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.
I’ve never considered magic her theme: Good vs. evil, love and sacrifice, destructiveness of power, destructiveness of hate and vengeance, importance of knowledge, yes. Magic is just an ability that most of the characters possess.
I can’t believe people actually believe this stuff. Aside from the obvious references to current books, this article sounds like it could have been written in the dark ages.
Rowling is a member of the Church of England. So I don’t think she is anti-Christian.
Yes, she is a leftie, but more of the well-intentioned/ill-informed variety, rather than the well-informed/ill-intentioned.
She was a Gordon Brown supporter, so clearly she is an idiot about politics.
But her books are great.
That is a lengthy comment for one who has not read the books.
Read them and see for yourself.
Imagine if there was a way to combine a Potter and a Linclon thread.... It would implode under it’s own psychopathology.
“I personally would not want to read the book, but I would not criticize someone else for it. The moment we start burning books is the moment we go back to 1933.”
Please see your post:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2629885/posts?page=41#41
+++++++++++++++
“Also, “sculls” is spelled “skulls.””
BTW, it is considered rude to correct someone’s misspellings online - even if you teach literature.
IMO,a praying Christian is protected from the spirits that would do her soul harm.This is a Biblical promise.
“One is fact, one is fiction”
Not necessarily.
“Why would only fictional accounts have this effect, while factual / historically accurate accounts do not?”
Because, one (for the most part) is simply relaying facts, while the other is capable of editorializing to a great degree and possibly glamorizing a lifestyle.
I understand also that Rowling considers *death an adventure* and that Harry can decide to either be alive or be dead. Interesting dont you think? So old Harry has the *magical* powers to conquer death apparently.
Exactly. And they say impressionable kids aren't going to want to explore that? Many say the kids in the movie use magic just to "overcome evil". So what keeps young viewers from wanting to experiment with "white magic" also?
Lots of kids can just go the movies and have a good time. But I have no problem understanding why this priest says a lot of kids believe the stuff on the screen (as kids will do) and think they can get involved with magic also.
It's a no-brainer.
Hmmmmmm. Must be some way we can work in Apple v PC...
One of my favorite To Kill a Mockingbird quotes:
“Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whisky bottle in the hand of (another)... There are just some kind of men who - who’re so busy worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.” Miss Maudie Atkinson
And for the record, just because I love this book does not mean that I think men should be falsely accused of rape, especially because of their race.
So why then do serial killers tend to collect newspaper clippings, rather than novels?
Some gold buggery and Ron Paul too.
Would that be like saying that Pelosi is a good Catholic so would never, ever do anything harmful to the cause of christianity? Please. Pelosi's one of the wickedest socialists out there.
I would have real hard time believing that Rowling is a good christian since her heroes are communists.
Most likely she is a political activist (supporting Brown supports my theory) and propograting anti-christian themes among the young is a real good way to be active in her cause.
Don’t you just hate it when you’re trying to walk somewhere, reading your Harry Potter book, and suddenly the Gates of Hell open up before you?
What a waste of time. Always makes me late...
“Harry Potter is replete with Christian themes. Good vs. Evil, loyalty, sacrifice, Love...anyone who thinks otherwise has not read the books.”
Well, good vs Evil is a “theme” in Das Capital but that doesn’t make it consistent with Christianity. “Love” is a theme of “Lolita” but that doesn’t make it consistent with Christianity. Dianetics talks about loyalty between Scientologists and to their organization . . . and on and on.
This “theme” argument seems to me a rationalization by Christian parents who don’t want to make a hard decision to keep this stuff out of their children’s lives. Every culture and religion deals with love, loyalty, friendship etc. and their art reflects that. So almost any book can be rationalized as consistent with Christianity by the theme argument. The real question is, are those universal “themes” accompanied by other themes that are not consistent with Christianity? Das Kapital, Lolita and Dianetics have other themes in them that are odious and children should not be exposed to “Cool Kids are communists” books, imho.
The theme of Harry Potter that actually has to do with God
and Christianity is:
“The really cool kids do occult stuff, they win and everything turns out OK. People who don’t do occult (Muggles) are incredibly square and to be patronized and tolerated.”
It’s marketing—no different than: “Cool guys drink our beer and beautiful women hang with them” except, of course, the subject matter being marketed.
Whether intentionally or not, Harry Potter is incredibly effective marketing for the occult. I suspect the author just doesn’t believe in demons and thinks it’s a rousing good story, which the first movie was (I went to see it to screen it for my boy).
If you don’t believe there is a devil and demons, then just say so. If you are not Christian, just say so. But don’t portray the book as “consistent with Christianity because of it’s themes;” because it is not.
If you believe in demons and are a professing Christian, then the Bible is unambiguous about the role the occult should play in a Christian’s life. Based on that, it has always seemed to me that giving your kids occult marketing materials was a, duh, really bad idea. But I know a lot of professing Christians disagree.
I realize this is a very unpopular opinion to express on FR and the pile-on will now commence. But the author of the Bible wasn’t running for class president and I’m just a Muggle, who could never win a popularity contest anyway.
It is rude to put words into someone’s mouth, as you chose to do by stating that me refusing to answer a question does in fact answer your question. When you did that, my gloves came off. You are not capable of having a decent discussion or debate. Also, according to Webster, “scull” is “an oar worked from side to side over the stern of a boat.”
You “understand” incorrectly. Read the books, then make a comment. If you don’t want to read the books, you probably should make comments about what you don’t know.
“So why then do serial killers tend to collect newspaper clippings, rather than novels?”
Why do the collect pornography?
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