Why does God allow demonic posession

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I’m asking for a friend whose daughter (a young adult) asked this (while watching The Exorcist):
Why God would allow a demon to possess someone. I think I said something about God not interfering in a human’s life but she countered that the demon is interfering, so why would God allow that?
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Thanks
Mimi
 
At least two reasons: First, to demonstrate His absolute power over evil. Secondly, as a test of love for those around the possessed person. Keep in mind that possession normally occurs only after the subject has dabbled in the spiritual dark side. Evil will not break the door down, but enters through an opening. A very interesting article on exorcism that is confidence-inspiring as to God’s power over evil - and Mary’s influence over it:

regnumchristi.org/english/articulos/articulo.phtml?id=14318&se=364&ca=118&te=782
 
Mimi said:
I’m asking for a friend whose daughter (a young adult) asked this (while watching The Exorcist):

Thanks
Mimi
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According to Father Barrajon , in the article cited, it seems they don’t know the reasons.
 
fred_conty said:
According to Father Barrajon , in the article cited, it seems they don’t know the reasons.
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While Job was not possessed, he most certainly was afflicted by the devil. I think that the Church has drawn some conclusions from that book, and some of them might be applied also to cases of possession. However, cases of uninvited possession are extremely rare. Most victims have at least dabbled in the occult or some similar spiritually dangerous practice.
 
po18guy said:
While Job was not possessed, he most certainly was afflicted by the devil. I think that the Church has drawn some conclusions from that book, and some of them might be applied also to cases of possession. However, cases of uninvited possession are extremely rare. Most victims have at least dabbled in the occult or some similar spiritually dangerous practice.
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This was interesting that the article on James noted.

"Modern-day saints like Blessed Mother Teresa fought the devil and won. The devil tried to possess Mother Teresa when she was sick in the hospital, Father Amorth told the National Catholic Register. An Indian exorcist kept him at bay. "

"There are two common ways the devil enters a person, one exorcist told me. ‘The basic one is through sin. The person turns away from God and commits sin frequently. The devil finds a willing victim. He finds a friend. Conversely, there’s the person who is good, and the devil goes after him. The devil tries to wear the person down.’”

Mother Teresa?

And the two types of persons: the sinner, and the good person.
 
fred_conty said:
This was interesting that the article on James noted.

"Modern-day saints like Blessed Mother Teresa fought the devil and won. The devil tried to possess Mother Teresa when she was sick in the hospital, Father Amorth told the National Catholic Register. An Indian exorcist kept him at bay. "
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The devil set Saint John Vianney’s bed on fire. Saint Padre Pio emerged from his cell scraped and bruised from physical fights with the devil. Two of the greatest confessors in history - spending hours per day reconciling sinners with God. Thus they were prime targets of the evil one. My most impressive Saint: Teresa of Avila. Plagued by the devil, she was awakend to see him, with all of his horrible ugliness, staring her in the face. Her response? “Oh, it’s just you.” She rolled over and went back to sleep! Praise God for His Saints!
fred_conty said:
"There are two common ways the devil enters a person, one exorcist told me. ‘The basic one is through sin. The person turns away from God and commits sin frequently. The devil finds a willing victim. He finds a friend. Conversely, there’s the person who is good, and the devil goes after him. The devil tries to wear the person down.’”

Mother Teresa?

And the two types of persons: the sinner, and the good person.
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That covers all of us. I am of the firm belief that today we tend to underemphasize the spiritual aspects of evil. Each and everything that occurs on earth, good or bad, is driven by a spirit. All good is done via the Holy Spirit, but just look at the sheer amount of evil in today’s world and imagine the spiritual force behind that. Paul wrote of the “spirit of the air” that accomplished evil 2,000 years ago. That spirit and innumerable others are just as young and energetic today as back then.

The good news is that the devil has already been defeated. What he does today is his last gasp, as he will soon be confined to his own place and will no longer be able to roam this earth. I can’t say he is panicking, but he is in a hurry for souls.
 
One of the devil’s cleverest ideas is to make people think he does not exist, and conversely God and the spiritual world does not exists.

BY allowing possessions, God shows the world that the spiritual realm DOES exists, and God still has dominion over evil. What can be more dramatic than scaring the pants off a skeptical world than a real true to life possession ??? By allowing someone as famous as Mother Teresa or Padre Pio be vulnerable to attacks, God is warning us that everyone is vulnerable to attacks from evil even very holy people.

Folks say, people who are close to death may be attacked, The devil wants us to lose faith. to turn away from God, what better time, when we are weakest, when we are terrified of the unknown, when we are afraid of our own mortality ? No one ever said the devil was an idiot. Anyone who does may be in for a rude awakening.
 
po18guy said:
At least two reasons: First, to demonstrate His absolute power over evil. Secondly, as a test of love for those around the possessed person. Keep in mind that possession normally occurs only after the subject has dabbled in the spiritual dark side. Evil will not break the door down, but enters through an opening. A very interesting article on exorcism that is confidence-inspiring as to God’s power over evil - and Mary’s influence over it:

regnumchristi.org/english/articulos/articulo.phtml?id=14318&se=364&ca=118&te=782
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I can understand about the test aspect, but what about the many people who, even after an exorism, are not healed of this?
 
mikekle said:
I can understand about the test aspect, but what about the many people who, even after an exorism, are not healed of this?
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Jesus laid hands on the blind man, but it still took two tries before his sight was restored.
 
fred_conty said:
According to Father Barrajon , in the article cited, it seems they don’t know the reasons.
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Code: 
       Fr.  Amorth answers this question:
translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=2&hl=en&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://www.aiutonline.org/esorcisti.htm&usg=ALkJrhjMXBLceZ1s–l1OsSoZ0gVArHWBg

“This problem should be seen in light of all the problem of suffering and evil. We look at the cross of Christ, the resurrection that followed, and we can figure something out. There are pains that do not have a rational explanation, looking only to earthly life, but looking to acquire their meaning then, to eternal life. To help us understand, compare a child born with an evil evil to a child who is born sick, for example, who was born mongoloid. For God, who wants only the good, allow this?
We do credit to his wisdom, even from this evil, which it is not wanted, able to draw good.”
Code: 
    I took several years of French and  although the Google translator is imperfect  I suggest reading his writings.
Pax Christi,
BP
 
BluesPicker said:
Fr. Amorth answers this question:

translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=2&hl=en&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://www.aiutonline.org/esorcisti.htm&usg=ALkJrhjMXBLceZ1s–l1OsSoZ0gVArHWBg

“This problem should be seen in light of all the problem of suffering and evil. We look at the cross of Christ, the resurrection that followed, and we can figure something out. There are pains that do not have a rational explanation, looking only to earthly life, but looking to acquire their meaning then, to eternal life. To help us understand, compare a child born with an evil evil to a child who is born sick, for example, who was born mongoloid. For God, who wants only the good, allow this?
We do credit to his wisdom, even from this evil, which it is not wanted, able to draw good.”
Code: 
    I took several years of French and  although the Google translator is imperfect  I suggest reading his writings.
Pax Christi,
BP
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You can say that again! It is a very poor translation…very difficult to make sense from it.
I read the whole article but it didn’t make a lot of sense in places. But thanks anyway.
 
mikekle said:
I can understand about the test aspect, but what about the many people who, even after an exorism, are not healed of this?
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Code: 
 That is an easy one to answer.  It is because sometimes God wills sinful people to suffer possession; so that they return to God.  Still others are possessed that are completely innocent.

 Why would Jesus Christ ask someone completely innocent to suffer possession, if he casts our demons in the Gospel?  You have to look at the Big Picture.  Well, all suffering can be said to be for the Glory of God. Firstly.so that the individual would be raised to a greater sanctity in Heaven. Secondly, for the salvation of other souls, vocations,souls in purgatory,families,etc.. Suffering whether through possession, oppression, infestations, temptations conforms us to Christ, who said "take up your Cross daily, deny yourself, and follow me."  Jesus Christ did not perform miracles just to relieve our ills. He used these "signs" and wonders to prove to us His Divinity, that His Kingdom had arrived to believe in Him as our Saviour. Although some people may be personally guilty of sin that brought on possession, many are victims, innocent of blame. St. Paul says "I make up in my body what is lacking to the suffering of Christ." And in another place, "I begged the Lord to take this angel of Satan from me, but the Lord said "My grace is sufficient for thee."

  These people who Christ calls to suffer possession are called "victim souls." They actually trap Satan and lessen people like me and you exposure to Satan.  These are saintly people who follow the directives of their spiritual advisors.  They know Christ intimately and many bear His Wounds.  These are extraordinary people of Grace; and these are those that like Padre Pio, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Therese of Avila, and other Saints.

  This is not very popular in the mainstream Church today. And, if you are not closely united to Jesus Christ, you can end up a "**SOUL VICTIM**" as Rev. Dominic Syzmanski states in "A Notebook on Exorcism and Possession."  By luck, I was able to purchase this book on Amazon.com for $15 plus shipping. Now copies are going for many times that price.. The pages of the book I purchased were loose and without thinking I glued them together. I should have made copies for those interested.

 People say things like "Rather than read about the gory details of exorcism (their words not mine),  I rather read a good book about the lives of a Saint!"  Only what Saint was not challenged by Satan? Best example I know is Padre Pio.
Pax Christi,
BP
 
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