What does demon possession mean to you?

[Dan From Smithville]

And I am not arguing that these memes which I am calling demonic are supernatural independent entities if that is what you are taking issue with. I am arguing the opposite, I don't believe they are supernatural, have any independent existence outside the human mind or are even intelligent

Oh. I wish that had been more clear to begin with. That clears up much and explains a bit.

It could be that you are onto something here. That some or all demons and demonic possessions are just memes and the manifestation of memes, seems like reasonable speculation. I am not sure how to test it, but like I said, I am intrigued by the idea.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

And I am not arguing that these memes which I am calling demonic are supernatural independent entities if that is what you are taking issue with. I am arguing the opposite, I don't believe they are supernatural, have any independent existence outside the human mind or are even intelligent

They could exist outside the human mind by extension of the means we use to capture and disseminate information. That would be the vector through which they are transmitted from host to host.

This is very similar to the arguments made in that book I cannot remember the name of. It referenced political and religious movements as well as memes that were associated with historical events like WW II.

 

[74x12]

It is a fact it doesn't exist. If it did, we would have definitive proof of it by now. Just as we would of Bigfoot and Nessy if they were real.

Sorry but, that's a naive point of view. There is proof. Just ignored and not accepted. I would suggest you do your own research and not rely on the educational system and MSM.

 

[The Reverend Bob]

They could exist outside the human mind by extension of the means we use to capture and disseminate information. That would be the vector through which they are transmitted from host to host.

This is very similar to the arguments made in that book I cannot remember the name of. It referenced political and religious movements as well as memes that were associated with historical events like WW II.

We need to find that book because I want to read it too

 

[Dan From Smithville]

We need to find that book because I want to read it too

I am looking. I probably need to re-read it. Of course, in looking, I am finding numerous other books on the subject.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

Sorry but, that's a naive point of view. There is proof. Just ignored and not accepted. I would suggest you do your own research and not rely on the educational system and MSM.

What is MSM?

 

[The Reverend Bob]

What is MSM?

A meme called the Main Stream Media

 

[Dan From Smithville]

We need to find that book because I want to read it too

If I find it, I'll post the citation.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

A meme called the Main Stream Media

Thanks. I should have known.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

Sorry but, that's a naive point of view. There is proof. Just ignored and not accepted. I would suggest you do your own research and not rely on the educational system and MSM.

We sure don't want education or the mechanism of the dissemination of information to taint this discussion.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

A meme called the Main Stream Media

Good chatting with you. That is a very interesting meme you are arguing. It gives me some food for thought on some, possibly related, questions I have on reviewing ones sources and knowledge on certain subject. Certainly, it is something to think about, but for another time unfortunately. I have to get some sleep.

 

[74x12]

We sure don't want education or the mechanism of the dissemination of information to taint this discussion.

Well no worries. None of you are informed on this topic anyway; so it hasn't been tainted.

The fact is people believe a lot of nonsense about demonic possession/oppression and don't know what they're talking about.

 

[David J]

Have you ever seen a demon possessed person? If you lived in a place where it is common to practice spiritism, you would know the difference.

If you have never had experience with the demons, then how would you know one way or the other?

In modern medicine, there is only mental illness.....they do not recognize demon possession as an affliction.

What is the definition of a demon, and demon possession?

 

[David J]

There is really no point trying to explain anything to someone who has not desire to understand anyway.

There is a very good reason why God does not intervene to prevent anything bad from happening in this world. To do so would be to prop up the devil's side of the issue. At the end of the day, we are all going to be caught in the act of being ourselves...either upholding God sovereignty and his laws....or not.

The pigs were in all probability going to be killed and eaten anyway. According to God’s law swine were unclean animals, and not only were the Israelites forbidden to eat their flesh or to use them for sacrifices but even to touch the carcasses of swine made a Jew unclean. For them to raise swine was therefore a flagrant disregard of God’s law. Since they had no business raising swine even for commercial purposes they could well consider this destruction of their herd as a just rebuke.

Also, it might be reasonably argued that one man is worth more than a herd of swine, especially since swine were supposed to have no commercial value among the Jews. So no fault can be found with Jesus’ permitting the demons to enter into the swine.

Oh, please explain. You seem to know the mind of God.

 

[Thief]

You are totally blind and unaware of your own incompetence because your puppeteer wants you to be this way.

so ...you don't believe in freewill?

 

[The Reverend Bob]

so ...you don't believe in freewill?

Nope. Volition is limited by a number of factors, such as intelligence and culture

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Sorry but, that's a naive point of view. There is proof. Just ignored and not accepted. I would suggest you do your own research and not rely on the educational system and MSM.

I have looked. I used to be a believer in pseudo science. I use to even search and look. But consistently my searches at best provided evidence people easily mistake things for objects that will play into the drama of their beliefs. One of the last "haunted sites" I looked at, people swore to me that human hairs appeared on the walls after they did a seance. This "hair" was nothing more than the bristles of a synthetic paint brush left behind on the walls after they had been textured with plaster. Which really sums up the entirety of my search: people want to believe so much their minds will plant non-existent evidence and forego critical examination to uphold their beliefs.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I already accept that memes or ideas can originate in a person or people and persist in a population. But I have no reason to conclude that demons are memes, though it is an interesting idea. I have no reason to conclude that demons exist in any capacity outside of the idea of them. Descriptions of demons and their abilities extends beyond what an idea can do, as demons are described to exist outside of a host and be some sort of entity. Selecting a personal definition of demon, given by an historical figure, at the exclusion of all other definitions, with no valid explanation for the exclusion, except that particular definition fits the definition of a meme, does not make a very compelling argument.

Yup. But, truly I believe, we are living in a time where we aren't very far away from a collective cultural reexamination of our beliefs as we shed the ideas that we clinging onto yet too scared to let go of because they've been with us for so long. Demonic possession is definitely one of those things, which is already something only the most insistent about supernatural occurrences still believe in anyways.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Fear isn't contagious?

Fear isn't a demon but a very explainable physiological response.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

There is really no point trying to explain anything to someone who has not desire to understand anyway.

There is a very good reason why God does not intervene to prevent anything bad from happening in this world. To do so would be to prop up the devil's side of the issue. At the end of the day, we are all going to be caught in the act of being ourselves...either upholding God sovereignty and his laws....or not.

The pigs were in all probability going to be killed and eaten anyway. According to God’s law swine were unclean animals, and not only were the Israelites forbidden to eat their flesh or to use them for sacrifices but even to touch the carcasses of swine made a Jew unclean. For them to raise swine was therefore a flagrant disregard of God’s law. Since they had no business raising swine even for commercial purposes they could well consider this destruction of their herd as a just rebuke.

Also, it might be reasonably argued that one man is worth more than a herd of swine, especially since swine were supposed to have no commercial value among the Jews. So no fault can be found with Jesus’ permitting the demons to enter into the swine.

Man I just love apologetics. Such creativity!