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Haunting in Indiana leads to family’s exorcism, child’s levitation: Reports
New York Daily News ^ | 1/27/14 | Nina Golgowski

Posted on 01/28/2014 11:50:18 AM PST by BlatherNaut

A Gary, Ind., mother of three claims demons caused her 12-year-old daughter to levitate and her 9-year-old son to walk on a hospital ceiling — accounts supported by medical personnel and police officials, according to a shocking report. For Latoya Ammons, the late night footsteps, the creaking of a door and wet footprints left by a shadowy male figure through her living room were merely child's play when that was all her family had to endure. But then things turned violent.

(Excerpt) Read more at nydailynews.com ...


TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events
KEYWORDS: children; evil; exorcism; haunting; indiana
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To: BlatherNaut
The link you shared had one grainy photo of a “ghost”. No levitation or ceiling walking that wasn't from a Hollywood film.

Why is it that “ghost snaps” are still so grainy in the age ridiculously megapixeled phone-cameras that let Japanese business men take up-skirt shots from the other side of town?

If you're going to talk ceiling walking then it's remiss not to snap it.

61 posted on 01/28/2014 5:11:43 PM PST by FluffyTexan
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To: Mrs. Don-o

-— Because people react instantly to shocking and horrifying events right in front of their faces — by grabbing their cell phones -— right? -—

Some people reject the possibility in principle, so arguing the evidence is pointless.

I’m surprised by the Christians who seem excessively skeptical in light of the large number of disinterested witnesses, and the amount of documentation.

I find the evidence to be very convincing.


62 posted on 01/28/2014 5:11:54 PM PST by St_Thomas_Aquinas ( Isaiah 22:22, Matthew 16:19, Revelation 3:7)
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To: 353FMG

I think when the kid decided to walk backward u the wall, he should have given his mom and the nurse a heads up so they could get out the phone bring up the app and film. Some of those little devils are inconsiderate.


63 posted on 01/28/2014 5:14:35 PM PST by morphing libertarian
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To: gusty
"I did not know that the Bible had a story about an EBT card carrying mother and her two offspring floating in air and walking on the ceiling. Gee I must have missed that one. For those who want to attack me, Savages all."

Disagreement is "attack"? Wow. Sensitive.

You're right, the Bible doesn't have anything about an EBT mom in its pages, but it does give an account of Jesus driving demons from a man. It also says He gave His apostles the power to do the same.

64 posted on 01/28/2014 5:20:39 PM PST by CatherineofAragon ((Support Christian white males----the architects of the jewel known as Western Civilization.))
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To: St_Thomas_Aquinas
I’m surprised by the Christians who seem excessively skeptical in light of the large number of disinterested witnesses, and the amount of documentation.

Its an interesting phenomenon. When I showed a video to a group of Christians that documents the very compelling scientific evidence of the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin and the supernatural event associated with it, at least half of them behaved the same way. They simply rejected it out of hand without any counter explanation of the evidence. A few claimed that the scientific evidence was somehow harmful to faith...huh?????

Weird.

65 posted on 01/28/2014 5:38:38 PM PST by HerrBlucher (Praise to the Lord the Almighty the King of Creation)
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To: dmz
The world’s full of unbelieving blowhards demanding “show me the evidence “.

I just wanted to see the Carfax... sheesh.

66 posted on 01/28/2014 5:58:32 PM PST by Rodamala
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To: HerrBlucher

-— Weird -—

They’re probably conflicted between scientific naturalism, which is taught in school and which is in the air we breathe, and religion, however that term is defined in their minds.

In their minds, faith, or the supernatural, and “science,” or the natural world, are completely separated, and cannot overlap, the miracles recorded in Scripture, and existing miraculous phenomena (like the Shroud) notwithstanding.


67 posted on 01/28/2014 6:01:23 PM PST by St_Thomas_Aquinas ( Isaiah 22:22, Matthew 16:19, Revelation 3:7)
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To: Boogieman
"Video, or it didn’t happen. This is 2014, everyone has a camera in their pocket."

This statement repudiates what was said by the Indiana DCS social worker Valerie Washington, and the RN at the hospital, Willie Lee Walker, both of whom were there in the hospital room and were eye-witnesses. You didn't mention them by name, but you are clearly dismissing their testimony.

According to the article, there's an 800-page official record compiled by the DCS, and no evidence (yet) of fraud.

My view is that we're not in any position to say "It didn't happen". To reach a sound explanation, this needs, not instant judgment, but careful, unbiased investigation.

68 posted on 01/28/2014 6:13:16 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o (Live and Let Live.)
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To: HerrBlucher; St_Thomas_Aquinas
It seems that someone who is a metaphysical materialist, by the very definition of the term, is incapable of accepting the evidence of his or other people's senses.

Another case of "the Narrative" trumping "stuff that actually happened." Rather a paradox.

#68

69 posted on 01/28/2014 6:20:48 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o (Sanity is the adequate response of the mind to the real thing: adaequatio mentis ad rem.)
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To: Mrs. Don-o

That is because all it takes is for one report of the supernatural to be true to destroy the materialist worldview. Therefore they MUST claim all reports of the supernatural to be false regardless of the evidence. It takes great faith to be a materialist, and quite a bit of denial.


70 posted on 01/28/2014 6:39:08 PM PST by HerrBlucher (Praise to the Lord the Almighty the King of Creation)
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To: BlatherNaut

I find this highly interesting, because other disinterested parties testified to truly unnatural occurrences in a neutral setting. Being a boy going up a wall and ceiling. That is truly bizarre. Tell me how a boy happens to do that.

For myself, I’ll say that I am scientific but also a believer. I believe in ghosts, but don’t believe 99% of the stories (because I don’t see the evidence or doesn’t make any sense, etc.). This piques my interest, despite not seeing a video, for reasons stated.

In some ways these people may be very lucky. They’ve witnessed the supernatural which is surely proof there is a god.


71 posted on 01/28/2014 8:47:41 PM PST by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Technological progress cannot be legislated.)
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To: the OlLine Rebel
For myself, I’ll say that I am scientific but also a believer.

I share your perspective.

In some ways these people may be very lucky. They’ve witnessed the supernatural which is surely proof there is a god.

The logical necessity of a self-existing First Cause is hard to ignore, isn't it? But for anyone who requires further proof, phenomena which contradict natural law are difficult to dismiss.

72 posted on 01/29/2014 5:50:47 AM PST by BlatherNaut
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To: Mrs. Don-o

“Video, or it didn’t happen” is a common figure of speech in use on the internet, not some attempt to attack the witnesses. It’s basically the equivalent of “I’ll believe it when I see it”. Or, I could have just as well used another, more classic figure of speech: “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence”. Eyewitnesses are not extraordinary evidence, not by a long shot.


73 posted on 01/29/2014 6:17:50 AM PST by Boogieman
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To: Boogieman
“I’ll believe it when I see it”

This used different words but has the same meaning and the same lack of justification. You don't just discount eyewitnesses because they eye-witnessed something you didn't expect.

" Or, I could have just as well used another, more classic figure of speech: “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence”."

This careless cliche also lacks justification. Extraordinary claims require only ordinary evidence, just like any other claims. Using evidence, follow the possible chains of necessary and sufficient causes and effects, and see where they lead.

"Cui bono?" is always a good question. Everybody has heard of bizarre mothers who inflict harm on their children for publicity, sympathy or attention in "Münchausen by proxy." That would be one line of inquiry.

But it's not at all clear why professionals would put their own credibility on the line by giving positive testimony of what they'd seen, especially as it is outside of their education, training and previous experience.

It's also unclear how they could have engineered the wall and ceiling-walking of the 9-year-old boy without extensive prior preparation of the room with hoists and pulleys or magnets or whatever, and without the connivance of the hospital. Again on the basis of "Cui bono?" ---that could be ruled out because hospitals don't benefit from the public perception that they have onsite demonic activity.

Extraordinary claims don't need extraordinary evidence. They just need evidence. Would you expect to find evidence of hospital collusion?

74 posted on 01/29/2014 8:14:15 AM PST by Mrs. Don-o (Sanity is the adequate response of the mind to the real thing: adaequatio mentis ad rem.)
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To: Mrs. Don-o

If you want to believe everything that someone says they saw, with no corroborating evidence, then that is your prerogative. Some of the rest of us require a little more verification when the claims are spectacular. If you can’t understand that, I’m sorry, but that’s just the way it is.


75 posted on 01/29/2014 10:31:09 AM PST by Boogieman
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To: Boogieman
"If you want to believe everything that someone says they saw,"

I never said that: but then, it's always easier to rebut what somebody didn't say.

I said "They need evidence," and "Using evidence, follow the possible chains of necessary and sufficient causes and effects, and see where they lead."

If you can't construe somebody's written statements accurately, you can't have much of a discussion.

76 posted on 01/29/2014 10:39:18 AM PST by Mrs. Don-o (Sanity is the adequate response of the mind to the real thing: adaequatio mentis ad rem.)
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To: Mrs. Don-o

“I never said that: but then, it’s always easier to rebut what somebody didn’t say.”

Put the whole sentence from the quote in there if you are going to claim it’s not accurate:

“If you want to believe everything that someone says they saw, with no corroborating evidence, then that is your prerogative.”

You have been arguing that I should accept the testimony of these witnesses, with no corroborating evidence, haven’t you?

If not, then what are you going on about, exactly? You made a dispute with a figure of speech referencing what type of evidence, ordinary or extraordinary, should be required to confirm a claim. Yet, nobody has even produced any ordinary evidence to confirm this claim.


77 posted on 01/29/2014 11:27:35 AM PST by Boogieman
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To: Boogieman
Yet, nobody has even produced any ordinary evidence to confirm this claim.

Claims or opinions cannot be evidence, it is merely conjecture, and completely useless in determining what is real and what is not. Demons possessing people, kids walking on ceilings, etc. None of that exists, only the claims exist.
78 posted on 01/29/2014 11:35:22 AM PST by ZX12R (Never forget the heroes of Benghazi, who were abandoned to their deaths by Obama)
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To: Boogieman
"You have been arguing that I should accept the testimony of these witnesses, with no corroborating evidence, haven’t you?"

No.(!!)

I am assuming youm mean "admit it into evidence," not "regfard it as irrefutable proof."

I have been saying you should not reject eyewitness testimony out of hand. I did say, "Using evidence, follow the possible chains of necessary and sufficient causes and effects, and see where they lead."

Eyewitness testimony from several parties whose testimony agrees, especially from people with no benefit to be gained from their claim, is ordinary evidence. To reject it out of hand is bias. If you see that, then we have no disagreement.

79 posted on 01/29/2014 12:21:54 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o (Sanity is the adequate response of the mind to the real thing: adaequatio mentis ad rem.)
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To: Mrs. Don-o

“I have been saying you should not reject eyewitness testimony out of hand.”

I’m not rejecting, or accepting it. I have no way to know whether their testimony reflects reality or not, because there is no corroborating evidence. Absent that evidence, their testimony means nothing to me, so I am going assume that the normal observed rules of physics and reality were actually in force, and nobody walked on the ceiling. You go ahead and form whatever opinion you want, I really couldn’t care less. Capiche?


80 posted on 01/29/2014 12:46:44 PM PST by Boogieman
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