Demons, is there any evidence they even exist?

YoursTrue · Mar 17, 2023

Kelly of the Phoenix said:
My mom is going through this now and social services said that I would have to get the courts involved to get her help because she refuses but that would put my life in danger so I just have to put up with it, I guess.

Sorry that she sounds dangerous. It's a shame.

YoursTrue · Mar 17, 2023

Kenny said:
Sometimes it is pretty obvious, like someone who was at my wife's home before we were married. It would take about 4 to 5 men to hold her down while her voice changed to a man's voice. My wife's mom would talk to the demon.

Sometimes you just know! Remembering a man who came in the church and I just kinda knew. He couldn't stay there after I started preaching - got up and left. (I should have taken authority over it). Later 2 other people shared with me saying along the lines of "You know that person that came to the service? I think he was demon possessed"

When you are spiritually sensitive, you just can sense it.

There are, of course, moments when people are "casting out a demon" and there was no demon to cast out.

Speaking of demon possession I see many violent crimes are committed by what police and news commentators say is mental illness, in other words, nut jobs who are violent. Sorry to use that expression. They can kill others, do awful, awful things but they are still horrible actions.

YoursTrue · Mar 17, 2023

Sgt. Pepper said:
I was once told by a Christian that I was demon-possessed because I voted for Joe Biden. When I counseled with an evangelical pastor, he told me that it was obvious to him that I'm a cursed soul, that God hates me, and that he punished me for the sins of my biological parents since I was the result of an affair, after I told him about the years of severe abuse, neglect, and bullying I endured while growing up. I told him I grew up in a Christian home, and he said God used my "godly" Christian parents to exact his punishment on me. Not to mention the Christian therapist who told me in our first session that if I wasn't psychologically better in six months, it would be obvious to him that I enjoyed being in emotional pain and wanted others to feel sorry for me.

That is sad. So sorry.

YoursTrue · Mar 17, 2023

Left Coast said:
I strongly doubt it. I'm open to the idea if people have good evidence for it, but at this point I don't see it.

Let me put it this way to you...some posters here claim to hear voices and more. I won't go any further now but I wonder if you believe them as if they are telling the truth.

YoursTrue · Mar 17, 2023

Kenny said:
Sometimes it is pretty obvious, like someone who was at my wife's home before we were married. It would take about 4 to 5 men to hold her down while her voice changed to a man's voice. My wife's mom would talk to the demon.

Sometimes you just know! Remembering a man who came in the church and I just kinda knew. He couldn't stay there after I started preaching - got up and left. (I should have taken authority over it). Later 2 other people shared with me saying along the lines of "You know that person that came to the service? I think he was demon possessed"

When you are spiritually sensitive, you just can sense it.

There are, of course, moments when people are "casting out a demon" and there was no demon to cast out.

Really? Oh nevermind, I've seen it happen once.

YoursTrue · Mar 17, 2023

ElishaElijah said:
Do you really think this is a metaphor? Come on

“Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.” For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!” Then He asked him, “What is your name?” And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. So all the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us to the swine, that we may enter them.” And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea. So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened. Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine. Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region. And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The Bible shows the demonic spiritual realm all the way till the end of this age, how can you as a believer say you don’t know if this is an event in the life of Jesus or a metaphor?

Isn't it interesting that the Bible shows all sorts of people with ideas, some acceptable to God and others not so. The entire nation of Israel is one example.

Left Coast · Mar 17, 2023

ElishaElijah said:
Well, that’s not what people who have come out of the occult and are now saved have shared in their testimonies. According to ex witches and warlocks, yes they made deals with the devil. No problem when they were blaspheming God and cursing people but now that they’re believers they’re somehow not credible. To this I definitely see the demonic slanderer at work trying to keep people from the Truth.

CHRISTIAN VIDEOS - Christian Testimonies - CHRISTIAN VIDEOS - Christian Testimonies

www.bibliatodo.com

Whatever you need to tell yourself, my guy.

Left Coast · Mar 17, 2023

YoursTrue said:
Let me put it this way to you...some posters here claim to hear voices and more. I won't go any further now but I wonder if you believe them as if they are telling the truth.

Oh, I very much believe people if they tell me they hear voices. I may not agree with them about what the source of the voices is, though.

YoursTrue · Mar 17, 2023

Left Coast said:
Oh, I very much believe people if they tell me they hear voices. I may not agree with them about what the source of the voices is, though.

Ok. I didn't phrase it right. So do you believe them if they say they they hear from unseen (to you or me) spirit persons? In other words, do you believe that? Again, let me be perfectly clear if possible. Some even here claim to communicate with spirit persons and the dead. Do you believe they do?

Left Coast · Mar 17, 2023

YoursTrue said:
Ok. I didn't phrase it right. So do you believe them if they say they they hear from unseen (to you or me) spirit persons? In other words, do you believe that? Again, let me be perfectly clear if possible. Some even here claim to communicate with spirit persons and the dead. Do you believe they do?

I already answered this, I thought. In general no, I don't believe them. Though I'd want to evaluate claims case by case rather than write people off automatically.

ElishaElijah · Mar 17, 2023

Left Coast said:
Whatever you need to tell yourself, my guy.

The information about demons, witches and warlocks isn’t something I came up with. But your definition comes from where?

Definition of WITCH

a person (especially a woman) who is credited with having usually malignant supernatural powers; a woman who is believed to practice usually black magic often with the aid of a devil or familiar : sorceress… See the full definition

www.merriam-webster.com

ElishaElijah · Mar 17, 2023

Testimony of a Former Witch

former witch

jesus-is-savior.com

Left Coast · Mar 17, 2023

ElishaElijah said:
The information about demons, witches and warlocks isn’t something I came up with. But your definition comes from where?

Definition of WITCH

a person (especially a woman) who is credited with having usually malignant supernatural powers; a woman who is believed to practice usually black magic often with the aid of a devil or familiar : sorceress… See the full definition

www.merriam-webster.com

See definition #2 from you own source.

But also, from actually listening and talking to self-identified witches about their own practice. You could talk to some, right here on RF.

ElishaElijah · Mar 17, 2023

Left Coast said:
See definition #2 from you own source.

But also, from actually listening and talking to self-identified witches about their own practice. You could talk to some, right here on RF.

I see that definition and also see searches with Wiccan spells etc. So my conclusion and experience with the devil is he will deceive people and that’s how people get into bondage. Wicca isn’t really demonic it’s nature and before a person realizes it they are caught in Satan’s trap. Can you see this or no? If Wicca isn’t demonic what spirit is behind this?

Left Coast · Mar 17, 2023

ElishaElijah said:
I see that definition and also see searches with Wiccan spells etc. So my conclusion and experience with the devil is he will deceive people and that’s how people get into bondage. Wicca isn’t really demonic it’s nature and before a person realizes it they are caught in Satan’s trap. Can you see this or no? If Wicca isn’t demonic what spirit is behind this?

Wiccans and other pagans believe there are spirits in many, or even all, things. These could be good spirits or bad spirits, just as there are good people and bad people in the world. You are saying they are essentially all demonic or bad. They dont agree.

ElishaElijah · Mar 17, 2023

Left Coast said:
Wiccans and other pagans believe there are spirits in many, or even all, things. These could be good spirits or bad spirits, just as there are good people and bad people in the world. You are saying they are essentially all demonic or bad. They dont agree.

Some would think this spirit of divination or a python spirit isn’t bad but to God it is demonic, fortunetelling that was making people money. The girl was also telling the truth. Notice Paul addresses the spirit and not the girl…

“Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour. But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭16‬:‭16‬-‭19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

ElishaElijah · Mar 17, 2023

TagliatelliMonster said:
Again with anecdotes and "feelings" that play right into the cards of confirmation bias.

This could be said in this situation for the observer that it’s CB, but what about the person who looks to be demonized with superhuman strength if someone were to deliver that person by the power of God? The person that gets delivered tells you what happened to them, that they are now delivered and it was by the power of God and are now free. That would not be Confirmation Bias and that’s what you keep saying about the freedom I have in Christ now. God delivered me, that’s what happened 35 years ago. Actually it seems you are playing into confirmation bias according to this definition.

Confirmation Bias: Hearing What We Want to Hear

Confirmation bias can prevent us from considering other information when making decisions because we tend to only see factors that support our beliefs. Here's what to know about confirmation bias.

www.verywellmind.com

Left Coast · Mar 17, 2023

ElishaElijah said:
Some would think this spirit of divination or a python spirit isn’t bad but to God it is demonic, fortunetelling that was making people money. The girl was also telling the truth. Notice Paul addresses the spirit and not the girl…

“Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour. But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭16‬:‭16‬-‭19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I get that's what your holy book says. My point is, that's not what actual witches believe.

ElishaElijah · Mar 17, 2023

Left Coast said:
I get that's what your holy book says. My point is, that's not what actual witches believe.

I get your point but that’s not what Wiccan witches that I’ve listened to have said after they get saved, renounce that life and are born again. The ones I’ve listened to like Jenny Weaver and others say for sure it was demonic.

Sgt. Pepper · Mar 17, 2023

Left Coast said:
Wiccans and other pagans believe there are spirits in many, or even all, things. These could be good spirits or bad spirits, just as there are good people and bad people in the world. You are saying they are essentially all demonic or bad. They dont agree.

Based on my spiritual beliefs and personal experiences, not all spirits are inherently evil. For the record, I don't expect others to believe me or accept what I say about my experiences, and it doesn't bother me if they don't. Any skepticism or religious objections to what I believe and experience have no bearing whatsoever on the fact that I've lived with psychic mediumship for the past 43 years. My mediumship initially revealed itself when I was six years old and I saw the spirit of an elderly man (read about it here). Over the last fifteen years, I've demonstrated my mediumship by giving readings to many people who don't believe in the paranormal, and none of them remained skeptical that psychic mediumship is real or that earthbound human spirits can interact with and communicate with the living after I revealed personal information that was only known between them and their deceased loved one. FYI, I've included links to my previous posts in this thread as references to my personal experiences that I've already shared, either in my own threads or in other threads.