Concerning Exorcism

[Against_Heresy]

This thread might be off topic but I was confused.

I have seen and heard of Muslim, Jewish, protestant and etc. “Exorcists”, I have even seen videos of Islamic exorcisms that look very convincing.

My question is that can only Christians cast out demons?
I highly doubt Muslims and Jews have the power to exorcise yet the video’s I have seen look extremely convincing that the Muslim is actually exercising the person.

Can someone help please. I am open to opinion.

 

[Bookcat]

God hears the prayers of all who seek him…and can deliver from various evils those who ask.

You would of course be correct that the Church has a particular authority in this area…but such does not mean God can not answer the prayers of others…“if” a possessed person is freed outside the ordinary course…

As to Protestants…they pray etc of course in the name of Jesus…

Remember too that Possession while increasing is still rare. And often a person may not even be possessed in the cases that may be so described.

(I ought to note here of course that it is only an official exorcist Priest that is to be doing “exorcisms” …for such is dangerous business…)

 

[A_G]

Only a priest appointed by a bishop, or the bishop himself usually performs exorcisms. Blessed Pope John Paul II has performed this Rite too (I think he performed 3 while being Pope). Exorcisms performed by non-priests or someone who is a priest but unauthorised are not valid. Exorcisms performed by priests who are appointed by the bishop are valid.

Now whatever you see in the media that is non-Catholic Church approved, is not recognized by the Church as a valid exorcism. They are misleading and can lead one into the occult. These are false exorcisms and they do not work, even if they appear to.

 

[Charlotte408]

Were Jewish people not performing exorcisms before Jesus came? I’ve heard that Jewish Rabbi’s perform exorcisms whilst reciting Psalm 91…

If Jews were performing exorcisms before Christ…

And God answers prayers of every type and delivers us all from evil…

then why wouldn’t another exorcism be valid?

 

[Charlotte408]

Could a layperson do an exorcism? My interest in this has like - skyrocketed in the past 2 months. I don’t even want to get into the ‘why’.

But - say - someone thought that they had a demon on their back…what should they do? Without sounding crazy. Because, IMHO, just the thought of someone thinking they need an exorcism makes them sound like they are crazy.

 

[djd83]

Scary stuff here…

 

[Charlotte408]

Scary stuff here…

It is. What’s even scarier, is the thought that IF this IS the case - that the person is too scared to do anything about it out of fear of how it will be perceived. It’s like an alcoholic with a sneaky suspicion of their addiction…but they just can’t pull themselves away or bring themselves to confront the situation…

 

[Charlotte408]

Anyways, seriously, back to my questions-

Exorcisms in the book of Tobit, Josephus recounts incidents of possession and exorcism in his Antiquities of the Jews (2, 5, 8, 45-48). In his description, exorcism involved burning herbs and immersing the possessed person in water.

An extended story in Leviticus Rabbah 24:3 tells of the exorcism of a well of water involving iron implements and shouted formulae. Shimon bar Yohai exorcises a demon that assists him in getting the cooperation of Caesar in lifting an oppressive decree against the Jews.

DISCLAIMER - I know nothing about ANY of this, especially Judaism, I’m just thumbing for anything that might allude to an exorcism being performed and carried out prior to Christ.

 

[bmullins]

Even a blind pig russels up a truffle now and again.

I think we have to admit that God is God, and he does what he wills. They are still calling on the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Just as we don’t know who gets to Heaven, we also have to admit that there are those in other faiths who might be very close indeed to God.

They could be real, I wouldn’t doubt them. I also would be scared to try it myself. The entire verse in the bible about the fellows trying to exorcise demons and getting ‘jumped’ makes me wary to try anything like that myself. I’ll stick to letting the churches Exorcists do that sort of thing.

(consequently that very story tells us that there were ‘Jewish’ exorcists then as well.)

Acts 19: 13 Now some also of the Jewish exorcists who went about, attempted to invoke over them that had evil spirits, the name of the Lord Jesus, saying: I conjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preacheth. 14 And there were certain men, seven sons of Sceva, a Jew, a chief priest, that did this. 15 But the wicked spirit, answering, said to them: Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you? 16 And the man in whom the wicked spirit was, leaping upon them, and mastering them both, prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 And this became known to all the Jews and the Gentiles that dwelt at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.