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Epilepsy and Demonic Possession...or something of the sort

Tue, 06/24/2008 - 16:43

Has anyone had problems with religious family members whipping out Mark 9 (the chapter where Jesus heals a boy who apparently is having seizures of some sort), then declaring that you must have demons in you, or you have spiritual unrest, or are somehow "not right" with God?

My father did that to me recently. When he started talking about it, I was afraid he was going to try an exorcism on me right then and there. But he didn't - he just prayed. Ever since then he's been pushing me to talk to my minister about my alleged spiritual unrest. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to do that - soon we'll have a new minister and I can just see me going in on his first day on the job and saying, "O hi, sometimes I wake up at night with a yell and then I shake. Can you help me? I must not be right with God."  The poor minister would probably put a request in for a transfer that same day.

I mean, I do have Demons. I really do. And I have Crime and Punishment and The Idiot and Brothers Karamazov and most of Dostoevsky's works. (Sorry - had to get a book nerd joke in there.)

Seriously, I thank this very same Deity (with whom I am supposedly not right) that I'm an adult and live a few states away from my father. But this still bothers me because I have to deal with my father's pestering me to talk to the minister. Truly, I think it goes beyond just a religious matter and it's more a question of my father's sanity.

So has anyone else dealt with this demons issue?

Comments

Re: Epilepsy and Demonic Possession...or something of the sort

Submitted by stephsobota on Tue, 2008-07-01 - 19:48
Wow  - y’all have given me a great perspective on my situation. I’m gladdened&saddened that I’m not alone. :O

I also got a bit of perspective yesterday – aka my bday. Dad didn’t call. It’s the first time in my life I haven’t talked with Dad on my birthday (and he hasn’t sung happy birthday to me). Something is going on with him.  Now I reeaaallly think that his insistence that “I’m not right with God” and the whole thing about @&#* demons is a bit of a projection. This whole crud has nothing to do with my brain and its malfunctionings. I think he has personal issues going on. And somehow these personal issues have erupted in the interpretation of Mark 9. 

Funny, if he would have read Matthew 17, another account of Jesus’ encounter with the sick boy, he would have seen that Jesus rebukes the people who don’t heal the boy, saying it just takes faith. In that account, Christ is getting mad at everyone BUT the boy. Strange he didn’t read that passage….

As Graham Greene apparently said, “Epilepsy, cancer and leprosy—these are the three medical terms which rouse the greatest fear in the untutored.” Mom died of cancer, I have the e…Forgive me for my irreverance: I guess it’s up to my bro to come through with leprosy.  

Thx2All

Steph

Thx2All

Steph

Re: Epilepsy and Demonic Possession...or something of the sort

Submitted by ROCKNROLL on Tue, 2008-07-01 - 22:10

STEPH, I AM SORRY YOUR FATHER DIDN'T CALL. IT MUST HAVE REALLY HURT YOU. IT DOES SOUND LIKE THERE IS SOMETHING GOING ON WITH HIM OTHER THAN YOUR HAVING E.  I HOPE HE WILL BE ALL RIGHT.

 IT ALSO SAY IN MARK 9 THAT JESUS WAS UPSET WITH THE OTHER PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY DID NOT HAVE FAITH. PERHAPS YOU NEED TO WRITE HIM A LETTER, AND QUOTE WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS, AND POINT OUT THAT HE TOO MUST HAVE FAITH. THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON IN THE BIBLE IS TO LOVE UNCONDITIONALLY, TO NOT JUDGE OTHERS, TO ACCEPT EACH PERSON AS THEY ARE. JESUS COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE CLEAR. MANY (((((HUGS!))))) STEPH, AND LOTS OF LOVE!  LOVE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON IN THE BIBLE.   

I WISH YOU PEACE, LOVE, BLESSINGS, JOY.........JAN

I USE ALL CAPS FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED.

STEPH, I AM SORRY YOUR FATHER DIDN'T CALL. IT MUST HAVE REALLY HURT YOU. IT DOES SOUND LIKE THERE IS SOMETHING GOING ON WITH HIM OTHER THAN YOUR HAVING E.  I HOPE HE WILL BE ALL RIGHT.

 IT ALSO SAY IN MARK 9 THAT JESUS WAS UPSET WITH THE OTHER PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY DID NOT HAVE FAITH. PERHAPS YOU NEED TO WRITE HIM A LETTER, AND QUOTE WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS, AND POINT OUT THAT HE TOO MUST HAVE FAITH. THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON IN THE BIBLE IS TO LOVE UNCONDITIONALLY, TO NOT JUDGE OTHERS, TO ACCEPT EACH PERSON AS THEY ARE. JESUS COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE CLEAR. MANY (((((HUGS!))))) STEPH, AND LOTS OF LOVE!  LOVE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON IN THE BIBLE.   

I WISH YOU PEACE, LOVE, BLESSINGS, JOY.........JAN

I USE ALL CAPS FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED.

Re: Epilepsy and Demonic Possession...or something of the sort

Submitted by Sophs64833 on Wed, 2008-07-02 - 15:45
Well, I'm Christian... and it is true that Jesus did heal a boy who was having some sort of seizure. It souns like a grand mal to me.  My parents aren't so religious tht they know all sorts of verses from the bible and goes tlling me about it an stuff. I don't even think my parents know about  Mark 9:14- 27. I only heard of it I think two years ago when my friend who was counciling me and I were talking about my seizures because I was having trouble with it and my twin was harrassing me about it.  Now, this verse gave me hope because I know that God can heal me and that life wasn't as hopeless as I felt it was at that time. I think if and only if you feel comfortable talking to a minister or somone you trust that can help you, I think you should go talk to them. The only thing they can do is pray and give you comfort though. After all, they are only human. God bless.

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