# EXORCISM **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 4, 2001, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exorcism/96861 "2001-12-04T17:31:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Judith\_Prietht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b19c9b/32.png) [@Judith\_Prietht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Judith_Prietht)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exorcism/96861/1 "2001-12-04T17:31:53Z")
Anyone out there ever perform, witness, or experience (i.e., have it done to you) an exorcism? ---
**Author:** ![Ross](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@Ross](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ross)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exorcism/96861/2 "2001-12-04T18:00:16Z")
Sure. I walked into a room in a nursing home I was just starting work in. It was very vividly and distinctly… um, ‘occupied’. I said “In Jesus’ name go.” End of story. If you believe _that’s all you need,_ plus a life of prayer and the odd fast. If you don’t believe, and you try the same thing… [oohhhhh boy…](http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?passage=ACTS+19:14-16&language=english&version=RSV&showfn=off) ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exorcism/96861/3 "2001-12-04T20:36:30Z")
Let’s hear some details, Ross! ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exorcism/96861/4 "2001-12-04T20:56:16Z")
A friend of mine in college got exorcised. Her husband was convinced that the child she was bearing was the Antichrist, and after a great many consults with their pastor, he agreed that if they had the rite of exorcism read over her, that would take care of it, so for the sake of her marriage, she had it done. He decided that it hadn’t actually workes (how he determined this, I don’t know), and left her. Once the divorce was final, she was talking to her pastor who asked, “Have you thought of any names for your baby?” “Sure,” she said. “Damien.” ---
**Author:** ![Ross](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@Ross](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ross)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exorcism/96861/5 "2001-12-04T23:34:12Z")
I’m not too sure I want to go into much more detail, because a lot of the Christian’s authority over such things comes from the fact that he/she pays attention to Christ, not to the mutterings of such beings as belong under our feet with the filth. It is easy to get sucked into a wrong idea of demonology and spiritual warfare, and spend your whole life half in love with it, trying to identify different kinds, reading all sorts of things into scripture. Basically trying to live in a bad movie. The truth of the matter is that the only thing I really, truly HATE is satan (I can feel myself getting angry even now, and a few folk around here will remember my ill-timed outburst on a thread about demons a while back). The reason I hate satan, the _coward,_ the _accuser,_ is that he is the perfect opposite of all that Christ is (Christ is the embodiment of the tears you feel rise when you remember the sweetest moment of your childhood - all things truly Good). I refuse to look satan in the eye. I _ **HATE** _ him. The only principle necessary for “exorcism” is that he has been defeated and when confronted with a person who genuinely understands that, who has looked Christ in the eye… he and all like him just vanish, like shadows on the surface of the sun. _Scum._ Rotting undergrowth. (if anything, this vicious hatred might yet prove an Achilles’ heel. I’m just glad I share it with God…) (for heaven’s sake don’t investigate satan any further until you’ve met and fallen in love with Christ. Not Safe). ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exorcism/96861/6 "2001-12-04T23:45:16Z")
Here’s a copy of the new Catholic Rite of Exorcism: [http://www.catholicdoors.com/prayers/english/p01975b.htm](http://www.catholicdoors.com/prayers/english/p01975b.htm) ---
**Author:** ![JustPlainBryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/57b2e6/32.png) [@JustPlainBryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustPlainBryan)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2001, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exorcism/96861/7 "2001-12-05T00:25:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ross \* > \*\*I’m not too sure I want to go into much more detail, because a lot of the Christian’s authority over such things comes from the fact that he/she pays attention to Christ, not to the mutterings of such beings as belong under our feet with the filth. It is easy to get sucked into a wrong idea of demonology and spiritual warfare, and spend your whole life half in love with it, trying to identify different kinds, reading all sorts of things into scripture. Basically trying to live in a bad movie. The truth of the matter is that the only thing I really, truly HATE is satan (I can feel myself getting angry even now, and a few folk around here will remember my ill-timed outburst on a thread about demons a while back). > > The reason I hate satan, the _coward,_ the _accuser,_ is that he is the perfect opposite of all that Christ is (Christ is the embodiment of the tears you feel rise when you remember the sweetest moment of your childhood - all things truly Good). I refuse to look satan in the eye. I _ **HATE** _ him. The only principle necessary for “exorcism” is that he has been defeated and when confronted with a person who genuinely understands that, who has looked Christ in the eye… he and all like him just vanish, like shadows on the surface of the sun. _Scum._ Rotting undergrowth. > (if anything, this vicious hatred might yet prove an Achilles’ heel. I’m just glad I share it with God…) > (for heaven’s sake don’t investigate satan any further until you’ve met and fallen in love with Christ. Not Safe). \*\* meh. I so want to be a paranormal investigator. \Keep my own council on what to investigate I will.\ ---
**Author:** ![Ross](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@Ross](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ross)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2001, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exorcism/96861/8 "2001-12-05T00:51:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JustPlainBryan \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Ross \* > > \*\*I’m not too sure I want to go into much more detail, because a lot of the Christian’s authority over such things comes from the fact that he/she pays attention to Christ, not to the mutterings of such beings as belong under our feet with the filth. It is easy to get sucked into a wrong idea of demonology and spiritual warfare, and spend your whole life half in love with it, trying to identify different kinds, reading all sorts of things into scripture. Basically trying to live in a bad movie. The truth of the matter is that the only thing I really, truly HATE is satan (I can feel myself getting angry even now, and a few folk around here will remember my ill-timed outburst on a thread about demons a while back). > > > > The reason I hate satan, the _coward,_ the _accuser,_ is that he is the perfect opposite of all that Christ is (Christ is the embodiment of the tears you feel rise when you remember the sweetest moment of your childhood - all things truly Good). I refuse to look satan in the eye. I _ **HATE** _ him. The only principle necessary for “exorcism” is that he has been defeated and when confronted with a person who genuinely understands that, who has looked Christ in the eye… he and all like him just vanish, like shadows on the surface of the sun. _Scum._ Rotting undergrowth. > > (if anything, this vicious hatred might yet prove an Achilles’ heel. I’m just glad I share it with God…) > > (for heaven’s sake don’t investigate satan any further until you’ve met and fallen in love with Christ. Not Safe). \*\* > > meh. > > I so want to be a paranormal investigator. > > \Keep my own council on what to investigate I will.\ \*\* cue _Gremlins_ clip: ::Mogwai shaking his head sadly as he watches the other newly grown mogs running around the room; he’s seen all this before:: ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2001, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exorcism/96861/9 "2001-12-05T01:06:03Z")
Ross, I was just wondering what you saw and/or heard that made you feel it was a demon you were facing in the room. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2001, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exorcism/96861/10 "2001-12-05T10:57:34Z")
My freshman year of college, I was in a gospel choir that was rather devoutly Christian. Rather … loudly and conservatively Christian, shall we say? And some of the members within the group believed that Satan was dwelling in some of the other members. So they performed an exorcism. I don’t _think_ it was according to the Catholic Rites, but then I also know many of them were not Catholic. Anyway. Man that was scary-ass shit. I later turned it into an essay for my English class, and boy were there some stares.