about evil

[andante]

Hello,

my first thread - hope I put it in the right place.

I have heard that the devil attacks more likely the Catholic church because it is the original one and has most power. In my Lutheran background the priests barely mentioned the devil (maybe afraid of the congregation’s reactions), and because of all the love I have experienced, I sometimes forget there even is such a thing.

But a small incident happened that reminded me of it. I was at a party and the only soon-to-be-Catholic there, majority not even religious people. Some girl suggested we’d play spiritism, that’s the European version of the ouija board. Of course I said no, and was feeling a bit uncomfortable. Nobody else was interested in it either, but the conversation took off to ghosts and scary unexplained things in general. You know how it is- people joke about those things, pretend they don’t believe in that stuff, but the atmosphere changes swiftly into this heavy, not a pleasant one at all. It was late at night and we were burning candles around the house, some girls started feeling a bit afraid.

I started praying Hail Mary in my mind, and wished the subject to change. I tried to make a point in between trying to debunk what people were saying about these “fascinating” things, then I changed my position on my chair just a bit and for some weird reason I found myself losing balance. Everything happened so fast, but it felt like the chair was being pulled under me. I was completely sober and not tired, my mind was focused. As I started to fall, I was tilting so that a candle nearby was almost touching my hair, and the boy sitting next to it hurried up to move it, I heard some people gasp. In the end I didn’t hurt myself at all, didn’t even fall down, but everybody in the room was baffled what had just happened. I was baffled too, so I just said the floor must have been slippery. Then one girl said “ok that’s enough about evil spirits for now!”

What are your opinions on this? I wonder if I became some sort of target because I was openly praying in my mind when others were talking about disturbing things. Or am I over-thinking this? I realized I know nothing about those kinds of situations. How should one protect themselves and others?

I have gone to Mass regularly since September but am not officially even Catholic yet, still a few weeks for my Confirmation.

 

[BluesPicker]

Hello,

my first thread - hope I put it in the right place.

I have heard that the devil attacks more likely the Catholic church because it is the original one and has most power. In my Lutheran background the priests barely mentioned the devil (maybe afraid of the congregation’s reactions), and because of all the love I have experienced, I sometimes forget there even is such a thing.

But a small incident happened that reminded me of it. I was at a party and the only soon-to-be-Catholic there, majority not even religious people. Some girl suggested we’d play spiritism, that’s the European version of the ouija board. Of course I said no, and was feeling a bit uncomfortable. Nobody else was interested in it either, but the conversation took off to ghosts and scary unexplained things in general. You know how it is- people joke about those things, pretend they don’t believe in that stuff, but the atmosphere changes swiftly into this heavy, not a pleasant one at all. It was late at night and we were burning candles around the house, some girls started feeling a bit afraid.

I started praying Hail Mary in my mind, and wished the subject to change. I tried to make a point in between trying to debunk what people were saying about these “fascinating” things, then I changed my position on my chair just a bit and for some weird reason I found myself losing balance. Everything happened so fast, but it felt like the chair was being pulled under me. I was completely sober and not tired, my mind was focused. As I started to fall, I was tilting so that a candle nearby was almost touching my hair, and the boy sitting next to it hurried up to move it, I heard some people gasp. In the end I didn’t hurt myself at all, didn’t even fall down, but everybody in the room was baffled what had just happened. I was baffled too, so I just said the floor must have been slippery. Then one girl said “ok that’s enough about evil spirits for now!”

What are your opinions on this? I wonder if I became some sort of target because I was openly praying in my mind when others were talking about disturbing things. Or am I over-thinking this? I realized I know nothing about those kinds of situations. How should one protect themselves and others?

I have gone to Mass regularly since September but am not officially even Catholic yet, still a few weeks for my Confirmation.

How well do you know the people that you were with? I guess you must be European?
Why all the candles? What is the religious back ground the person with the European Ouija board? Oh, the place you were at was it old and if so, do you know anything about the history of the building or home?

You were afraid; so you started to pray. That is exactly what you should do.

Praying doesn’t make one a target. That is one fallacy that some embrace. The absence of prayer possibly could leave you venerable? Right now I think your chair just slipped. It was late and I guess everyone was uptight.

Stay away from Ouija boards and the occult because it is a grave matter i.e. practicing this is a mortal sin.  From what you have said,  I see no reason to assume you did anything wrong.

 Also, delving into the occult although known for getting into spiritual troubles doesn't mean every time  something bad happens.  If that were so no one would participate in it at all.

 

[4love2God]

What I believe is : Satan works harder on people who are MORE Spiritual.
After all, if a person is already despicable, that person is doing exactly what Satan wants him to do.
So, if anything, Satan would do things to REWARD that despicable behavior.
Satan’s main Job in the World is to lessen the amount (and strength) of a person’s Faith.
Give him other things to think about … from Guilt to Porn (and everything in-between).
During the time of each day when a person is thinking about non-Faith issues, Satan smiles.

At a deeper level, frequently, when a person is about to make a BIG Spiritual choice (e.g., nearing Confirmation), Satan happily takes advantage of it.
As the person is nearing this make-or-break point, that is the time he is MOST vulnerable to getting “spooked” … and,** IF** the person decides to NOT go through with it … HAPPY DAYS for Satan.

This same exact thing happens to many Nuns in the last weeks (or months) before they take their Final Vows.
They call it “The Dark Night” (this term was coined by Saint John of the Cross, a Mystic).
During this time things happen, and the Nun will lose almost ALL of her Faith and security.
Usually, a day or 2 before her Final Vows, her pain lessens, and afterwards, things return to normal . . . well, better than Normal, because NOW she is a consecrated Nun.

So, in your limited way, you are readying yourself to take your “Final Vows.”
Expect that this feeling may increase in intensity.
But, also KNOW that this will stop after you Confirm your membership in the Catholic Church.

 

[Phalanx]

Sounds like fun, wish i was there

Anyways, demons and evil don’t need ouija boards, cards, or any medium to do their business. Those “tools” just open up ones mind for easier access. Im not saying there was anything going on at the incident other than random coincidences and bad “vibes”.

BUT lets say, hypothetically, that there was an evil “entity” or whatever present. Demons absolutely hate the Blessed Virgin Mary more than anything. I heard this from a podcast with a Catholic exorcist. Demons cringe just hearing her mentioned. So technically, if a demon was present, it would do everything in its “power” to stop your praying. :ehh:

 

[esieffe]

Interesting. Your actions stopped the satanic ritual from happening correct? Well… maybe they weren’t your reactions but, it is difficult to guess. The only point I am making is, maybe your prayers were answered.

I think the point others made however is true, that Satan does not have to bother with people who are already lost, unless it is to get to others. What happened to you threw a damper on the whole idea.

:knight1::knight1:

 

[vindicated]

What I believe is : Satan works harder on people who are MORE Spiritual.
After all, if a person is already despicable, that person is doing exactly what Satan wants him to do.
So, if anything, Satan would do things to REWARD that despicable behavior.
Satan’s main Job in the World is to lessen the amount (and strength) of a person’s Faith.
Give him other things to think about … from Guilt to Porn (and everything in-between).
During the time, each day when a person is thinking about non-Faith issues, Satan smiles.

At a deeper level, frequently, when a person is about to make a BIG Spiritual choice (e.g., nearing Confirmation), Satan happily takes advantage of it.
As the person is nearing this make-or-break point, that is the time he is MOST vulnerable to getting “spooked” … and,** IF** the person decides to NOT go through with it … HAPPY DAYS for Satan.

This same exact thing happens to many Nuns in the last weeks (or months) before they take their Final Vows.
They call it “The Dark Night” (this term was coined by Saint John of the Cross, a Mystic).
During this time things happen, and the Nun will lose almost ALL of her Faith and security.
Usually, a day or 2 before her Final Vows, her pain lessens, and afterwards, things return to normal . . . well, better than Normal, because NOW she is a consecrated Nun.

So, in your limited way, you are readying yourself to take your “Final Vows.”
Expect that this feeling may increase in intensity.
But, also KNOW that this will stop after you Confirm your membership in the Catholic Church.

I agree with this post. About seven years ago, a young lady moved in with us so she could attend a local college. She was raised protestant, but became interested in the Catholic Church, and decided to convert. About two weeks before her baptism, she experienced horrible nightmares, whispering in her ears, a presence up in her face, and knocking at her bedroom window. It shook her up a bit, but only convinced her that she was indeed making the right decision. She prayed the rosary more, used blessed salt and wore a St. Benedict medal. After her baptism, the activity stopped. She is quite happy and teaching college in Spain now.

 

[andante]

Thank you for all your replies! The people I was with were mostly good friends of mine, just not that religious even though we sing in a choir that mainly performs sacred works. In fact we were actually singing Allegri’s Miserere just for fun earlier in that same room before the conversation took this turn.

The candles were there because we were spending Earth Hour (when everyone is supposed to shut down all electricity for one hour to protect nature). The building wasn’t that old, maybe 100 years and yes I’m European. The one who suggested the Ouija board was not part of our choir and also I had not met this person before, but she seemed a very nice girl and I don’t think anybody there was really trying to do anything satanic, as for many non-religious people it’s just another game and they mean no harm with it. But of course I try to stay away from those kinds of things.

I know dabbling with the occult is dangerous, but where does one draw the line exactly? Is all new age considered to be evil? It’s one thing to try to contact the devil with Ouija boards but what about people who try to heal others with energy treatments, they say they are working with love. Some who do that even say they are Christians and work with archangel Michael.

Thank you for explaining about the devil testing the ones soon to go through with confirmation rites…btw that’s something they do not mention at the introduction course! oh and the next morning I went to church and the passage “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me” was read. I couldn’t help smiling.

 

[ccmcmg]

What I believe is : Satan works harder on people who are MORE Spiritual.
After all, if a person is already despicable, that person is doing exactly what Satan wants him to do.
So, if anything, Satan would do things to REWARD that despicable behavior.
Satan’s main Job in the World is to lessen the amount (and strength) of a person’s Faith.
Give him other things to think about … from Guilt to Porn (and everything in-between).
During the time of each day when a person is thinking about non-Faith issues, Satan smiles.

At a deeper level, frequently, when a person is about to make a BIG Spiritual choice (e.g., nearing Confirmation), Satan happily takes advantage of it.
As the person is nearing this make-or-break point, that is the time he is MOST vulnerable to getting “spooked” … and,** IF** the person decides to NOT go through with it … HAPPY DAYS for Satan.
…
So, in your limited way, you are readying yourself to take your “Final Vows.”
Expect that this feeling may increase in intensity.
But, also KNOW that this will stop after you Confirm your membership in the Catholic Church.

I can attest to the fact that when you are moving forward, the devil/demons work to bring you ‘backwards’.

Very wise words.

 

[BluesPicker]

Although the OP gave a good description, there are so many possible ways that evil can harm us. But, the OP was praying; so if some evil came against he was startled by his chair slipping. Then even then no real harm came to them.

 You can't make an accurate determination in one instance; but, in time sometimes a pattern emerges.  Cause and effect so to speak.

 It could have been his guardian Angel alerting him to some danger inherently present in the environs.  But the simplest explanation, it was a spooky night. And that is all. Just a matter of nerves.

 

[ynotzap]

Hello,

my first thread - hope I put it in the right place.

I have heard that the devil attacks more likely the Catholic church because it is the e a point in between trying to debunk what people were saying about these “fascinating” original one and has most power. In my Lutheran background the priests barely mentioned the devil (maybe afraid of the congregation’s reactions), and because of all the love I have experienced, I sometimes forget there even is such a thing.

It’s been my experience for many years that I have not heard a sermon, or homily about the devil in the Catholic Church, almost to the extent that his existence was ignored. It is always mentioned at a Baptism, or the renewal of the Baptismal Vows. Jesus said “What king is there that prepares for war that doesn’t think about the strength of his enemies”(paraphrase) We do hear a lot about love, and we should. How conscious are we Catholics about Satan, God’s and our greatest enemy, an enemy whose works Jesus came to destroy. An enemy who caused wars, and splits in the Church, who is behind every evil, situation in our lives. He has done a great job of deception, if he were truly exposed, then he unwittingly would testify to the reality of Jesus. He clouds the minds of men which are already disposed to ignorance by the fall of Adam. We must use the sword of truth which is the word of God, found in the Holy Scriptures, and we must use our shield of Faith, the gifts of the Holy Spirit to fight this seducer and his cohorts. When Jesus moves in the devil moves out. It is then that we as individuals, and the world will find love, and peace. we keep praying "Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done…