Demonology 101

[Lord Zentei]

SCIENCE — CHURCH STYLE

We hear that a formal college course on exorcism is being offered at Regina Apostolorum Pontifical University (UPRA) a Catholic university in Italy just outside Rome. The course features studies of psychology, law and the history of Satanism. It's labeled, Exorcism 101. Serious students from across the world in black cassocks and dangling crosses file to and from classes, but they're not entirely back in medieval times. Computers and microphones, PowerPoint presentations and videoconference links enable other students in three other Italian cities to follow the details of the Theology of Demons.



Most of the students are priests who deal with those of their flocks who feel that they have a problem of demonic possession. The basic problem facing these savants is how to determine whether any case is really supernatural or just a psychological problem. The instructors at UPRA are experts on demons and Satanic worship. One of them claims that Satanic cults are on the rise, with up to 100,000 young people involved, though he offers no proof to back up the claim.

Understand: Catholics are taught that the devil is a real, very powerful entity and not simply a symbolic representation of evil. And detecting the Evil One has certain steps and signs. For example, heavy aversion to religious objects such as a cross, crucifix, rosary, or holy water, indicates that Satan is in charge. Also, signs of super strength, mumbling in other languages without having studied them before, or knowing the future of others, are indicative. Considering that last sign, we can be assured that Sylvia Browne and Uri Geller are not possessed.

Since the use of the drug "angel dust" — PCP/phencyclidine — would not only provide the user with the "super-strength" feature, but also the irrational behavior that we're told demons bring about in the possessed, we can appreciate all the more how difficult it can be for students to differentiate between reality and superstition. It must be faith-based....

One expert at UPRA sees the threat clearly. Says he,


"You have a lot of instability if you have two souls in one body.... Possession is when a devil actually takes control of the person and the person does not have its own free will, so the devil is using the person to speak and act without the person freely consenting to that."


The course teaches that the afflicted are often not directly responsible for allowing Satan into their bodies. Says an instructor, one of their parents could have dedicated a child to Satan when it was born. This points up yet another problem facing students.

However, there exists some difference of opinion being expressed in the Church about these matters. One Father Gerry O'Collins, a theologian at the Gregorian University in downtown Rome, says there's a danger that Catholics could focus too much on demons, reminding the faithful about the witch hunts of the 16th century as an example of how people can get carried away — pun intended. Says he:


"Certainly official church leaders don't want freelance priests and others to play games. They want a wise old priest who's the official exorcist and who's skeptical and who knows what he's about and I think that's a happy situation."


I think that finding a "wise old priest" who's also officially appointed to chase out demons, might be difficult. To me, the attribution "wise" should carry the requirement that medieval misconceptions be looked upon as replaced by rationality and relegated to the back of the trash bin where we've tossed the Geocentric Universe and Tooth Fairy. Of course, Father O'Collins firmly believes that demonic possession can happen; he's a Catholic. But he believes that only a tiny percentage of suspected cases are genuine.

A rumor is circulating that Hogwarts School of Wizardry & Witchcraft (HSWW) is calling in legal advice concerning copyrights on exorcism and possession-by-devils they believe they hold; their case seems doomed, since the Church has held these notions for many centuries, and has in the past burnt heretics by the hundreds to cast out various demons.

[Enforcer Talen]

hundreds of thousands have been burned. lets be clear on this.

[Einhander Sn0m4n]

I'd wager millions, actually.

[Enforcer Talen]

iirc, the catholic church recorded 12 million dead over 300 years - I dont believe this counts non europeans or europeans under 12.

[Avalon616]

iirc, the catholic church recorded 12 million dead over 300 years - I dont believe this counts non europeans or europeans under 12.

That's in reference to the witch-burnings and the inquisition. I do believe the 12 million just refers to women, and yes, it does not include children under the age of 12, non-western europeans, and also women who were pregnant, women over the age of 60 iirc, and also whole villages that were often exterminated and not recorded. Until JP's public apology in 1995 (ish, I'll have to double check the date), historians had counted in the 6 millions. I'll post again when I find the exact quote and figures.

But as to the OP- I would LOVE to take that class. As someone who was raised learning "Christians are silly: most of them mean well, but the doctrine is bunk, and those who actually believe it to be literal truth are severely mentally deficient," I have a unique perspective. That, combined with my research on mythology and mysticism... I would love to be in that class.

[Alyrium Denryle]

Yes.. but that was a long time ago... If they want to beleive in demon posession let them. If they have a ritualized exorcism proceedure that wont harm the person they think is posessed it cant hurt... And the priests that would be perfoming these exorcisms are trained to be skeptical and to not get carried away with it

Now if they are like fundie protestants we could have a problem.

[wolveraptor]

People possessed by the Devil get prognostication abilities linguistic skills and super-strength? They make it sound appealing.

[Rogue 9]

I'd wager millions, actually.

What, deaths as a result of the Inquisitions? Tens of thousands, and by local lords after their excommunications, not by the Church. The highest punishment the Inquisition courts were authorized to hand down was excommunication; what happened next was up to the local feudal baron.

[Trinity]

Why don't they try teaching the evil of being a pedophile to their fuckin priests? That's a class that might do some good in the real world.

[General Brock]

Trinity Wrote:

snip

I'll second that.

And they say playing Dn'D is evil; probably trying to protect their product.