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The Reality of Satan and the Victory of Jesus and Mary (an Exorcist speaks out)
Mother of All Peoples ^ | October 29, 2005 | Written by Fr. Gabriele Amorth   

Posted on 10/29/2005 6:44:03 AM PDT by NYer

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Fr. Gabriele Amorth is the Chief Exorcist of Rome and one of the world's foremost authorities on demonology. This article was excerpted from An Excorcist Tells His Story, Ignatius, 1999.

1 posted on 10/29/2005 6:44:04 AM PDT by NYer
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To: american colleen; Lady In Blue; Salvation; narses; SMEDLEYBUTLER; redhead; Notwithstanding; ...


2 posted on 10/29/2005 6:45:10 AM PDT by NYer (“Socialism is the religion people get when they lose their religion")
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To: NYer

I really want to read that book.


3 posted on 10/29/2005 7:22:49 AM PDT by dsc
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To: NYer
Two must read books on the subject of Exorcisms:




4 posted on 10/29/2005 7:36:46 AM PDT by SaltyJoe (A mother's sorrowful heart and personal sacrifice redeems her lost child's soul.)
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To: NYer

One of the saddest sermons I ever heard was by a young--perhaps some would say brilliant--priest who had majored in psychology in the seminary. The Gospel concerned the expulsion of a demon from a man possessed. His homily centered on how the Church no longer focused on demonic possession and how this was probably an allegory in which Christ healed someone with a deep psychological problem or a disease like epilepsy that was unknown at the time. I had read the books of Fr. Amorth and wanted to weep. To think that he was so deluded and then preached this from the pulpit!

As Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacie) says in the movie "The Usual Suspects," "the greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was in convincing us he didn't exist."

Frank


5 posted on 10/29/2005 8:06:29 AM PDT by Frank Sheed ("Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions." ~GK Chesterton.)
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To: Frank Sheed
His homily centered on how the Church no longer focused on demonic possession and how this was probably an allegory in which Christ healed someone with a deep psychological problem or a disease like epilepsy that was unknown at the time.

I've met these religious graduates with psychology degrees. In fact, the Director of Counseling for the Laity in my diocese, a nun, called me a "victim of the Catholic Church". That was the last time I ever spoke with her or any other of these professionals. Yet one more example of how Satan tried to infiltrate the Church.

As Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacie) says in the movie "The Usual Suspects," "the greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was in convincing us he didn't exist."

Fr. Gabriele Amorth would agree, an so would I.

6 posted on 10/29/2005 8:45:30 AM PDT by NYer (“Socialism is the religion people get when they lose their religion")
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To: Frank Sheed

Those who are not of the spirit, consider such things to be foolish because they are unable to discern them, not having a living spirit.

The phenomenon still occurs, so those who have not been regenerated and think of the spirit as foolishness will seek to instead explain such things in terms of the soul or the body.

It isn't any surprise that every soulish and physical symptom of demonic influence and possession is now characterized by soulish and physical descriptions of the phenomenon they perceive by their soul and body, yet ignore the presence of a separate person with a discernible spirit.


It is sad, though, when a priest communicates the same perspective as an unbeliever.

For myself, a much more fascinating topic regards demon influence and possession that might occur more commonly. Consider how we think of the domain of animals and go to the zoo, identifying different species. We also know of cats and dogs within the same domain, yet don't lump a quiet cat in the same category as a quiet cougar. Similarly, there might be fallen angels with characteristics not as immediately obvious in possession as we see in the movies.

This isn't to confuse the nature of many fallen angels,..they have very real personalities and exude them in their behavior, however, just as there are seemingly benign members of a foreign army, there may also be many seemingly benign members of the fallen nature.

I was considering this when recently I observed Saddam Hussein before the court. If you watch his behavior closely and listen to the meaning of his statements, consider the possibility that his thinking and soul might actually be possessed by a fallen angel or foreign spirit. Almost everything I witnessed is consistent with the type of behavior a coy fallen spirit might exhibit. Granted, we might be seeing the real Saddam, I found it more explicable that when he was asked to identify himself, he repeatedly avoided the question in a fashion to draw an inference from other people as to his identity.

Commentators scoffed at the tactic, locked in their thinking that this is just the simple, arrogant, ploy of a captured dictator. But this is also an arrogant point of view of people who don't respect the behavioral trend of others who lack power and attribute that lack of power to a thinking flaw. They also failed to exhibit any discernment of spirit in their analysis.

Even after salvation, we still have an old sin nature and are scarred in our thinking. As long as we remain in Him, He is sure and just to guide us appropriately, but where our thinking, our soul, lapses into it old self, we tend to sin.


7 posted on 10/29/2005 8:48:13 AM PDT by Cvengr (<;^))
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To: NYer
I suspect that well known personalities like Mel Gibson, Steven Baldwin, and Mickey Rourke will lead more too Christ as these former "recovering" Hollywood bad boys.

Considering that Mr. Rourke has confessed that a Catholic Priest saved the actor from suicide, I don't doubt that he and other returning Catholic actor/entertainers will make all Sacraments and Rites popular again. Priests will regularly perform exorcisms as this liberation was frequently given by Jesus and the first Apostles.

We've seen, in the prior decades, most entertainment personalities leading all willing to follow on a wild goose chase of idolatry. Some of these come in the form of: vain cosmetic and unnatural beauty, elevating the status of animals to personhood and humans to gods, assigning value and spiritual powers to objects that don't have such a nature (wealth, crystals, pagan witchcraft), abusing substances/gluttony, jealousy for attention/position/power, etc. All of these offenses come in one of the forms of the deadly sins. All are rooted in disobedience. All are born from the evil one.

Now, there is this moment of leadership for those who've allowed Christ to convert their hearts. Mel Gibson has already made monumental changes in the global perspective of the Gospels with his movie, "The Passion of the Christ". There will be others, entertainers as well as well known personalities, who will strive for holiness in a daily example of devotion to the Life of Christ. Such people will obviously be attack for being "fake". But, when we see such a conversion, we should rejoice in the Truth rather than gloat or doubt.

God made such people attractive to others as a gift of human leadership and example to deflect attention to Christ, Himself. Let it not be a matter of temptation for jealousy on our part. If Jesus brings back one of these lost sheep, in spite of their addictions and afflictions of foolish pride, it demonstrates God's Power over evil and Jesus' Power to convert hearts. Let the Holy Spirit work through us in the same way.

http://www.cathnews.com/news/510/32.php







Jesus isn't a logo, I'm not promoting some company, some brand. I'm just professing my faith.
--Stephen Baldwin (and he prays for his older brother too):

Stephen Baldwin to ‘Continue Praying’ for Brother Alec By Marc Morano CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer September 02, 2004

New York (CNSNews.com) - Actor Stephen Baldwin said he would "continue praying" for his brother Alec because of Alec's open hostility to religious conservatives.

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=%5C%5CPolitics%5C%5Carchive%5C%5C200409%5C%5CPOL20040902c.html

More Quotes from Stephen Baldwin

Don't get me wrong, there are sometimes if I go and see a really funny comedy, that I wished I had smoked a joint. I'll be honest with you. That's the truth.

Dude, read your bilbe. This is what it says is going to happen. The Bible, you know, B-asic I-nstruction B-efore L-eaving E-earth.

I almost died, secretly, behind closed doors.

I get five anti-Bush emails from my brother Billy everyday. And then I get three voicemails a week saying how's the kids, can I borrow your car next week? After the man with the most faith wins the election, I'll be going over to his house to hang out for barbecues, no problem.

I really comprehend the fact that some of what I have to say sounds a little weird. But the more and more I purge myself of the stuff that had my focus so turned away from God, the more I shred myself, the more I have a greater connection to God. And what I know now that I didn't know then is that's why I'm here.

I think Carville said things about right-wing-Christian-this-or-that, and he said it two or three times in the show prior to when I sat down. To be honest with you, he's a scary guy.

I think it's really terrifying that a country based on the foundations and ideals of God, is now systematically removing God from everything. Everything!

I was always a God guy.

I'm a Jewish born-again Christian.

I'm here as a result of my faith. I'm here to promote and support the candidate that I think has the most faith.

I'm not going to fight in the physical with physical weapons, because it's not a physical fight. I'm going to fight with spiritual weapons, cause it's a spiritual fight.

I'm very focused on the world and my career and my Porsche turbo and making money and Stevie B. Inc. I'm just living according to the standards of the world.

I've been to MTV and all of that worldly stuff. It's death. It's meaningless.

I've never really been the type of person who worries much about what people think of me.

Jesus isn't a logo, I'm not promoting some company, some brand. I'm just professing my faith.

My job is to tell them God created you for you to go to Him, for Him to give you that sense of self. But not in some wacky, hocus-pocus, cheesy, old-school Christian thing. No, in a new, tangible, livin' it kind of way. I'm excited about giving this subculture of Christian youth what it's screaming for, which is a means to express itself.

The word of God-what does it say about what his place is going to be in the Kingdom? Think about it.

What is happening within Christianity is that it doesn't know it needs to promote itself.

You gotta love these Christians, they're humble people.

You know what, man? I don't have time to worry about what people think. I'm focused on the youth of America. I'm focused on the kids who are dressing like whores. Because that's the message in the media.


8 posted on 10/29/2005 8:56:03 AM PDT by SaltyJoe (A mother's sorrowful heart and personal sacrifice redeems her lost child's soul.)
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To: NYer

quickly. The author references some statements he attributes to demons which occurred during an exorcism and concludes that fallen angels made hell.

If one studies the greek word PISTIS for faith, it also may be translated as 'doctrine'. The belief being attributed to demons might also be described as a 'doctrine of demons' which is also made reference to as being a false doctrine in Scripture.

The truth of those beliefs is not verified by their statement, so their veracity is in doubt and to a greater extent, possibly just 'good for nothing'. An interesting sidenote is that PONEROS also happens to describe the category of those fallen angels who are cast into the lake of fire which was created for them by God (PONEROS means good for nothingness as discernible from evil or vile or chaotic).


9 posted on 10/29/2005 9:02:57 AM PDT by Cvengr (<;^))
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To: NYer
Toward the end of the exorcism, he turned to the evil spirit and sarcastically told him, "Get out of here. The Lord has already prepared a nice, well-heated house for you!" At this, the demon answered, "You do not know anything! It wasn't he (God) who made hell. It was us. He had not even thought about it." Similarly, on another occasion, while I was questioning a demon to know whether he had contributed to the creation of hell, I received this answer: "All of us cooperated."

Is this guy suggesting that he's believing the testimonies of demons? That he believes their words? Maybe I'm misreading it. The Bible says that hell was created for the devil and his demons. Not that the demons made up the whole thing, and one day God decided to go along with it. Demons never have any words to be believed, therfore, using them for spiritual truths is ridiculous

10 posted on 10/29/2005 9:03:11 AM PDT by gamarob1
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To: SaltyJoe

He might be Christian. After there is salvation, there still remains the threat of demonic influence, although demonic possession of the soul is no longer possible, God might still turn one over for sifting.

Another interesting facit is that as created persons with soul and spirit, we also have volition. Not all things are controlled by Satan, and many evil and good things occur independent of God and Satan by man. They might be good for nothingness, but still qualify a good, merely lacking in divine good if independent of Him.


11 posted on 10/29/2005 9:10:46 AM PDT by Cvengr (<;^))
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To: Cvengr

Matthew 12:43-45

http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/matthew/matthew12.htm

43
"When an unclean spirit goes out of a person it roams through arid regions searching for rest but finds none.
44
Then it says, 'I will return to my home from which I came.' But upon returning, it finds it empty, swept clean, and put in order.
45
Then it goes and brings back with itself seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they move in and dwell there; and the last condition of that person is worse than the first. Thus it will be with this evil generation."


12 posted on 10/29/2005 9:17:27 AM PDT by SaltyJoe (A mother's sorrowful heart and personal sacrifice redeems her lost child's soul.)
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To: SaltyJoe

Great reference, especially considering the unbeliever who has been possessed and then relaxed and then re-entered.

One great thing about Christ, though, is that until a human suffers the first death, separation of soul from body, that human still has an opportunity for salvation, then after salvation, no matter how heinous the sin, one still has an opportunity to confess that sin, turn away from sin, and return to a fellowship with God. Nothing is more powerful than the love of Him.

(Those who continue to rebel after salvation might risk sinning to the point that within His plan, they serve no more useful purpose, or if you will, commit a sin unto death and are brought home to the Lord, leaving many rewards on the table as eternal memorials to the foolishness of those who stray from Him and His plan.


13 posted on 10/29/2005 9:34:12 AM PDT by Cvengr (<;^))
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To: Cvengr

Patron Saint of dying people:

Abel
Barbara
Benedict
Catherine of Alexandria
James the Lesser
John of God
Joseph
Margaret of Antioch
Michael the Archangel
Nicholas of Tolentino
Sebastian

http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/pst00228.htm




The Realities of Hell

http://www.tldm.org/News8/RealityOfHell.htm


14 posted on 10/29/2005 9:43:49 AM PDT by SaltyJoe (A mother's sorrowful heart and personal sacrifice redeems her lost child's soul.)
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To: NYer

[We cannot omit a reflection about the Virgin Mary. If the firstborn creature is the Word become flesh, she who would be the means of the Incarnation must also have been present in the divine thought before every other creature. From this stems Mary's unique relationship with the Holy Trinity.]
Not scriptual. She was saved as all who are saved are, she was the mother of the body that God indwelled , Jesus the Christ. "There is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved."

[We must also mention the influence that Christ has on angels and demons. Concerning angels, some theologians believe that the angels were admitted to the beatific vision of God only by virtue of the mystery of the Cross. Many Fathers also make interesting statements. For instance, Saint Athanasius writes that the angels owe their salvation to the blood of Christ.

Not scriptual. Angels were created by God before mankind and apparantly a third rebelled against God. They can not be saved and the Lake of Fire was created primarily for them. God the Father sent the Christ to bear our sins on the tree and overcome death, hell and the grave for us in the Ressurection of Jesus Christ. Only men can be saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and His ressurection on the third day.

Why do so many add and take away from the Word of God? This is my question?



15 posted on 10/29/2005 10:01:08 AM PDT by ohhhh (God only is good, Jesus is Christ, and I am saved by grace through faith only!)
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To: SaltyJoe

Thanks for the links. Last Day Ministries has some good directives.


16 posted on 10/29/2005 10:36:07 AM PDT by Cvengr (<;^))
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To: SaltyJoe

Say, SaltyJoe,...go you have any good info on Saint Benedictus. I had a dream wherein he gave me a test of a sort. It included two large Hebrew letters, about 3 feet tall, one in jet black ink on a sheepskin, with another in 3D, orthogonal to the sheepskin made out of a gold mesh metal.

I never have understood it. Any ideas?


17 posted on 10/29/2005 10:38:46 AM PDT by Cvengr (<;^))
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To: Cvengr

You may have me confused with the other Joe that can interpret dreams, ya know, the guy with a many colored coat? ;-)

I'll have to look this one up and get back with you later.


18 posted on 10/29/2005 2:21:11 PM PDT by SaltyJoe (A mother's sorrowful heart and personal sacrifice redeems her lost child's soul.)
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To: SaltyJoe

FWIW, I bumped into another fellow by the name of Yosef in a dream,...or at least that was how he pronounced it.


19 posted on 10/29/2005 2:38:09 PM PDT by Cvengr (<;^))
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To: Frank Sheed
His homily centered on how the Church no longer focused on demonic possession and how this was probably an allegory in which Christ healed someone with a deep psychological problem or a disease like epilepsy that was unknown at the time.

We seem to get dumber by the minute. My favorite rejoinder:

Mt 4:12 His fame spread to all of Syria, and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases and racked with pain, those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics, and he cured them.

Golly, it's almost as if those poor ignorant primitives could tell the difference between organic disease and possession. How about that.

20 posted on 10/29/2005 2:40:36 PM PDT by siunevada
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