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

Tue, 06/24/2008 - 16:43
Topic: Living With Epilepsy - Adults

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 Sat, 2009-01-03 - 18:58

It's wonderful your Mom is so great. My father has become a *little* more laid back - but he insists on putting his hands on me when I'm having a seizure. I don't have major seizures - my arm just shakes. Which makes it even more absurd - "OMG! A shaking arm! Demon!"
When Dad puts his hands on me, I don't know if he's praying or what - I think he might be, but it's not aloud, so I don't find it unsettling.  The main thing is that he doesn't touch my shaking arm and it's comforting to have my father's hands on my other arm.
I'm sorry you've had to deal with people who believed you were possessed - you're right in that it comes from ignorance. I don't know if Dad will ever be un-ignorant, but as long as he doesn't touch my shaking arm and doesn't pray aloud, then I think we might have found a good compromise.

It's wonderful your Mom is so great. My father has become a *little* more laid back - but he insists on putting his hands on me when I'm having a seizure. I don't have major seizures - my arm just shakes. Which makes it even more absurd - "OMG! A shaking arm! Demon!"
When Dad puts his hands on me, I don't know if he's praying or what - I think he might be, but it's not aloud, so I don't find it unsettling.  The main thing is that he doesn't touch my shaking arm and it's comforting to have my father's hands on my other arm.
I'm sorry you've had to deal with people who believed you were possessed - you're right in that it comes from ignorance. I don't know if Dad will ever be un-ignorant, but as long as he doesn't touch my shaking arm and doesn't pray aloud, then I think we might have found a good compromise.

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

Submitted by zetalov2 on Sun, 2009-01-04 - 20:51
Education is the cure for ignorance.  Like I said explain the comfort, I once had a man hold me and talk to me as my mother did when I was a child, it calmed me. I have grand mal seizures, which are usually bad, and small ones on occasion. And besides for people who believe the demon thing, how do we know it is not just the opposite? I have a strong belief in God, I think everything happenes for a reason, if I thought my suffering was in vain, I would not be here today. I think that the experience could have impacted my compassion, it has impacted the person I am today, I have suffered so much for this, that means so little now, I am a counselor, and I will always dedicate my life to empowering people. I would not say that it was worth it, as there is no comparison, but to live in the past would be suicidal. The main thing that keeps me going is my hope, my faith, and my heart.

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

Submitted by bread on Mon, 2009-01-05 - 00:40
We must not take the bible out of it's historical context. Back in those days, demon possession and evil spirits were everywhere...idol worshipers, idols in every household. Here in this day and age there still are places in the world where people practice idol worship and invite the demons in. BUT you are Christian and the US is not one of those places. You can't just take a passage of scripture and paste it onto the 21st century, you have to interperet it the way it was intended as it was written for that time and era and culture and place...then make a 21st century application from it to learn for our culture, time and place. Your father apparently has not understood the passage correctly to interperet correctly or apply it correctly. You are not demon possessed.

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