Posted on 11/22/2010 10:20:36 AM PST by null and void
Having just read Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuers's new book, Exorcism and the Church Militant, one of the first things I asked him was whether he was afraid of demons. I shivered more than once reading through its short chapters, arranged as basic questions about the devil, demons, possession, and the rite of exorcism.
"Not at all," Father answered with a smile. "God has given me the grace to remain unafraid."
When I expressed my surprise, he explained, "Demons are basically handcuffed, and they know it."
Father Euteneuer does not speak as a theorist. Since 2003 he's had extensive experience ministering to those possessed by demons. His introduction to the demonic world happened when a family asked him for help for one of their members, and he eventually asked for permission to perform the rite of exorcism. He has been doing them ever since.
Exorcism and the Church Militant is intended, in part, as a warning to parents who allow their children to be desensitized to "the dark world" by books and films like the Harry Potter series and the vampire books of Stephanie Meyer. Father Euteneuer told me possession is almost always a result of someone getting involved in some sort of occult practices, such as witchcraft, Wicca, tarot cards, and Ouiji boards.
"Harry Potter and these Twilight vampires glamorize the power of evil," Father Eutenener explained, "and this has lead to many, many cases of possession among young people." It may begin with a child or teenager simply "playing around" with the occult, but that seemingly harmless act is "opening a window" to possession.
Father Euteneuer emphasized this point, "Demons do not discriminate between intentions -- no matter how innocent -- and children lose the clear distinction between good and evil."
What makes the occult so dangerous is the fact that it is based upon something real -- the preternatural world of fallen angels, headed by Lucifer himself. Below him are the "choirs" of devils and demons who are a reverse mirror, in their fallen state, of the hierarchy of angels.
Yet, as Father Euteneuer made clear, this entire dark spiritual world "cannot operate without permission from human beings." He pointed out that the widely-seen film, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, based upon the actual case of Anneliese Michel, makes it seem like a possession can occur against a person's will.
Demons play by the rules, as it were. They can only enter a person when invited, and they will leave when subjected through the rite of exorcism to the authority of the Church. "All demons understand is authority," according to Father Euteneuer. He told me of a time he was with someone who was possessed -- not intending to do an exorcism because permission had not yet been given -- and the demon spoke to him saying, "The Church is not here."
Father Euteneuer reminded me that as fallen angels, demons are smarter than any human being. "The darkest demon is smarter than I am," he said. An exorcist must remain aware of the demon's ability to know everything about the person they are possessing, including family members, and those who may enter the room to cast them out.
One demon attempted to negotiate with Father Euteneuer, offering to help him with his Latin if he would let him stay put. That story prompted me to ask if demons had a sense of humor. "No," Euteneuer replied. "The demon was only trying to resist being cast out. They know what an exorcism is, what is going to happen to them."
Possession usually involves more than one demon. Father Euteneuer explained that when "one demon gets in it will help to create more invitations to other demons." The more powerful ones have biblical names, and he often runs into demons with the same name, as if they had a kind of demonic family name.
The possession of an individual person is a perverse imitation of the Incarnation. "They know they've lost the war in heaven, now they've come to earth and are doing all they can to exert their power and be an obstacle to heaven." That's why demons experience some form of pain when they are exorcised -- Father Euteneuer said demons will often complain that "It burns." They have been deprived of the satisfaction of entering a body in imitation of the Word made flesh.
By the end of my interview with Father Euteneuer, I realized my initial question about being frightened of demons had betrayed my misunderstanding of the limits of demonic power. Exorcism and the Church Militant is a book that should provide guidance to many for years to come, especially for parents who need a reminder that the occult is not innocent entertainment.
Well, now .... aren't you the presumptuous one.
You've read the books, and somehow missed out on how Harry Potter lives up to this little passage:
"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you."
If you've read the Bible, I'm sure you'll recognize the quote.
Individually criticizing someone for what they read is a far cry from Gov't sanctioned book burning.
I've taken a few of them online myself. Every time I think I'm going to be a Hufflepuff, I end up a Gryphindor.
*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*
And he's talking to an 11-year old boy.
(And it's Rowling's first book, and her writing got better as the series progressed.)
Absolutely! Also the powers wielded are inherently genetic, not derived from satanic/demonic sources; and follow strict 'natural laws' analogous to scientific laws.
Even the evil antagonists are internally evil, not possessed, using their neutral (as a gun is neutral) abilities for their own internal evil purposes.
One of the main lessons is that the capacity for good and evil is internal to each person, and it is the individual who chooses which to manifest. Another is that by chosing evil, one ultimately destroys themself from within. Also, good wins the war, even if evil manages to win a battle or three.
Hemingway used terse prose expressively. The ‘point’ being made is banal and obvious. I’m not talking about using large words but using expressive language. It ain’t in that quote.
Harry was constantly angry during most of Order of the Phoenix. He asked Sirius if he was turning evil. He cast an unforgiveable curse several times out of a desire for vengeance. He manages to overcome all this partly by realizing that Voldemort can use that anger to weaken his bonds with others.
I must say that the complete lack of trust the central characters have in most adults occasionally bothers me. For example, what was the point of lying about the troll in the bathroom incident? Minerva would have been proud of the boys for going to rescue Hermione, without Hermione being in trouble too. I also think they could have told her why they were up at the top of the astronomy tower. They were simply trying to keep Hagrid out of trouble.
Harry could have saved himself and others a lot of pain by confiding in some of his teachers more often. But really, there wouldn’t have been much of a story if they just followed the rules and sat in the common room all the time. :)
That's right -- Dumbledore even explicitly says, in order to make this very point to Harry, that it is our choices, not our abilities, that define us.
That's just human philosophy, nothing biblical about it. In fact, Satanists will say the same thing.
“I do reject those who condemn it wholesale as being “dangerous”.”
I don’t disagree with that. Adult Christians should probably read Das Kapital, to continue my example, to understand the secular enemy. My concern is my kids. I don’t think it’s even a close decision whether to let an eleven year old boy watch HP, if one is a Christian.
If one is secular, there’s no discernible reason, except arbitrary personal preferences, not to let one’s kids watch HP or “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” or “Debbie Does Dallas” because any hypothetical consequence of watching has no referent in any value system that is meaningful.
Gryffindor (/spelling police)
Defending Pelosi would be impossible. Church of England is pretty watered-down anyway, so I won’t defend Rowling’s faith.
I don’t sense that she is at all hostile to Christianity, and I don’t pick up any commie overtones in her books.
But that’s just me.
I am. When you submit ideas that seem contrary to known facts, and cannot explain the inconsistency, you failed.
It all starts with one individual.
Well ... that's pretty traditional fare in books where kids are the heroes. And it's pretty typical of kids in any case -- especially when it comes to planning something less than safe: adults tend to try to prevent such behavior.
But I don't know that I'd call it "complete" lack of trust.
Harry could have saved himself and others a lot of pain by confiding in some of his teachers more often.
That's actually one of the points of the series -- how many times did Harry make assumptions about the other characters, and how many times did it end up coming back to bite him?
But as you say ... there wouldn't be much of a story left if they'd been all honest and open.
“the complete lack of trust the central characters have in most adults occasionally bothers me.”
Goes back to Tom Sawyer probably.
What it all starts with is Gov't intrusion, not private interaction.
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