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Originally Posted by graciegirl
It scared me. AND although I don't think I believe in things like ghosts and spiritualists, I do firmly remember being impressed by the words from the Roman Catholic Baptism Ceremony...Where the sponsor is asked to renounce the devil for the soul too young to speak for itself. "Do you renounce Satan? I DO renounce him.'
The thread on the spiritualist was just closed and I am thinking that it is because it was about a NAMED person rather than that someone brought up a bible verse that said it was wrong to consult mediums. We are allowed to talk about things like that, aren't we? Although some people hold no belief in religion at all, and some find it a comfort????
The Exorcist scared the living daily lights out of me and I think it is because we were taught as children that Satan was a real entity.
Did it scare you?
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Not scared, but as someone else has said: Disturbed.
The Bible teaches demon possession, so I do not dismiss it. But the accounts of "casting out demons" in the Bible are swift and decisive; not like the "exorcism" in the movie. I know of no Biblical account of expelling demons other than that done by Jesus or his disciples.
By the way, the disciples also did blessings: "So the man gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” -- Act 3:5-6
Since I do not believe in the special "vocation" of a Catholic Priesthood (Peter pronounced the "priesthood of all believers position, and Martin Luther affirmed it) I don't accept that the Vatican can designate special Priests to perform exorcisms.
Interestingly, in 2008 in Florence, Italy, a Catholic Priest was charged with defrauding millions in an exorcism hoax. Incidentally, the Vatican said he had not been authorized to do exorcisms.
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I was the one who mentioned a couple of Bible verses forbidding consulting Mediums. One was "Do not turn to
mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God." Lev. 19:31 New American Standard Bible
"There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or
a medium, or a spiritist, or
one who calls up the dead." -- Deut. 18:10-12
"When someone tells you to consult
mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?" -- Isaiah 8:19 NIV
That's enough for me. Genuine or not (I don't think they are,) it appears to me that God forbids consulting Mediums.
You say that in the Catholic Church you were taught that Satan was real. There are accounts of Martin Luther being disturbed while studying, and believing that he was being disturbed by the Devil, he threw an inkwell at the Devil. So, you are in good company.