A Demons' Store Moves In

[TheSpiritHeals]

Recently, The Wizard’s Hat store moved into the shopping center in my neighborhood.
The store is located within one mile of an elementary school, a middle school and a high school. The owner of the store is a woman of about 40 years old. I visited the store and asked the owner why she was selling statues of demons and t-shirts with pictures of demons on them. She responded by asking me what is my religion. I told her that I was Catholic. She smiled broadly and said “Well, then, the statues and pictures on the t-shirts are merely like the gargoyles that the Catholic Church had on their churches during the Middle Ages. And what is good enough for the Catholic Church then, should be good enough for you now”.
I asked her what is her religion. She immediately turned hostile and responded in a belligerent fashion “What I believe is private to me only”. I then quietly walked out of the store.

The neighborhood Catholic Church is small and is led by an elderly priest who is sickly and an elderly deacon who is unhappy.

If I return to the Wizard’s Hat, what should I say to the owner?

 

[Thundercat38]

Please, never return there alone. Always bring someone with you. Pray for guidence and wisdom.

 

[Hokomai]

I Googled them. I am confident that they are not demonically-inspired because if they were, they would have a better website!

 

[MtnDwellar]

I am not sure why you want to go back into the store.

Gargoyles do not seem to be well explained by the Church. I looked for an explanation some time ago. Some say that the images have no significance. Others say that they should be removed from churches. Some think that they were used to make people from pagan religions more comfortable… (I really don’t like that one!!) And the explanation that I find most credible is that they were used to ward off evil. They symbolize demons and upon seeing a gargoyle, an actual demon will keep moving because he thinks that there are already other demons in charge. They were kind of like scarecrows.

The use of gargoyles on churches was usually outside of the building and always outside of the sanctuary. It is clear that the Christians were not worshiping or honoring the creatures. They also did not adorn themselves with these images. They did not have gargoyle jewelry or t-shirts. Her gargoyles are not like those on churches. Unless people hang the shirts outside of the their homes or garages, they serve a different purpose.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

Leave her alone. She has a point. I would say you’ve actually met a very nice woman since she didn’t outright blast our Faith as I’ve seen many trolls on YouTube and the rest of internet do.

Besides, I myself have seen (and plan to own) some statues that would appear to be ‘demons’ to you. I also own at least a dozen cards you would qualify as ‘demonic’.

You’ll find my home completely free of the actual thing.

 

[MtnDwellar]

You’ll find my home completely free of the actual thing.

This is unlikely.

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

This is unlikely.

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

Unless I’ve seen proof of the otherwise, you are in no place to even suggest this. I don’t see stuff floating around. People don’t see weird shadows floating about my house (let alone me).

Frankly, all this emotion the so-called ‘spiritual crowd’ attaches to the hollow aesthetic just makes the case for the strawman about religion being devoid of reason.

 

[PatriceA]

I Googled them. I am confident that they are not demonically-inspired because if they were, they would have a better website!

If its the site that popped up when I googled it, then IMO its not demonic. There were even a few things on the site that I would be interested in.

 

[MtnDwellar]

Unless I’ve seen proof of the otherwise, you are in no place to even suggest this. I don’t see stuff floating around. People don’t see weird shadows floating about my house (let alone me).

Frankly, all this emotion the so-called ‘spiritual crowd’ attaches to the hollow aesthetic just makes the case for the strawman about religion being devoid of reason.

Is seeing a prerequisite for believing? We are told that our adversary is unseen. Seeing is very unlikely.

There is no antecedent for the subjects mentioned in your last sentence. I don’t understand your point.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

Is seeing a prerequisite for believing?

You can’t make statements without proof. Rules of Logic 101.

There is no antecedent for the subjects mentioned in your last sentence. I don’t understand your point.

Blind belief is not encouraged in our religion. To suggest (with an obscure Bible verse no less) that possessing merchandise somehow makes for clear evidence of demonic manifestation (without further investigation) is in violation with Church-sanctioned procedures regarding such investigations.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

If its the site that popped up when I googled it, then IMO its not demonic. There were even a few things on the site that I would be interested in.

If it’s anything like the one that popped up which says “Your Source for Unique Celtic, Irish, & Gothic items…” then I must say I’m interested as well.

Unfortunately their price tags for their dragon merchandise gave me a figurative heart attack. >_<;;

Hm… maybe I should just console myself and buy that Dragon Broodmother M:TG card. TwT

 

[lizaanne]

I wouldn’t worry too much, those places don’t seem to do a lot of business, and rent in a mall is not cheap. Pray for her to go out of business and hopefully move on to something more healthy for her and those around her.

I would not go back in there.

~Liza

 

[Bearontherun]

I Googled them. I am confident that they are not demonically-inspired because if they were, they would have a better website!

Good point.

 

[MtnDwellar]

You can’t make statements without proof. Rules of Logic 101.

Blind belief is not encouraged in our religion. To suggest (with an obscure Bible verse no less) that possessing merchandise somehow makes for clear evidence of demonic manifestation (without further investigation) is in violation with Church-sanctioned procedures regarding such investigations.

Is there such a thing as an “obscure” bible verse? I think they are all more or less equal.

I was not clear. I was not suggesting that posessing the cards that you mentioned are evidence of demonic manifestations.

The only evidence of demonic manifestations is demonic manifestations. In our way of thinking about the presence of spiritual beings, demons can be thought of as always present. Not even a Church can claim to be free of demons. I took exception to your statement that your house is completely free of demons.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

I was not clear. I was not suggesting that posessing the cards that you mentioned are evidence of demonic manifestations.

The only evidence of demonic manifestations is demonic manifestations. In our way of thinking about the presence of spiritual beings, demons can be thought of as always present. Not even a Church can claim to be free of demons. I took exception to your statement that your house is completely free of demons.

Well thank you for the clarifications but you’re still a little obscure. There are no ‘demons’ as far as any Exorcist style manifestations are concerned. The only supernatural phenomenon here… wait, no there isn’t any. This is just your regular, run-o-the-mill suburban household.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

Kind of a bad URL, IMO

Reads like “the wizard shat.”



And, the merchandise just looks like a bunch of cheap stuff made in China.

But I don’t think that particular site is for this store, looks like they don’t have a brick and mortar location that I can see anyway.

 

[fred_conty]

Recently, The Wizard’s Hat store moved into the shopping center in my neighborhood.
The store is located within one mile of an elementary school, a middle school and a high school. The owner of the store is a woman of about 40 years old. I visited the store and asked the owner why she was selling statues of demons and t-shirts with pictures of demons on them. She responded by asking me what is my religion. I told her that I was Catholic. She smiled broadly and said “Well, then, the statues and pictures on the t-shirts are merely like the gargoyles that the Catholic Church had on their churches during the Middle Ages. And what is good enough for the Catholic Church then, should be good enough for you now”.
I asked her what is her religion. She immediately turned hostile and responded in a belligerent fashion “What I believe is private to me only”. I then quietly walked out of the store.

The neighborhood Catholic Church is small and is led by an elderly priest who is sickly and an elderly deacon who is unhappy.

If I return to the Wizard’s Hat, what should I say to the owner?

If the owner asked you your religion affiliation, then why would she be upset when you
asked for her’s?

I believe I’ve seen a high school who call themselves red devils and have a red devil on
their sports clothing. I never did like that. I think our youngsters have enough to
overcome without adding the wrong images to their imaginations. And in addition, who wants to be a loser like him?

And as far as statues to satan, I think we would do better to stick with Mary. I believe
having a statue of this evil would just allow satan to put his foot in our door.

Should we do anything about her store? What laws protect her protect us and allows
freedom of choice without dodgeing bullets.

Why don’t you suggest she sell statues of Mary and become a feminist and not a female
chovenist pig? How will women compete if they don’t have equal representation. And
there are more Catholics than satanists and therefore more MONEY in it. And if you keep
at it, you may even turn her store into a Christian one along with her. Just show her how
she earns more money, money, money. And I think I do remember where someone
actually did do this.

Just an evil thought.