Vomit Comet Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 What fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
♦ Fuego ♦ Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 They only see them when I walk in. Not sure why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShackledNoMore Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 Yeah, when we moved my mother would walk around the house from room to room casting out demons. There was a whole bunch of things you could do, even as a xian that would be a demon's ticket into you. Even if you didn't have a demon, they still went around trying to influence you to lust or otherwise sin. Demons seemed to be an area of focus in my church in particular--with some members it was quite a bit worse than it was even at my house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vomit Comet Posted April 27, 2009 Author Share Posted April 27, 2009 Pentecostals may have had more fun than those boring, tight-ass Southern Baptists... but I'm starting to think that being a Southern Baptist is better for one's mental health. Boy, that's definitely a relative sliding scale there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
♦ Fuego ♦ Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 Yeah, when we moved my mother would walk around the house from room to room casting out demons. There was a whole bunch of things you could do, even as a xian that would be a demon's ticket into you. Even if you didn't have a demon, they still went around trying to influence you to lust or otherwise sin. Demons seemed to be an area of focus in my church in particular--with some members it was quite a bit worse than it was even at my house. Yep. I used to go around anointing doorways with olive oil and myrrh (ooooh! it has myrrh, that's in the Bible, so it must be more powerful, oooooh!) I noticed afterward that it soaked into the latex paint and made a shiny spot that couldn't be washed off and more latex paint would not stick to without using Kilz primer. Foo-foo (stuff that is supposed to be powerful and ever so spiritual, but looks absurd and often costs lots of money) is popular in all religions. I went to a psychic fair last weekend and one guy there who runs a place called the "Crystal Temple" would put most charismatic churches to shame with the amount of foo-foo he does. There was the typical grabbing the air and throwing it like power. There was calling down the various higher entities (Archangels, spirit guides, leprechauns, fairies, etc). Apparently blinking rapidly while doing this makes it work better. And they sell their foo-foo for considerable sums, which people seem to gobble up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathlene Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 They only see them when I walk in. Not sure why. That is hilarious Fuego. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OpheliaGinger Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 I was a part of the Church of Christ, so demons were in the backseat. Everyone believed in them but knew that most cases of demon possession are in fact just people who are mentally ill. The leaders "equipped" the members to do minor battle (praying) but no exorcisms/deliverance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dagan Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Great analysis, fuego! Apparently blinking rapidly while doing this makes it work better. Don't forget cramming your eyelids so tightly shut you see stars (angelic/demonic power, the holy spirit or whatever) and grimacing like you're about to take a shit. I had a couple books recommended to me to help me deal with psychological issues (Bondage Breaker and another book by the same author) that basically told me all my problems were because of demons. Scary thing is, I believed it. Worse, I gave one to a friend to try and help him improve his life. Wish I could take that move back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
defygravity Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 OMG demons were apart of all sermons it seemed in the church I grew up in. Demons made me listen to eveil rock music, demons gave my dad cancer, demons gave my mom cancer and she literally went around the house screaming at the top of her lungs into every room telling the demons they can't mess with her that she is a child of God, etc. She had a tumor in her uterus that was stage 4 so she had a hysterectomy a couple years ago. Yeah, blames it on Satan and his demons... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mriana Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Those in my relatives' Evangelical churches believed mental illness was a demon, but psychologist will steal your soul if you go to them for help. Laying on of hands and various sorts of anointing even with proxies. I don't get it, but OK. Some Episcopalians said that if the baby cries during baptism (sprinkling) that meant a demon was leaving him/her. Believe it or not, the Episcopal Church does homes, people, animals, and alike. St. Francis day, they bless everyone's pets with oil and holy water. They do healing services with oil and holy water. Even do the laying on of hands sometimes. Not quite like Evangelicals do it, but I think the idea is the same. I've been to too many different churches. I don't know why I didn't just leave many years ago. sigh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gypsy79 Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 Pentecostals may have had more fun than those boring, tight-ass Southern Baptists... but I'm starting to think that being a Southern Baptist is better for one's mental health. I don't know. My Southern Baptist church was all about the demons. People constantly reporting demonic attacks (such as throwing babies around and messing up rooms nobody was in), seeing angels, hearing demons talk through people, casting out demons, all kinds of crazy crap. I still catch myself thinking, "oh no, I shouldn't have said that out loud because Satan and the demons might have heard it" (since we all know they can't read our thoughts...only god can...ugh). That fucking Josh McDowel book fucked me all up as a teenager. At least I think it was McDowell, that rat bastard. The one with Ratsbane the demon in it. I am just now getting over my fear of stupid ass imaginary demons. Allowing children to read that stupid book should be considered child abuse worthy of removal from the home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vendredie Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 I went to a Southern Baptist/"community" church, but nobody seemed to really believe in demons. If Satan wanted something done, he did it his own damn self, which mostly involved luring people into lust/drugs/etc. rather than possessing people a la the Exorcist. I never knew there were Christians who actually *didn't* think demons were horseshit until I came here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedah Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 Unfortunately, my parental units ( especially my father ) are full believers in the whole "spiritual warfare" bullshit. In fact, my dad had a long talk about that with me the last time I visited them... ...never have I had to -smile and nod- so many times in 20 minutes. He went on all about how he believes wiccans are really demonic spirits on earth who are conspiring to do the devils bidding. How he believes that the most respected scientists are actually demonic leaders in disguise. It's really sad how some people can have this insane belief that demons are lurking around and are out to eat people's souls. Pentecostals are wack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigile Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 I attended a particular church for a short time while in JR High. I recall a sermon where the pastor remarked that Satan had never visited our valley. Had he flown over at the speed and height of a fighter jet he would have left a trail of destruction in his wake, and this was proof he had never visited. Even then this was met with my laughter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahgrace Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 I can't believe I could check off EVERY SINGLE ITEM on that last list, VC. Oh the memories. Spiritual warfare was a cornerstone of the churches i attended. When i was a believer, I saw demons everywhere and I constantly thought they were trying to fuck with me. I was convinced that I was being oppressed by demons because I was depressed... I underwent two "deliverances" (charismatic exorcisms) when I was 19, and was obsessed with freeing people and places from demonic influences. Pretty much anything having to do with anything originating anywhere south or east of Israel was considered probably demonic. If you did yoga, you let demons in. If you listened to certain music, you let demons in. Tarot? Demons. Ouija? Demons. Hypnosis? Demons. Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Demons. Masturbation? Demons. Meditation? Demons. Martial arts? Demons. I could go on for days. It was ridiculous, and literally drove me to the brink of insanity. Then I left the country and spent time with much more reasonable christians who took a much more sensible view of things, as far as christianity goes. They were my way out, really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vendredie Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 I can't believe I could check off EVERY SINGLE ITEM on that last list, VC. Oh the memories. Spiritual warfare was a cornerstone of the churches i attended. When i was a believer, I saw demons everywhere and I constantly thought they were trying to fuck with me. I was convinced that I was being oppressed by demons because I was depressed... I underwent two "deliverances" (charismatic exorcisms) when I was 19, and was obsessed with freeing people and places from demonic influences. Pretty much anything having to do with anything originating anywhere south or east of Israel was considered probably demonic. If you did yoga, you let demons in. If you listened to certain music, you let demons in. Tarot? Demons. Ouija? Demons. Hypnosis? Demons. Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Demons. Masturbation? Demons. Meditation? Demons. Martial arts? Demons. I could go on for days. It was ridiculous, and literally drove me to the brink of insanity. Then I left the country and spent time with much more reasonable christians who took a much more sensible view of things, as far as christianity goes. They were my way out, really. What kind of church did you go to? o_O Seriously, spiritual warfare and demons are quite new to me. No church I'd attended had ever said anything about demons other than that there were kooky people out there who believed in them, and of course such people were mentally ill kooks. If people talked about demons outside of calling people kooks, it was metaphorical- like "facing your demons" i.e. sin and all that. I can't name a single person who *actually* believes in demons. Then again, I was never very far into Christianity anyway, even during the days I did go to church. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahgrace Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Ven, the church I converted into started as a pretty middle-of-the-road evangelical baptist church.. but then the leadership changed and it morphed into a hyper-charismatic weird-ass demon-stomping tongue-speaking floor-hugging church. I supplemented that with regular visits to the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship and a local psycho-pentecostal congregation. Good times. :-P You're lucky you never encountered that kind of stuff... it can seriously fuck you up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vomit Comet Posted May 4, 2009 Author Share Posted May 4, 2009 Good times. :-P You're lucky you never encountered that kind of stuff... it can seriously fuck you up. You said it, sister. Deconverting from any kind of "you'll go to hell" fundyism is rough. But the demon thing is an extra added layer of shit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vendredie Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Ven, the church I converted into started as a pretty middle-of-the-road evangelical baptist church.. but then the leadership changed and it morphed into a hyper-charismatic weird-ass demon-stomping tongue-speaking floor-hugging church. I supplemented that with regular visits to the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship and a local psycho-pentecostal congregation. Good times. :-P You're lucky you never encountered that kind of stuff... it can seriously fuck you up. I don't doubt it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dagan Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship Ooh, sorry to hear that. I caught the fringe of that out here on the West Coast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vomit Comet Posted May 4, 2009 Author Share Posted May 4, 2009 Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship Ooh, sorry to hear that. I caught the fringe of that out here on the West Coast. I got dragged to this church in Pasadena once that was directly associated with TACF. And it scared the shit out of me. That was when I began to realize that all wasn't quite right in Pentecostal/Charismatic Land, and from then on I was one of the skeptics of so-called "Revival", despite continuing to believe in the gifts. Of course, it would take me about 8 or 9 more years to realize that all of it was bullshit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahgrace Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship Ooh, sorry to hear that. I caught the fringe of that out here on the West Coast. Yeah I grew up in Southern Ontario, right in the thick of it all. Looking back on it, it was total madness. My more moderate friends that I have made since leaving Ontario don't believe half the stories I tell about my time there. There were a lot of issues that I had to work through as a result of that background. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gypsy79 Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Unfortunately, my parental units ( especially my father ) are full believers in the whole "spiritual warfare" bullshit. In fact, my dad had a long talk about that with me the last time I visited them... ...never have I had to -smile and nod- so many times in 20 minutes. He went on all about how he believes wiccans are really demonic spirits on earth who are conspiring to do the devils bidding. How he believes that the most respected scientists are actually demonic leaders in disguise. It's really sad how some people can have this insane belief that demons are lurking around and are out to eat people's souls. Pentecostals are wack. Oh gawd, this sounds just like my conversations with my Dad. I guess my Southern Baptist church was more out there than the average. Some people describe it as Bapticostal. Eeek! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeptic Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 I underwent two "deliverances" (charismatic exorcisms) when I was 19 Oh my god. You poor person. I've never been involved in an exorcism and I consider myself extremely lucky in that regard. I seriously want to hug you right now. That is fucking crazy. Pretty much anything having to do with anything originating anywhere south or east of Israel was considered probably demonic. If you did yoga, you let demons in. If you listened to certain music, you let demons in. Tarot? Demons. Ouija? Demons. Hypnosis? Demons. Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Demons. Masturbation? Demons. Meditation? Demons. Martial arts? Demons. I could go on for days. This describes my parents exactly. Every single thing that wasn't "of god" was demonic. Getting cautioned about doing things that "let in" demons was about as common as being reminded to put my glasses in the case or some mundane thing like that. It became this very normal thing for me. I still don't think anything of it even now that I'm an atheist. I sometimes have to remind myself that I don't believe in that crap anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahgrace Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 I underwent two "deliverances" (charismatic exorcisms) when I was 19 Oh my god. You poor person. I've never been involved in an exorcism and I consider myself extremely lucky in that regard. I seriously want to hug you right now. That is fucking crazy. Aw, thanks. Yeah, the brain does really odd things when it's programmed to respond to certain stimuli. I honestly couldn't tell you most of what happened during the actual exorcisms. I'm fairly certain I was guided into a trance state and whatever went down, my subconscious put it away somewhere. I'm not looking forward to the day it comes back up to resolve itself, if it ever does. I have these latent feelings of absolute terror and major trauma but nothing concrete to hang those feelings on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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