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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 rikk on Wed, 2009-01-07 - 19:21
i am sorry you are going through.  i seem to remember that judgement is one of the things that is not suppose to happen.  i also seem to remember something about welcomeing all that would come.  you have every right to be insulted.  that type of thinking is just one aspect of dealing with epilepsy.  i had a word of God with my preacher and gave him instructions and seizure disorder.  then i gave more specific instructions on what he could do with his church.  i also told him that if he were the one that God choose,  i have a great doubt in his ability to interpret the bible or God's instructions.  then i said bye and have not been back since.  don't listen to there crap, and remember it is there crap.  hope it helps.  rikk

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

Submitted by cobbadigga on Fri, 2009-01-02 - 20:09
Well after suffering seizures for 20yrs and now 44 my research has shown me a similarity to epilepsy and schizofrinia(well english wasnt my best subject) and after being made aware of similar seizures in myself I can relate to the possible two parts to me battling to take control.. Even tho I dont suffer schiz I and am aware we all have parts to our makeup and If one part wants to be the primary controller then maybe this is how it manifests through the seizure.. If folk where religeous I'm sure this may be constude in the demonic possession criterea or if just a person like myself who is aware of their own wants and needs its a matter of what or which part of ones self to believe as being correct...   FOOD FOR THOUGHT

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

Submitted by zetalov2 on Sat, 2009-01-03 - 16:27
Don't blame your father, have you ever seen somone have a seizure? I have been called a demon by a man before, scared the living crap out of him, and broke my heart. I knew people who believed that i was possessed, this stems from ignorance, when my mom became more educated, she was great, she would just ask how I felt after mopping up the blood, explain this to your dad, he most likeley does not understand how much you just want to be you, and not the "demon".

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