Fundamentalist Christian exorcism? Yeah, sounds really GOOD!
Naat.
This is something that I wasn’t actually aware really happened. But it does. It does happen. And just like the Fundamentalist Christians we know and love, they are also brainwashing their children to partake in such activities as well. Activities which have been acitvely condemned even by members of the Christian Church itself...
Watch this video:
Now, I’m struggling to identify what part of this video upsets me the most... Is it the fact that these girls were performing dangerous exorcisms in Africa, a nation plagued by deadly superstitions? Is it the creepy, smug grins on their faces as they enthusiastically nod to each other, casually describing performing one of these seances on one of their non-believing friends? Or Is it their certainty that a year’s worth of training has made them able to identify demonic possessions? I literally couldn’t even describe to you the look on my face whilst watching this video.
One thing is for sure: I bloody wish Anderson had upped his game. The questions he was asking them? Come on. How about questioning them on the dangers of exorcism?! Surely even an amateur journalist could knock down a 17 year-old girl?!
And it’s not like the dangers aren’t prolific. Canon Dominic Walker, the Vicar or Brighton has spoken out about such practices, as he is aware that there are far more sinister repercussions of exorcism, to the extent that they can drive vulnerable people to suicide.
"Those who have been involved in such groups often become desperate. Often, they will have been convinced that they are 'demonised' and the inability of the group to cure them will not be seen as any inadequacy or misdiagnosis of the group, but as a result of deliberate sin or lack of faith on the part of the sufferer.
This adds to the feeling of guilt by the sufferer and sometimes to the feeling that if the Church does not have sufficient power to exorcise such spirits, then the only cure may be suicide."
The thing is, obviously people who seek exorcism are going to be completely desperate, that see it as their final hope. When the Church (obviously) can't help them, then logically, the might as well kill themselves. This kind of emotional torment is so completely irresponsible that I can't even get my head around it.
And just so we are all clear, EVERY diocese in the Church of England has an exorcist. They are just told to be as undramatic as possible.
Cannon talks about the "healing centres":
"There are now a number of healing centres which give prominence to the ministry of deliverance and where most visitors are diagnosed as being possessed by evil spirits and return on a number of occasions to undergo exorcism, thus developing a sense of dependency.
Casualties from these centres will frequently describe cult-like features - lovebombing, lack of privacy with dormitory accommodation, lack of sleep, idolising of the leader, and teaching which cannot be questioned without being accused of being in league with the devil.
Some churches and centres have developed a complex demonology of various kinds of demons which they claim can possess people. It is not uncommon for people to be told that they are possessed by an incubus spirit, which is attacking them sexually, and there have been complaints of sexual assault by some of those claiming to attempt to exorcise such spirits in what is described as 'internal ministry'."
One of the worst cases that I read about was actually in the UK. Reverend Andrew Arbuthnott, a former investment banker (who just decided he would become and exorcist), was removed from his post at the London Healing Mission in 1994 for sexually assaulting women with a crucifix, in and attempt to "rid them of their demons" that had apparently entered them through their vaginas... Err, yeah. Nice one. He apparently used his fingers to make the sign of a cross on their vaginas before doing some "internal cleansing" with a crucifix. Ouch.
Founded in the early 1970's, the CDSG (Coast Defense Study Group) trains Christians from a variety of denominations, including some Catholics, about the ministry of exorcism.
There are rules and that. It's just that so many exorcists ignore them because they have been "given the gift of the discernment of spirits" and "simply must act on it!"
The gift of discernment of spirits is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit which the disciples received at Pentecost. It is the gift which exorcists refer to time and again when asked how they know whether or not someone is possessed: they simply "know". "Ok, cool".
The upsurge in the interest in the gifts of the Holy Spirit began in the 1970's with the rise of the Charismatic Renewal Movement. Alongside the Charismatic Renewal Movement, the House Church Movement also took off in the 1970's.
Members of the House Church Movement seek to return to a type of Christianity which they believe existed in the time of Christ. This includes a firm belief in the existence of evil spirits and the need to cast them out of people. The rise of both these movements basically explains the rise in exorcism.
Some of today's House Church leaders have been known to cast out the "spirit of obesity", "the spirit of spiders" and "the spirit of addiction of headache pills". The leaders have "discerted" that the aforementioned spirits were infesting people. Yeah alright, cool.
And I just love that when such "exorcisms" appear to work, Christians genuinely believe that to be concrete evidence of the reality of Jesus. That is why exorcism is actually on the rise as it is such a powerful recruitment tool; "proving" Christ's power! With all the science around these days, this explains why many Christians are using exorcism as a tool for evangelism.
A book I want to get my hands on is "Exorcists: The Terrifying Truth" by Rachel Storm. Please please get in contact if you have read it!
L.
