Demons

[imhereforyou]

A lot of people (practicing Christians or not) claim demons exists. Many times, something bad happens, or they see someone do something bad and they claim DEMONS or DEMONIC!
The Vatican has said not all processions are demonic.
How many here have experienced demons or the demonic?
How do you know (or do you just believe)?
What happened?
What did you do?

What % of things said to be demons or demonic are, in your opinion?

[imhereforyou]

[Replying to post 3 by Aetixintro]

Demons are to me a trait of schizophrenia. Angels on the other hand are a type of friendly impression of ghosts/"ghosts" or people you miss, who have passed away.

Why are the different? Is it how you are defining them here?

One note, though, by "telepathic reality", it is possible for other people, by threats, primarily, to present themselves, mysteriously, as "demons" to you without being demons, of course.

Similar to how some ghost hunters claim just about everything is a demon perhaps.

The antidote is simple: increased security, removal of threats by pepper spray and other, help from people... You get the idea.

Not without guessing - can you elaborate in more detail?

[imhereforyou]

[Replying to post 4 by JehovahsWitness]

I believe they exist, not least because the bible refers to them as powerful unseen intelligent beings. They are not in my opinion to be taken lightly.

Are they unique to your belief or are they akin to (or the same thing as) the jinn?

there's a lot of mental illness that can be mistaken for demonic forces and a lot of demonic forces that are mistaken for the voice of angels (or God or Jesus).

What is your experience in life with people who have claimed experience with these entities? How did you differentiate between legitimate experiences and none? Or have you never had such an experience?

Going further, how can a lay person tell the difference?

[imhereforyou]

[Replying to post 7 by ttruscott]

Interesting:
This gives us an interesting parallel between God and anti-psychotics.

Which has more power over demons?
Drugs make demons go away, and their observers stop believing in them.
God creates a titanic struggle, where he can only drive them away temporarily.

I don't think it boils down to opinion though.

Much like the god helmet.
Makes me wonder how much of these types of things are simply conjuring of our minds and maybe, thought forms themselves?
Seems to me that many people who experience these things experience what they and their society claims (you don't see a lot of first nation's peoples, for example, claiming to experience angels unless they've been influenced by a religion that references such things).

[imhereforyou]

[Replying to post 9 by Aetixintro]

Thanks for the response. I've heard of very similar experiments but it's been some time again and my memory isn't what it was when I was younger - might have been the same one you referenced here...

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 4 by JehovahsWitness]

I believe they exist, not least because the bible refers to them as powerful unseen intelligent beings. They are not in my opinion to be taken lightly.

Are they unique to your belief or are they akin to (or the same thing as) the jinn?

I don't know what "jinn" are so I cannot say whether I believe demons are silimar to them. I hold the bibical view that demons are in fact "fallen angels" that is to say, like Satan they are spirit creatures (angels) originaly created perfect that rebelled against God and joined Satan in his quest to mislead humans. I don't believe they are the lost souls of humans that have died.

What is your experience in life with people who have claimed experience with these entities?

I don't feel comfortable sharing first hand experiences of this kind, sorry.

there's a lot of mental illness that can be mistaken for demonic forces ...

How did you differentiate between legitimate experiences and none?

A visit to a mental health professional is one way to gain insight if a persn is experiencing trauma, hearing voices or has other symptoms of mental disorder. I'm not a doctor but I would definitely recommend seeking psyciatric help if one isn't delving into spiritism but is having such disturbing experiences.

there's a lot of ... demonic forces that are mistaken for the voice of angels (or God or Jesus).

Going further, how can a lay person tell the difference?

The bible indicates that God is no longer communicating through miraculous manifestations, thus ALL voices, paranormal phenonema,supernatural experiences messages and experiences (which are not imaginary or the result psychosis) are demonic in nature.




FURTHER READING

Demons how can we resist them?
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2007207

Demons are killers
https://www.jw.org/en/publications/book ... e-killers/

[Overcomer]

Jehovah's Witness wrote:

The bible indicates that God is no longer communicating through miraculous manifestations, thus ALL voices, paranormal phenonema,supernatural experiences messages and experiences (which are not imaginary or the result psychosis) are demonic in nature.

Could you please quote the Scripture verses to which you are referring? And what exactly do you mean by "miraculous manifestations"?

Thanks! O.

[JehovahsWitness]

Jehovah's Witness wrote:

The bible indicates that God is no longer communicating through miraculous manifestations, thus ALL voices, paranormal phenonema,supernatural experiences messages and experiences (which are not imaginary or the result psychosis) are demonic in nature.

Could you please quote the Scripture verses to which you are referring? And what exactly do you mean by "miraculous manifestations"?

Thanks! O.

By "miraaculous manifestations" I am referring to spectacular and inexplicable phenonema such as hearing voices, paranormal activity, speaking in tongues, faith healing, levatation, predicting the future through messages from unseen spirits and other such paranormal phenonema.

1 CORTHINTHIANS 12:8-13
“Whether there are gifts of prophesying, they will be done away with; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will be done away with. For we have partial knowledge and we prophesy partially; but when that which is complete arrives, that which is partial will be done away with.�

ACTS 8:14-18
When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samarʹi·a had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them; and these went down and prayed for them to get holy spirit. [...] Now when Simon saw that the spirit was given through the laying on of the hands of the apostles, he offered them money, saying: “Give me this authority also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive holy spirit.�

2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17
All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, so that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.

GALATIANS 5:19-21
“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, and they are fornication, uncleanness, loose conduct, idolatry, practice of spiritism, hatreds, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, contentions, divisions, sects, envies, drunken bouts, revelries, and things like these.� (also compare Rev. 21:8)

2 THESSALONIANS 2:9
This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. - New Living Translation

[Jagella]

[Replying to post 4 by JehovahsWitness]

Not directly nor do I want to. I believe they exist, not least because the bible refers to them as powerful unseen intelligent beings. They are not in my opinion to be taken lightly.

"Demons" are a joke. I've dabbled in pagan religion (the "occult"), and all that happened was that I had some paranoid Christians including one Jehovah's Witness on my hands. "Demons" are only harmful if you believe in them. So JW, go ahead and have a seance, shuffle the Tarot cards, and listen to Black Sabbath. It's a great time!

[JehovahsWitness]

JW, go ahead and have a seance, shuffle the Tarot cards, and listen to Black Sabbath. It's a great time!

Thanks for sharing your personal experiennces, it is of no interest to me but I'm sure the OP will enjoy reading them and have more questions for you.

I don't usually debate what people have or have not experienced as there is no way to verify what they say. I also appreciate there is a fine line between giving advice and preaching; if I wanted to cross that line I would tell posters to get themselves to "church" were they would have a "great time " and find Jesus. Much as I'd love to go about typing that, I try and avoid making such statements as it may violate forum rules and even if it didn't what people enjoy is very subjective. Further, I believe I would run the risk of being told to get a grip since nobody was waiting on me for permission to do or not do something.

I try therefore to stick to issues and avoid concentrating on posters or their personal life choices.


Regards,
JW

[Jagella]

[Replying to post 18 by JehovahsWitness]

Thanks for sharing your personal experiennces, it is of no interest to me but I'm sure the OP will enjoy reading them and have more questions for you.

I'm not sure why you're not interested in personal testimonies regarding religious issues. You're interested enough in demonology to post on this thread. If I told you I converted to Jehovah's Witnesses because I was attacked by demons, would that interest you?

But I'm not being fair. We all have our unique interests.

I don't usually debate what people have or have not experienced as there is no way to verify what they say.

Oh really? Does that go for Paul of Tarsus? He's written his personal experiences all over the New Testament, and you can't verify what he has said.

I also appreciate there is a fine line between giving advice and preaching; if I wanted to cross that line I would tell posters to get themselves to "church" were they would have a "great time " and find Jesus. Much as I'd love to go about typing that, I try and avoid making such statements as it may violate forum rules and even if it didn't what people enjoy is very subjective. Further, I believe I would run the risk of being told to get a grip since nobody was waiting on me for permission to do or not do something.

My advice to consult the Tarot cards and attend a seance was tongue-in-cheek, of course. You wouldn't dare do it even if you wanted to. The JW police might get wind of it and have you brought before a council that could disfellowship you. My point is that as a free-thinking atheist I'm at liberty to try anything as long as I don't harm anybody. I have no fear of demons because I know that they only exist in myth and superstition.

By the way, my "dabbling in the occult" involved runes. Runes were used in the religion of the Vikings and were believed to have magical powers. I bought some of them and tried them out. I discovered that they're a harmless superstition.

I try therefore to stick to issues and avoid concentrating on posters or their personal life choices.

The Watchtower magazine (or it is Awake?) regularly publishes testimonies of people who have made the "life choice" of joining the Jehovah's Witnesses. Do you avoid reading those testimonies?