Pope's exorcist squads will wage war on Satan

reply to post by FlyersFan


No surprises either from the rabid pro-catholocism crowd - but then I expect nothing less.

This pronouncement and alleged retraction is nothing more than a clone of western culture of the moment, particularly the US and UK where the current government trend is to attempt rule by fear.
The posting of this has very little to do with mocking the religion and everything to do with mocking the headline hungry stormtrooper currently in charge.

I use catholocism as an example in threads regarding religion because I was raised a catholic - and according to some people, that means I'm still a catholic.

As for not knowing anything about the subject, I've currently waited over 6 months for FF's thoughts on Jungian dogma.

There are extremists in every faith who think they know better than everyone else and attempt to ridicule and/or marginalise those who don't agree with them - the trouble around the world at the moment can be seen as an example of this.

I'm just waiting for FF to do her usual troll trick of trying to derail the thread, or until the papal reinforcements come along


It would be funny if it weren't so sad - indoctrination and brainwashing are two things I left behind many years ago when I became a non catholic - it's a pity others can't do the same.



[edit on 29/12/2007 by budski]

Originally posted by Johnmike
reply to post by FlyersFan

 

....
Satanism! Occult! WE ARE DOOMED!

Oh Christ, give me a break.
(Pun intended)

Actually, WE just may be, and he just might.

reply to post by Alxandro


I don't for one second think that jesus, the devil or anything else is represented in the modern bible - at one time, yes, but since a certain pope decided he would rule the world via the medium of spurious dogma, there has been very little truth around.

Originally posted by budski
I use catholocism as an example in threads regarding religion because I was raised a catholic - and according to some people, that means I'm still a catholic.

Catholicism is a great example because it's a high-profile organized religion that historically has and still does hold an enormous amount of power.

I was raised Catholic as well. I always saw hailing Mary (the fertility goddess, if you count the pagan elements) as sacrilegious, as was constructing statues of her and Christ.

Originally posted by budski
As for not knowing anything about the subject, I've currently waited over 6 months for FF's thoughts on Jungian dogma.

I'm guessing you mean the Alcoholics Anonymous-esque trust in faith and spirituality?

Originally posted by budski
I'm just waiting for FF to do her usual troll trick of trying to derail the thread, or until the papal reinforcements come along

Oh Christ, Budski, not your accusations of derailing threads again.

reply to post by Johnmike


When people stop trying to derail, I'll stop pointing it out - and as far as this subject goes, I've lots of experience with people trying to derail ANYTHING they construe as critical of RCC.


But I digress - the issue at hand is one of two things;
The pope trying to capture more headlines and coming off looking a bit silly.

The church trying to rule by fear, and trying to tap into the market for "anything goes" that you can find on the net.

Originally posted by Johnmike
Oh Christ, Budski, not your accusations of derailing threads again.

Yes ... anytime anyone comes along and posts information and/or opinion that doesn't agree with budski they get the usual 'you are derailing' nonsense thrown at them.

The FACT is (for the very few who actually want to hear the facts and don't just want to post anti-Catholicisms for the hell of it) ... the fact is that the Catholic Church doesn't just say 'we need 1,000 exorcists to go out and devil-whomp'. They don't/can't just point to a bunch of priests and say 'it's you .. and you .. and you '

It doesn't work like that.

Very, very few priests are called to be exorcists. It's a calling within a calling. Very few have the spiritual nature to be a priest and even fewer can pass the 'character test' (if you will). According to the church, for anyone to go up against evil spirits, their characters have to be clear. That means no drinking on the sly .. no lustful fanstasy life about women (or men, or boys) ... no stealing from the donation tray ... etc etc. They have to be living a very good life and they have to have a good spiritual (prayer) life ... and they have to be called by God.

Very, very few priests are called AND make the grade. Very few. Those few who do become exorcist priests usually remain anon. and the church avoids the 'flash' of it all. This is done to protect the priest so he doesn't get a big ego ... 'hey .. look at me .. I kick demon butt'. Having an inflated ego cuts into the spirituality of the priest and makes demon busting harder.

Therefore, I highly doubt the credibility of the original story even to begin with.

Originally posted by budski
rabid pro-catholocism crowd -]

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. Someone who posts FACTS instead of following the ignorant bigoted anti-Catholic crowd .. that means 'rabid' eh? Actually, the pig-pile crowd of catholic-bashers appear to be the rabid ones.

Congratulations. You'll be featured in my prayers tonight.




[edit on 12/29/2007 by FlyersFan]

Originally posted by budski
reply to post by Alxandro

 

I don't for one second think that jesus, the devil or anything else is represented in the modern bible - at one time, yes, but since a certain pope decided he would rule the world via the medium of spurious dogma, there has been very little truth around.

Modern Bible?

This is exactly what I'm referring to, with each and every version that is "officially released", something always gets lost in its re-translation, whether intentional or not.

reply to post by budski


That's the ultimate goal of the Islamic and Christian religions any way. They want to persecute any and everyone who disagree or offers an alternative to their warring ideologies.

Originally posted by Alxandro
I don't understand why you are so quick to defend the occultists

Because there is a bunch of misleading propaganda about it that is disseminated by people who know absolutely nothing about it.

If the occult floats your boat thats fine I just have enough respect for it to know it is a slippery slope and that messing with it could be extremely dangerous.

Yeah, it CAN be. So can getting out of bed in the morning if you don't roll out of it trhe right way.


[edit on 29-12-2007 by SpeakerofTruth]

Originally posted by SpeakerofTruth
reply to post by budski

 

That's the ultimate goal of the Islamic and Christian religions any way. They want to persecute any and everyone who disagree or offers an alternative to their warring ideologies.

Way to sum up entire religions with many divisions each. Talk about bigotry and ignorance.

Someone wants to be remembered in the History books. Pure and Simple.

Besides, it's far easier to go around chasing demons and "demonic worshippers" than it is to pay attention to all the sicky and starved peoples of the planet, wage war on poverty and un-needed sufferings, and finally put the power of the church and it's resources to constructive use.

It's more "dramatic".

Oopsie. I'm Catholic. Now I suppose I should go to confession forthwith!

I'll just claim my blashpemy was demonic possession. I'm sure they'll understand.

reply to post by Johnmike


Ahem, well, their histories speak for itself.

Flyersfan, I too have noticed an anti-Catholic trend on this site. I am not anti-Catholic, hell, my dad was Roman Catholic. However, for the pope to claim that the rise in occultism is to blame for the current world situation is not only disingenious, but false.

A cursory glance will tell you the culprits of the current world situation. Are occultists blowing themselves up in the middle of town squares? Are occultists speaking vitriolic sentences day in and day out against other belief systems? Are occultists involved in a renewed crusade to convert the masses? The answers to all of these question are a resounding, no..

[edit on 29-12-2007 by SpeakerofTruth]

reply to post by budski


What an astoundingly ignorant post.. followed with of course, astoundingly ignorant fools who jump on the bandwagon of any thread that comes across ATS within the first few minutes. Instead of reading, and God forbid, understanding, they just throw their embarrassing lack of insight to the wind and .. probably think it actually made sense.

Seriously.

The pope has apparently been learning from bush and blair - if someone doesn't agree with you, paint them as the worst kind of extremist in order to isolate and contain the threat they represent.

Aside from the fact that it is a proven fact that anyone with a "conservative" leaning agenda is an evil neocon and are the perpetrators of all the worlds evils
You show an amazing lack on knowledge of..... anything regarding this topic actually.

First off, what has the POPE learned from BUSH AND BLAIR? .. Two leaders who are (more liberal then conservative. Yeah. You heard me, if you consider Bush conservative.. dear God, what the hell is a Liberal?) .. The Church is STANDING BY its OLD... VERY OLD stance on exorcisms, and is only enforcing old rules.

"if you don't agree" .. A demonic possession according to the Church is a literal possession, it is not a "differing religious belief". There, you can check your ignorance for the first paragraph of your post.

This is the "modern" pope who also wanted to emulate thatcher in returning to "traditional" values.

thatcher? This is not a new concept to the Church, it is nothing modern, and its nothing learned from your political bigotry.

And I would consider any Pope who doesn't have the balls to stand up to the Islamic world and give them the Holy Finger to be a watered down, modern pussy footing, politically correct object of the "omg lets care about everyone but ourselves" new age of Western Society that has, what, led to the dissolution that we are anything at all but a weak race with no identity.

Of course the fact that "traditional" values have fallen somewhat by the wayside, doesn't tell him they don't work, but that everything and everybody is wrong except those in power.

What you consider to be the "opinion of those in power" is essentially the age old interpretation of the Holy See. Of course with the knowledge of the Church you have, I honestly never thought you to see it this way.

Still, I can't wait to see roving gangs of white haired priests performing ad-hoc exorcisms on people who have been unsuspectingly possessed.

And if you honestly, God honestly think that is what the Pope intended, well I would have grossly misunderstated your ignorance of the Church and this "modern" Pope.

Johnmike

Wait, so you think it's completely rational for the Catholic Church to do something as silly as this? It looks like nothing but fearmongering. Oh no! "Occult" religions and "godlessness!" Never mind that the majority of Satanism has nothing to do with anything else "occult," but that doesn't stop them from mentioning it.

The Church is still as ancient as it ever has been, no one should expect it to liberalize its self to the same level as society.

The church reacts to different matters in its own language, it is the interpretation that would matter.

The Church says "investigate Satanism" .. Besides the fact that nearly every PROTESTANT church does this anyways (In Georgia I was a "demon" for drinking a beer at a restaurant to close to some hard line Baptist) What the Church is indicating and recognizing is, in the Western world the move from Atheism, Christianity to Spiritualism, Occultism, and Islam. The Two fastest shrinking faiths (Atheism and Christianity) and the three fastest growing faiths (Newage, occult, Islam).

New Age spiritualism (which I could be classed into a sect of this) is one of the worlds fastest growing groups of religions .. and it owes its popularity to ONE SOURCE.

The Internet. Yes, the Church along with almost EVERY Christian sect deems this "evil" in nature.

Occult is more and more prevalent in younger kids every year.. why? Mostly lost and confused kids who where to fat, to ugly, to damn boring, to fit into any other group so they formed their own "witches" and "warlocks" and again owes a lot of this misguided foolishness to the Internet with "Pagan meetups" .. What the hell is that even supposed to mean, Pagan, they all meet and supposed to get along? ..

Islam is the fastest spreading among poor nations, and their immigrants who move to the Western nations.

But the Church is in capable with its 16th century thought process to battle Internet occult meet up groups and the wave of New Age religions..

So they say "exorcist" who are supposed to find out WHY Christianity is failing.

In reality it is within society its self, most people fall away from religion because they have no time, or because old religions don't fit with the modern world. Hence the rise of new religions, an age old tradition with the changing of times.

infinite

It's a free world and under UN law, they are entitled to freedom of religion and shouldn't be mocked for doing so.

I swear, if I could I would slap you.

UN LAW?

There is no such thing as UN Law. And God forbid there ever should be.

reply to post by Rockpuck


I was talking more about how it talks about the occult and Satanism as specific targets, that makes it seem more like something used to spread fear. I don't understand how exorcisms combat the rise of different religions, or how it even relates - it seems like rhetoric thrown in for impact, to get people to jump on the bandwagon.

reply to post by Rockpuck


So, I take it that you are against any belief system that isn't kosher with what the hell you believe as well,eh? People who practice the occult are "fat, boring" and "ugly?" Really?

Hmmm.. Well, one thing I wil say, at least they aren't running around blowing mother #ing # up and claiming to be "holders of the truth," like two other groups of spiritual dilleneates I can think of.





[edit on 30-12-2007 by SpeakerofTruth]

Originally posted by Johnmike
[I was talking more about how it talks about the occult and Satanism as specific targets, that makes it seem more like something used to spread fear.

Certainly. That is a modus operandi of the "church." It has been since the inquisition that they want everyone to hurry up and forget about. As long as there are truth tellers around, what the "church" did during the inquisition will never be forgotten..

[edit on 30-12-2007 by SpeakerofTruth]

The word Occult means Hidden and that is why they are reacting this way. People are realizing that everything that the modern religions teach and have every taught, were stolen from Pegan god's and belief systems. Knlowldge is religions worst enemy and that is why they are trying to blame thier "Adversary". The truth they tried so hard to destroy is coming to light and they are loosing thier hold on humanity!

Originally posted by SpeakerofTruth
So, the world's problems stems from the rise of occultism,eh? Can anyone say bull#?

By the way, occultism and Satanism shouldn't even be uttered in the same breath. They are diametrical polar opposites.

Actually, the occult and satanism are inextricably woven together. Only people concerned about the reputation of satanists would say otherwise. Also, occultism and satanism are one of the biggest secrets - the world is manipulated by satanists in all of the highest places, so yes, it can be blamed for the world's problems.

Evil is evil. The Catholic church, in my mind, is evil - so I don't put my faith in them to stop satanists. In fact, from what I hear, they are the same sinister opiate of society.

Originally posted by infinite
And I don't think this is targeted at the Anton LeVay Satanism, which most teens are interested in. He is talking about the uber-duper nutters who think the Devil is like a god and worship him

What about those that believe God is like a God and worship him?

Is there any difference? Please. Many of us are tired of all this religious non-sense.

If we're free to worship anything, then why worry about those that worship Satan?

I mean, according to God's holy bible, aren't we allowed to do as we please and "God" will judge us in the end?