> 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 wan

> 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.