Posted on 11/23/2019 11:32:57 AM PST by RoosterRedux
The following is part of the description under the video (written by the video producer, Jon Oleksiuk):
I sat with Fr. Gary Thomas who is arguably the best known exorcist in America. This video is a short segment of the unedited raw interview shot for a new documentary film called "Battling Darkness: Hollywood & the Rise of Exorcism".This video is interesting and newsworthy because, among other things, it discussing the link to the occult of the shooting in Columbine (and by association hints at a link in the shootings in Arizona, Newtown, CT, and Parkland, FL).
Father Thomas also discusses briefly the occult link of homosexuality and same sex marriage.
He goes on to discusses generational linkages in families, the dangers of the new age movement and other activities that might bring regular people into dangerous territory (dangerous because of links to demonic influence).
Father Thomas is the priest whose work in exorcism is the basis for the movie "The Rite" starring Anthony Hopkins.
I posted this video link because this subject is, for a variety of reasons, so often glossed over or even hidden in churches today.
In my own church, a Protestant church, the very existent of the supernatural is obscured and I think that does a disservice to its members.
The priest in the film, Father Thomas, is quite open and transparent about his work in this area and shares a lot of good information for what is a very dangerous subject.
Long story, short, I think this video helps us make the connection with a lot of what we see in society today and the demonic. Clearly, a lot of what society is doing today, its acceptance of perversion sexual perversion as natural for example, puts many people at increased risk of influence by the demonic.
I posted this in “News/Activism” because the video links demonic activity to so much of what we see in the news today (from school shootings to same sex marriage). Though abortion isn’t mentioned, it is clearly a topic that should be included in the subject of “demonic influence” by virtue of the fact that abortion is similar to what was seen in the Old Testament as child and blood sacrifice (to Moloch for example).
For what it’s worth, there isn’t a Part 2 as far as I can tell. That said, this video is long enough and broad enough in its coverage of topics that a Part 2 isn’t really necessary.
For what it's worth, I have a friend, a protestant minister, who has assisted in exorcisms (the lead exorcist was a priest). My friend has said that there is no doubt whatsoever in his mind that what he witnessed was supernatural...and evil. He witnessed things that were not otherwise possible.
--- which makes me think: uh-oh...
Bishops don't want to deal with it because it is, to them, just another headache to add to the list and Protestant ministers don't want to deal with it because they are afraid their congregations will run for the doors screaming.
Funny thing, according to Father Thomas, Catholic and Protestant seminaries both avoid the subject entirely.
As my friend says (the minister who has experience in the subject), Satan couldn't be happier with how it is being obscured. Out of sight, out of mind.
H/T to Freeper "beaglebabe"!
Interesting, the mention of the link with school shootings is at minute 35.
If that is the trigger, because I think many have noticed the strange timing of school shootings and Democrat scandals, it may indicate that Democrats are not intentionally triggering mass shootings to divert attention.
It may be their Master doing it.
Yep. Agreed.
good report
thanx
Aye.
Ever wonder how, in the pre-internet days, horrific crimes many miles apart and years distant seemed to follow the same “script”?
I don’t.
I actually thinks it is a bit more complicated than that. The real struggle is with the understanding and acceptance of what the individual may be seeing; therefore it is a rationalized away.
I would liken this to any possible experience of the supernatural, UFO's, etc. Our minds need to compartmentalize things into neat, tidy buckets. Anything outside of the norm, and our brain deciphers the experience into something we can best comprehend: a shadow, a shooting star, etc.
The other side of the coin, is the resistance of the individual to say anything due to what others may say about them. Of course, now that everyone wants their 5 minutes of internet fame, people are willing to make stuff up, and thereby hide the real issues that may be present (i.e., the boy who cried wolf).
But your point broadens that significantly and gets into territory I hadn't considered. I wasn't thinking of the reluctance of many regular folk to consider the supernatural (I have recently noticed that reluctance in my Sunday School class now that you bring it up).
As a bottom line, I think we as a society need to consider the supernatural (as a part of our faith) because, as the Apostle Paul said (I paraphrase), "our enemy is not flesh and blood, but spiritual wickedness in high places."
If we can't name our enemy, we sure can't defeat him.
Going back to my original statement, a good first step in encouraging our society to consider supernatural evils is for the churches to discuss its importance in our daily lives.
As an aside, in a recent Sunday School class, a person admitted that he was "praying" to (i.e. conversing with) his dead father. I quickly scolding him by pointing out the dangers of communing with the dead. I explained to him that this was a "gateway" to the demonic.
I'm not sure he listened. But it did seem rather clear that he had not been warned by the church about such dangers.
While I don't consider myself a religious person per se, I have spent a lot of time reading the literature of other religions and even some of the more questionable (occult) stuff. This is due to my travels and living in parts of the globe where things were approached and discussed from different perspectives.
But, if one believes in Christianity, then it is almost a given that the supernatural should be believable as well. I don't mean this to ridicule the belief in Christianity, but that the Bible itself has many references to what might be considered the supernatural. The problem again stems from a combination of what an individual can rationalize, or even whether or not they might choose to suppress what they saw or experienced for fear of ridicule.
As a bottom line, I think we as a society need to consider the supernatural (as a part of our faith) because, as the Apostle Paul said (I paraphrase), "our enemy is not flesh and blood, but spiritual wickedness in high places." If we can't name our enemy, we sure can't defeat him. Going back to my original statement, a good first step in encouraging our society to consider supernatural evils is for the churches to discuss its importance in our daily lives.
I would totally agree. Whether or not "Evil" actually exists shouldn't even be a question. Yet nowadays, instead of a willingness to call out a person's action as evil, we have psychologists and others trying to rationalize their behaviors away due to some past experience.
As an aside, in a recent Sunday School class, a person admitted that he was "praying" to (i.e. conversing with) his dead father. I quickly scolding him by pointing out the dangers of communing with the dead. I explained to him that this was a "gateway" to the demonic. I'm not sure he listened. But it did seem rather clear that he had not been warned by the church about such dangers.
Too true. If someone is opening themselves to the supernatural, how can they truly know what the entities intent might be? Even in other practices, this is the basis for very specific rituals meant to protect the user. Rarely from the physical dangers, but more often the spiritual ones.
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