How can we tell when epilepsy, or the symptoms of epilepsy are as a result of a real medical reason or from a demonic influence as stated in the Bible?
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Easy. One just remebers that demons are imaginary, they are fictional, they don't really exist, and the answer becomes obvious.
Let's see now...
Epilepsy: A real, verified medical condition that responds to treatments such as pharmaceuticals.
Demons: Imaginary beings generally associated with, and seen by, the religiously deluded.
I'd say the fact that one is real and the other isn't pretty much leaves no doubt as to how to determine if a person's epilepsy is medical or spiritual.
Well, according to the official Roman Catholic guide to demon possession and exorcism (and I'm not kidding about that, there really is one), demons possession is indicated by the following:
1. The victim speaks in languages not known to them, most commonly ancient languages such as Aramaic, Babylonian, and Latin.
2. The victim demonstrates knowledge that they could not possibly know, usually of a personal (and humiliating) nature concerning the Christians attempting to free the victim.
3. The victim exhibits supernatural effects and abilities such as levitation, poltergeist activity, or superhuman strength.
So, if you see those 3 things, you got yerself a demon on yer hands. If ya don't, well then, that poor son of a bitch must have epilepy, eh?
(PS. There has never been a single documented case of anyone ever exhibiting even one of the three, so you may as well just take them to the doctor first thing.)
Sandman:
Oh, you just need a witch (shes a woman, she shouldn't KNOW greek or anything) who knows about your crimes and some idiots who believe that the bad harvest/weather/whatever is due to evil and you've got a case of demonic possession.
BTW, "official guide"? Where can I get one of those, looks like a great prop to use in a PnP session.
One, because epilepsy is a condition of the mind, whose probable causes are well described since the nineteenth century, not a "medical reason", which has been perfectly described and because the medicines used to prevent it to go further work, whereas demonic posesion is a claim born from the ignorance of the people who witnessed them.
@backup,
Well, the standard bit now is found in Chapter XII: De Exorcizandis Obsessis A Daemonio of Rituale Romanum , last published in 1952, but the Vatican released a new and (supposedly) improved version of the rite of exorcism in 1999. That's where you will find the rites and rituals for the "successful casting out of demons," but be careful, according to the text, only Apostocially-ordained priests should attemt them. To get that book you will either need to be a Catholic Priest, successfully pass yourself off as a Catholic Priest, or steal it from a Catholic Priest.
As for the warning signs and information on diagnosing possesseion, most of that is contained in a series of instructional decrees from Rome that have (at least officially by the Church) not been bound into a single volume, although many of the more "True-Blue" Catholic Priests will keep the contents of these decrees in a single place, and it is possible to obtain a collected hardcover volume produced by a Cracow publishing firm if you know the right people. (The text of that one is, of course, in Latin only.) I have that copy, I bought it from a garage sale back in 1977 for a dollar; the sister of the deceased priest obviously did not speak Latin and was unaware of the contents of the slim, un-titled, leather bound book.
You can also, if you really feel like it, become a Catholic Priest and attend the special classes and training offered in Rome for the casting out of demons. I hear it's like Marine Corps boot camp, but with
fewer guns and more silk robes.
But if you can't get your hands on that, hope is not lost. Much of the information in the Papal decrees concerning possession and witchcraft (which the RC Church officially considers to be essentially synonymous) were lifted nearly whole-cloth from the Malleus Maleficarum , which is available from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Malleus-Maleficarum-Heinrich-Kramer-Sprenger/dp/1585090980/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-9976123-0866828?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1180271608&sr=8-1 )
image
or, if you prefer, is available for free online. (http://www.malleusmaleficarum.org/mmtoc.html )
Man, just when I think we've got into the 21st century, some idiot comes along to disabuse me of the notion. Large swathes of the human population still exist in the 7th. It's a wonder we've managed to get where we are now.
I'm depressed.
I have epilipsy and I go to my neurologist for treatment and medication. Some years ago, when I was in the hosital after surgery, a priest stopped by my room and offered my the Sacrement of the Sick. Exorcism or casting out of demons was never discussed, perhaps because none are in me.
Ever hear of an EEG?
@Louise: lots of them would like to drag us all back to those days kicking and screaming, too. "But the Dark Ages were really a time of Enlightenment!" That kind of thing.
Some get quoted here. A few like to troll this site. Scary bastards the lot of them.
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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