“Even the profession’s own research has shown that a LOT of laymen, grandparents, etc. are great at helping others through emotional, mental, relationship problems somewhat on a par with highly educated professionals.”
There is a vast difference between laymen “helping others through emotional, mental, relationship problems somewhat,”
and a diagnosis of mental illness and its treatment.
You stated, “Experienced pastors, deacons, elders and even laymen and women did quite well at discerning the difference between demon possession/oppression and mental illness”
That’s absolute balony.
At any other time, I wouldn’t bother replying to one of your posts. However, the idea that one can determine demon possession from mental illness simply from “discernment” by a layman needs to be trashed.
There is enough suffering from mental illness, especially untreated mental illness caused by biological problems without some ridiculous statement that anyone can tell who is demon possessed and who is sick.
That nasty bit of false piety and spiritual abuse had ended or so I thought.
~and frankly, what you posit is one of the hallmarks of a cult.
I guess I'll have to try again to ferret out my dissertation from the chaos.
and then search through the 20 pages of bibliography.
Speaking of proving things . . . please PROVE where I said
". . . some ridiculous statement that anyone can tell who is demon possessed and who is sick."
or is it as it appears . . .
that now that most of the Proddys have consigned by default the FR Rel Forum into a sub-department of the Vatican in terms of number of threads and lines of text in behalf of the Vatican Cult vs the number of lines in behalf of Proddy interests . . .
that the RC's feel quite free to engage in their old tricks of insisting that Proddys said things they didn't say?
Evidently, as usual, the only kosher piety in your eyes is that involved in kissing the toes of the statues of the Vatican Cult's Ishtar Goddess idols.
Are you really sure you want to start tyhis game up again?