Do demons exist? Can that be tested?

[John Human]

When I lived in Bali, I couldn't help observing the pervasive evidence of belief in demons. And of course demons put in an appearance in the Bible, not to mention in the gargoyles of old cathedrals.

On the other hand, modern science would seem to categorically reject the existence of demons, without a clear reason why, unless it has to do with the axiomatic presuppositions of science's governing ideology of reductionist materialism.

Question: Do demons exist? What evidence is there, for or against?

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[AquinasForGod]

[Replying to Diagoras in post #484]

Even if it were the case that drugs have a higher rate of success, it doesn't matter much because the ones being freed by the church are those whom drugs could not help and doctors could not figure out what is wrong with them.

Why would exorcism help someone that science could not? And keep in mind, this includes psychology.

I work closely with a number of medical staff within mental health. The number of patients for which doctors can’t “figure out what is wrong with them” is vanishingly small. However, there are (unfortunately) a proportion for which drug treatment can only reduce symptoms, rather than fully cure them.

Statistically, exorcism success is down in the margins of error. And it does matter much that anyone suffering from a mental illness receives the kind of treatment that has the greatest chance of success. That’s NOT by attempting to evict some imagined supernatural being from them.

If you were able to walk through some of the inpatient facilities and clinics that I’m familiar with, and talk to the doctors involved, you might gain some appreciation of how common psychosis is, and its causes. You might even be dissuaded from them idea of ‘demons’ as one of those causes.

My grandmother worked in a mental ward and took me to work with her. However, these are the types priest do not preform exorcisms on. They must be evaluated for mental illness. Most calls that come in to exorcists are mentally ill people and the priest direct them to the right numbers to get mental help.

[Diagoras]

My grandmother worked in a mental ward and took me to work with her. However, these are the types priest do not preform exorcisms on. They must be evaluated for mental illness. Most calls that come in to exorcists are mentally ill people and the priest direct them to the right numbers to get mental help.

<bolding mine>

Why didn’t they evaluate which type of demon was possessing them? Do you think that would have helped to at least narrow down the range of possible causes?

[AquinasForGod]

My grandmother worked in a mental ward and took me to work with her. However, these are the types priest do not preform exorcisms on. They must be evaluated for mental illness. Most calls that come in to exorcists are mentally ill people and the priest direct them to the right numbers to get mental help.

<bolding mine>

Why didn’t they evaluate which type of demon was possessing them? Do you think that would have helped to at least narrow down the range of possible causes?

What kind of different demons do you think might exist?

Demons are metaphysical beings without a body. They do not have senses like humans, although, they do seek to have those experiences, which is why they try to posses people. One reason, at least.

[brunumb]

Demons are metaphysical beings without a body. They do not have senses like humans, although, they do seek to have those experiences, which is why they try to posses people. One reason, at least.

You seem to know a lot about demons. How do you know they do not have senses like humans? How do you know what they want? How do they possess people? Where in the person do they reside and how are they able to affect the behaviour of the possessed? Why does an exorcism cause them to leave and where do they go?

[Diagoras]

What kind of different demons do you think might exist?

I think they fall into two broad categories:

1) Powerful, supernatural creatures driven by a desire to corrupt humans and lead them away from God.

2) Less powerful, less malevolent supernatural creatures that delight in bringing chaos and misery to humans through manipulation of events (losing keys, curdling milk, etc.)

Despite big differences in their aims and scope of influence, they both share the same characteristic of being wholly imagined - so they exist only in the minds of those who, through either illness or lack of critical thought, conjure up the idea of a ‘demon’.

[AquinasForGod]

What kind of different demons do you think might exist?

I think they fall into two broad categories:

1) Powerful, supernatural creatures driven by a desire to corrupt humans and lead them away from God.

2) Less powerful, less malevolent supernatural creatures that delight in bringing chaos and misery to humans through manipulation of events (losing keys, curdling milk, etc.)

Despite big differences in their aims and scope of influence, they both share the same characteristic of being wholly imagined - so they exist only in the minds of those who, through either illness or lack of critical thought, conjure up the idea of a ‘demon’.

So then there are not different types of demons. Thanks.

[brunumb]

[Replying to AquinasForGod in post #496]

Trying again.

You seem to know a lot about demons. How do you know they do not have senses like humans? How do you know what they want? How do they possess people? Where in the person do they reside and how are they able to affect the behaviour of the possessed? Why does an exorcism cause them to leave and where do they go?

[AquinasForGod]

[Replying to AquinasForGod in post #496]

Trying again.

You seem to know a lot about demons. How do you know they do not have senses like humans? How do you know what they want? How do they possess people? Where in the person do they reside and how are they able to affect the behaviour of the possessed? Why does an exorcism cause them to leave and where do they go?

I do not see a point in answering these questions.

[brunumb]

[Replying to AquinasForGod in post #496]

Trying again.

You seem to know a lot about demons. How do you know they do not have senses like humans? How do you know what they want? How do they possess people? Where in the person do they reside and how are they able to affect the behaviour of the possessed? Why does an exorcism cause them to leave and where do they go?

I do not see a point in answering these questions.

Of course you don't. All that talk of demons is just plucked out of the ether. Just made up stuff about other made up stuff.

[William]

You seem to know a lot about demons. How do you know they do not have senses like humans? How do you know what they want? How do they possess people? Where in the person do they reside and how are they able to affect the behaviour of the possessed? Why does an exorcism cause them to leave and where do they go?

I do not see a point in answering these questions.

The point is Re: Do demons exist? Can that be tested?