God, Aliens, and Other Stuff

If you have a deliverance story that you would like to share, please contact me by email. I would love to hear it. There is a contact link under my profile. In my most recent post, I wrote about the Catholic approach to exorcism as described in the book Hostageto the Devil , written by a former priest who is now an author on Catholic clerical topics. This post is taken from a CD set by  Mark Virkler  and from various other sources, including past conversations and books that are referenced in other of my blog posts. The Catholic method is very ritualistic, utilizing a crucifix, candles, a prayer book, and holy water. The priest wears certain garments and has a specialized team, thus only men actually perform the ritual. And it works if done right. The Protestants can be men or women, clergy or lay person. There are no special garments, holy objects, or ritualized prayer (in most cases). The exorcists or deliverers come armed with the Bible, either in hand to...

They don’t take classes in Exorcism 101. How they are picked is more of an art than a science. The exorcist always has an assistant priest available in case he falters in the process. The senior priest teaches the neophyte by way of long descriptions handed down by the Experienced. A process bordering on parascience has emerged that seems to work. A corner of the Catholic church acknowledges that there are devils and that they can possess us. But they can also be evicted. Malachi Martin, author of Hostage to the Devil, brings five real cases into focus, true stories of exorcisms by various priests, supported by diaries, tapes, and meticulous interviews. The stories are too graphic to review in detail, but there are generalities that cross all denominational lines because the devil is not a denominational construct or even merely a Christian invention. In his Introduction, Martin describes the careful preparation for an exorcism, the signs that the problem is demonic rather than ...