Euteneuer, I realized my initial question about being frightened of demons had betrayed my misunderstanding of the limits of demonic power. Exorcism and the Church Militant is a book that should provide guidance to many for years to come, especially for parents who need a reminder that the occult is not innocent entertainment.
Nonsense. You said you would never criticize someone for reading gay literature. But I said sometimes a criticism (or rebuke) is in order and this didn't equate to Nazi Germany as you seemed to think it did.
However, I didn't rebuke you for reading Harry Potter. I just didn't agree with your assessment of the books.
And Harry Potter fans checked his work on the phrase he compalined about. Total count: ONE.
Conclusion: Harold Bloom is elderly and "forgetful"
A friend of the family is a librarian. She's seen how the same kids progress from the Harry Potter books and then ask for the "real thing".
If you haven't noticed, the major book stores such as Barnes and Noble are all too happy to accommodate the demand for the occult. I even saw a voodoo doll in a store recently. Take a look at the "Young Adult" section of a book store. It is full of vampire garbage. This kind of stuff influences impressionable minds. Even to the point that some of them get involved in weird rituals.
Believe in it or not, this is sick stuff. It's best not to plant the seeds to begin with. There are plenty of purely wholesome things to be exposed to if you look for them.
Do you think kids should not read Bram Stoker’s Dracula?
“If media has the power to influence, why doesn’t reading about murder in the newpaper make you want to commit murder, if reading about it in a novel does?”
Because one is written to inform and the other, in many cases, is written to glamorize.
The homosexual movement would be a better correlation for our purposes than the murder rate.
Do you think the homosexual movement would be as ubiquitous as it is today without 40 years of constant normalizing and glamorizing of the lifestyle across all media?
So people should not be reading HP books because they glamorize demonic posession?
“So people should not be reading HP books because they glamorize demonic possession?”
Nope.
They glamorize occultism - something the Bible refer to as an abomination.
Though just about everyone has seen the Dracula movies, I am not familiar enough with the title you are referring to to say.
But, if it is the classic that the movies are based on, I have no objection to it. It shows the occult as the evil it is.
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