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DEMONS
The Exorcism of Emily Rose opened in theatres nationwide in
September of 2005. This prompted the debate in many circles as to whether or
not exorcism still occurs today, and if so, to what extent.
The movie, loosely based upon the real-life exorcism of
Anneliese Michel, describes how demons destroyed a young college student's
life. The film centers around a court room in which two attorneys debate the
authenticity of exorcism and possession in relation to mental illness.
Laura Linney, who played the defense attorney, said in an interview,
"I think the most important thing, you know, is that this movie isn't
trying to tell anybody what to believe or what to think. It is asking
questions, but it is certainly not giving answers."
One thing is certain: Believers must not jump to conclusions.
Christians tend to exhibit either 'demonomania' (The belief that every mental
illness is a demon) or 'demonaphobia' (The belief that demons play no direct
part in the post-modern world). We must use God given wisdom and discernment as
we do our part to fight this present darkness.
—http://movies.vidnet.com/player/28140/the_exorcism_of_emily_rose_laura_linney_interview_300.php.
Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Nathan Morales.
1 John 4:1 (NIV) "Dear friends, do not believe every
spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many
false prophets have gone out into the world."
DEMONS/SPIRITUAL WARFARE
Shortly after Christmas 2002, the headlines of the St.
Petersburg Times read, “Virus or not, Bushes depart on cruise ship.” I don’t
suppose the former President’s vacation plans would have captured the public’s
attention if it had not been for the recent virus outbreaks on cruise ships.
According to the Center for Disease control, there were 21 investigations of
acute gastroenteritis aboard seventeen different cruise ships between January
1, 2002 and December 2, 2002. Of the 21 outbreaks, they don’t know the cause of
nine of them, three were associated with bacterial agents and nine with
noroviruses.
During the same time period, there have been 26 land-based
outbreaks of the disease associated with noroviruses. A person contracts the
disease whether on land or sea in the same way, contact with an infected
surface. To prevent the disease, the CDC says to follow “basic hygienic
practices, such as frequent and thorough hand washing and avoiding contact with
other passengers when ill…”
—http://www.sptimes.com/2002/12/27/State/Virus_or_not__Bushes_.shtml
—http://www.cdc.gov/travel/other/gastro_illness_cruiseships.htm
I remember seeing news footage of workers in biohazard suits
scrubbing down infected ships to thoroughly sanitize them. My immediate
impression was the suits were overkill. I know the virus is bad, and that the
cruise lines wanted to protect their passengers, but still, the drama
surrounding the extreme measures they were taking was more for the cameras than
for the ship—they need to get the message out that they were taking the disease
seriously and were using every possible means to solve the problem.
But then again, maybe the measures weren’t extreme.
Passengers who plunk down their hard earned money want to know that they aren’t
walking into a ticking time bomb. They want to be safe from dangers they can
see and dangers they can’t see.
There is a world we can see and a world we can’t see with
our eyes. In many ways, stealth dangers offer greater peril than those that are
clearly visible. One of the greatest dangers is that we deny their existence
because we cannot see them. No, I’m not talking about microbiology and the
kinds of issues that the Center for Disease Control deal with. I’m talking
about the distinction between the physical world and the spiritual world.
Ephesians 6:12 NASB “For we wrestle not against flesh and
blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
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