Free Republic

Pity the poor exorcist, caught between evil spirits eager to invade human bodies and a society skeptical that demons exist outside of Hollywood horror movies. Even some church leaders look askance at exorcists as peddlers of a practice best left in the Middle Ages. Most American exorcists, particularly the handful of priests appointed by the Roman Catholic Church, keep a low profile, hesitating to open themselves — or their church — to ridicule and quacks. But exorcists may soon be moving out of the shadows. U.S. Catholic bishops are sponsoring a conference this week (Nov. 12-13) in Baltimore on the...

The daughter of a New Jersey man accused of raping and impregnating her and her sisters has testified to abuse in terms so graphic that a courtroom security guard passed the judge a note asking for a break. The 24-year-old woman calmly told jurors on Wednesday about the extreme abuse she endured throughout her childhood, culminating with her father getting her pregnant when she was 15.

(NEWSER) – Thousands of New Agers and neo-pagans danced and whooped in delight this morning as a bright early morning sun rose above the ancient stone circle Stonehenge, marking the summer solstice. About 20,000 alternative-minded revelers crowded the prehistoric site in southern England to see the 4:52am (11:52pm EST) sunrise, following an annual all-night party. They waited for dawn at the Heel Stone, a pockmarked pillar just outside the main circle that aligns with the rising sun. Unlike previous recent years, when the sunrise has been obscured by cloud, the bright sun bathed the monument in orange and gold today....

Preface to Harry Potter and the Paganization of Culture, by Michael D. O'Brien This book grew out of a series of articles which were written over a ten-year period for various Christian periodicals. At first, I had no interest in reading the Harry Potter novels, and indeed felt that I had already expended considerable time researching the field of fantasy literature when writing a book on the subject in the mid-1990’s. Moreover, the constant reviews of the Potter series had given me a general sense about the stories and the popular opinions. Oceans of spilled ink and electronic text seemed...

Interesting thoughts on "aliens" by Stephen Hawking. Question - Is it possible that "aliens" are really just a demonic deception that will be revealed in the last days to lead us astray?

Sex abuse scandals in the Roman Catholic Church are proof that that "the Devil is at work inside the Vatican", according to the Holy See's chief exorcist. Father Gabriele Amorth, 85, who has been the Vatican's chief exorcist for 25 years and says he has dealt with 70,000 cases of demonic possession, said that the consequences of satanic infiltration included power struggles at the Vatican as well as "cardinals who do not believe in Jesus, and bishops who are linked to the Demon". He added: "When one speaks of 'the smoke of Satan' [a phrase coined by Pope Paul VI...

President Obama is distancing himself from the National Day of Prayer by nixing a formal early morning service and not attending a large Catholic prayer breakfast the following morning.

“The roots of hip-hop subculture are demonic, and are similar to other subcultures with an antiestablishment, “Down with the man” mentality. Fatherless-ness, rebellion, oppression, anguish, poverty, violence, and other negative influences created this subculture.” – G. Craig Lewis G. Craig Lewis gets real about the Rap and Hip-Hop subculture in the world. The devil is trying to erase lines that divide holiness from godlessness – and he’s using hip hop to do it. So says G. Craige Lewis, founder of EX Ministries. Lewis is shouting from the rooftops about the Satan’s strategy to infiltrate the Church of Jesus Christ with...

<p>There is not a doubt in my old head that demonic powers are loose in our land, that satanic brilliance is at work on Barack Obama's behalf. How can I be so sure? ... Mesmerized crowds are not enough to be sure, but Obama's past behaviors tell us what we need to know.</p>

Vienna, Jul 10, 2008 / 03:23 pm (CNA).- Human Life International is asking for prayers in response to the “vile attacks” in Vienna, Austria, against pro-life demonstrators by assailants who are being paid to harass them by the owners of abortion clinics. Pro-life demonstrators who are sidewalk counseling outside the clinics have been sexually assaulted, and some of the attacks have been captured on video. According to HLI, the peaceful pro-life protestors are enduring “vile attacks and pressure tactics” solely for praying in front of the Gynmed abortion clinic run by Dr. Christian Fiala. Fiala is president of the International...

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Two mentally disabled women were strapped with explosives Friday and sent into busy Baghdad markets, where they were blown up by remote control, a top Iraqi government official said. In both bombings, the attackers were mentally disabled women whose explosive belts were remotely detonated, Gen. Qasim Atta, spokesman for Baghdad's security plan, told state television. An aide to Atta said that people referred to the bomber at central Baghdad's al-Ghazl market as the "crazy woman" and that the bomber at a second market had an unspecified birth disability. Watch how bombers target large crowds » The...

Author's site: http://www.thequickenedword.com INTERCESSION OVER BREAKING THE DEMONIC STRONGHOLDS OF THE MIND PRE-PRAYER MEETING 4/14/07 Tonight at church I heard the words, distraction and divided mind. CONFIRMATION: Then later one of our intercessors declared this scripture: 2 Cor 10:5 NKJV ... bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ... TONGUES BREAKTHROUGH THE MYRIAD OF THOUGHTS: Later there was a rising up of warrior tongues coming from the end of the room. I felt a rush of the Spirit of God sweep through the room from their burst of tongues and then I saw all these tiny scissors in...

Shock and AweI visited the 9/11 memorial in Wesley Bolin Plaza Tuesday and I was stunned by what I saw.  Here's how the Governor describes the memorial.According to governor spokeswoman Shilo Mitchell , Napolitano described the memorial as being " unique, bold, educational and unforgettable," she said. " The memorial uses the sun to articulate words and thoughts."The memorial is an elevated flat ring with phrases cut through the metal.  Throughout the day, the sun shines through the ring and phrases become visible on the side walk.                        What kind of phrases?  Politically correct phrases that bash America.  That's what...

Falwell: Anyone but Hillary CHARLESTON, W.Va., April 7 (UPI) -- The Rev. Jerry Falwell told a group of West Virginia Baptists his main goal for 2008 is to prevent Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., from becoming president. Falwell addressed the annual West Virginia Convention of Southern Baptists, the Charleston Gazette reported. An audience of about 500 was gathered in the Cross Lanes Baptist Church. Falwell had good words for President George W. Bush and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. McCain called Falwell an "agent of intolerance" in 2000, but is scheduled to be the commencement speaker this year at Falwell's Liberty University....

Tattoos and piercings are ways for an individual to express their personality, but most employers are looking for presentable employees. "I think that appearance is very important, [because] it lets the employer know that you know how to take care of yourself," said Eric Constantine, the manager of Athlete's House in Nashville. It can be a very difficult choice whether or not to have your ears pierced or to get a tattoo, as Lisa Stevens, a freshman, found out. "I really wanted the lifeguard job at the local pool back home," she said. "The only thing was that I also...

Under the Dome Published: Mar 13, 2006 12:30 AM Modified: Mar 13, 2006 03:11 AM Clinton makes fundraising stop in Charlotte Rob Christensen and Barbara Barrett, Staff Writers New York Sen. Hillary Clinton recently held an under-the-radar fundraiser in Charlotte, making her first foray into John Edwards country. About 60 people showed up at the home of Johnny Taylor, a Charlotte vice president for an Internet company based in New York. Among the co-hosts were two ambassadors appointed by Bill Clinton: Mark Erwin of Charlotte and Jeanette Hyde of Raleigh. Also co-hosting was Crandall Bowles, chief executive officer of Springs...

(AgapePress) - A pro-family media researcher is blasting NBC for plans to air a controversial series featuring a troubled Episcopal priest and other dysfunctional characters. The network will air The Book of Daniel on Friday evenings, starting in early January. According to published reports, the weekly show centers around an Episcopal priest named Daniel Webster who talks with a manifestation of Jesus. In addition, the Webster family reportedly includes a 23-year-old homosexual, Republican son; a 16-year-old daughter who is a drug dealer; and an adopted son involved in an improper relationship with the bishop's daughter. Ed Vitagliano is director of...

FINLAND, December 23, 2005, (LifeSiteNews.com) – 43 babies out of every thousand conceived using in vitro fertilization techniques are born with a serious deformity, according to yet another study indicating the dangers of IVF. A report by Stakes, Finland’s National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health, found a significant increase in the rate of birth deformity among IVF infants. Normal rates would be 29 per thousand. In particular, the study found a higher rate of genital malformation among IVF boy babies. There have been increasing numbers of studies linking infant health problems with IVF techniques over the past...

The New Underground Railroad Thousands of women come to New York each year for late-term abortions. A hundred New Yorkers take them in. Haven Coalition volunteer Suzanne in the space where she hosts women who travel to New York for abortions. (Photo credit: Donna Ferrato) It’s 8 p.m. on a Friday, and Adeena is lying on a bed in my apartment, squirming in pain, her pants unzipped to reveal a disturbingly large belly. We’re watching a DVD she chose from the corner Blockbuster: Coach Carter, starring Samuel Jackson and Ashanti. Jackson has just taken a job at a ghetto...

Prosecutors: Teen abducted children for demonic ritual Monday, November 28, 2005; Posted: 7:29 a.m. EST (12:29 GMT) CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- An 18-year-old Chicago man was arrested after allegedly kidnapping two young children to perform a demonic ritual intended to get back his former girlfriend, authorities said. David Rodriguez was being held on $500,000 bond. Prosecutors said he and a 15-year-old companion snatched the children Friday outside a South Side library and planned to carve a pentagram in the girl's chest. Rodriguez apparently needed only the girl, so he released her 8-year-old brother, who told people on the street about...