3 ms·

I am willing to at least consider the possibility that non-physical beings might exist, and that they might be both able and willing to influence a human's acti

I am willing to at least consider the possibility that non-physical beings might exist, and that they might be both able and willing to influence a human's actions in ways that appear malevolent. Going from that to asserting that said beings are literal demons sent by Satan to corrupt mankind seems like a stretch, and makes me question this guy's objectivity (even) more than I might otherwise. Even assuming all his accounts are literally true, the existence of people with paranormal abilities and psychotic symptoms shows only that paranormal abilities exist and may be correlated with psychosis. If nothing else, the stereotypical "possessed" behavior is exactly the opposite of what you'd expect a literal hell-demon to do. If the Devil was real and wanted to tear down God and religion, he'd make the possessed act like reasonable, well-spoken atheists, not this mumbo-jumbo routine that seems calculated to scare people into going to church.

wtbob 10y ago
> If nothing else, the stereotypical "possessed" behavior is exactly the opposite of what you'd expect a literal hell-demon to do. If the Devil was real and wanted to tear down God and religion, he'd make the possessed act like reasonable, well-spoken atheists, not this mumbo-jumbo routine that seems calculated to scare people into going to church. What makes you think that Sam Harris & Richard Dawkins aren't possessed? Maybe the symptoms of possession are really symptoms of a trapped soul trying to break free of its gaoler: in the case of folks like Harris & Dawkins, they don't want to break free, while in the case of some poor sap he does. I don't know that it's actually the case, but it's an explanation. Another, of course, is that folks who want attention seek it out in the language they are familiar with: demonic possession for Christians, running amok for Malays, school shootings for suburban American teenagers.
- PhasmaFelis 10y ago
  > What makes you think that Sam Harris & Richard Dawkins aren't possessed? I cannot disprove the possibility, but I also can't see any plausible evidence for it, so by Occam's razor it seems unlikely. I agree that it does make a good Just So Story, if one is seeking ways to explain the observable world in terms of Catholic theology.

wtbob 10y ago

> If nothing else, the stereotypical "possessed" behavior is exactly the opposite of what you'd expect a literal hell-demon to do. If the Devil was real and wanted to tear down God and religion, he'd make the possessed act like reasonable, well-spoken atheists, not this mumbo-jumbo routine that seems calculated to scare people into going to church. What makes you think that Sam Harris & Richard Dawkins aren't possessed? Maybe the symptoms of possession are really symptoms of a trapped soul trying to break free of its gaoler: in the case of folks like Harris & Dawkins, they don't want to break free, while in the case of some poor sap he does. I don't know that it's actually the case, but it's an explanation. Another, of course, is that folks who want attention seek it out in the language they are familiar with: demonic possession for Christians, running amok for Malays, school shootings for suburban American teenagers.

PhasmaFelis 10y ago
> What makes you think that Sam Harris & Richard Dawkins aren't possessed? I cannot disprove the possibility, but I also can't see any plausible evidence for it, so by Occam's razor it seems unlikely. I agree that it does make a good Just So Story, if one is seeking ways to explain the observable world in terms of Catholic theology.