As Occult, New Age Practices Increase, so Does Need for Exorcists

[edwest2]

Well, science has sure done a good job with schizophrenia and other mental illnesses. Exorcism was once far more common, and used erroneously all the time…

The curious thing to me about these kinds of conversations is this: exorcism is the far more “supernatural” or “mystical” practice while science deals with the world in accordance with the way God made it, with the way God made the human mind. So I find it confusing that we are so drawn towards this type of practice as opposed to scientific inquiry, especially when scientific inquiry had improved by leaps and bounds whereas exorcism has, so far as I can tell, gotten no better in thousands of years.

What is scientific about New Age and Occult practices today? What is rational about them?

Peace,
Ed

 

[edwest2]

In the past, many of the diseases that we now call mental illness and treat with science were called possession and treated with exorcisms of various types.

Thus I am not convinced that they are not the same thing, to a great extent.

The problem I see here is this: what is the method by which we can ‘validate’ a possession?

And if there is no factual method for doing so, then how are we to determine that mental illness and possession are not the same thing? Perhaps a particular possession/mental illness is currently unknown. but will be discovered and described in the future as have many of the other types of possession/mental illness.

Really, whether I “believe” in the Devil or not is of no consequence to the world. He either exists (in some form or another), or He does not. And so it makes no difference whether I “believe” in Him.

What is of import, in my opinion, is that His handiwork (or the handiwork ascribed to Him) has been taking a good licking from science. We are totally dominating Him.

Did you read the article? Mental health issues are mentioned and ruled out first. Your disbelief in demonic possession has no bearing on what the Church tells us. Jesus cast out demons.

Peace,
Ed

 

[prodigalson2011]

What is of import, in my opinion, is that His handiwork (or the handiwork ascribed to Him) has been taking a good licking from science.

Um, no. All those laws of physics, etc. that science is discovering? Yyyeah… who do you suppose established those?

Are you familiar with the fine-tuning argument? The impossibility of abiogenesis in the time allowed by the geological record?

I fear you’ve been drinking the secularist kool-aid. The level of understanding science is gaining is exactly what the Church has always aimed to achieve.
**
“It is our business here to inquire how God has constituted the natures of His creatures, not how far it may have pleased Him to work on them by way of miracle.” - St. Augustine on science, 400-something A.D. **

We are totally dominating Him.

I’m sure God is laughing his immaterial butt off at this one.