Tuesday, March 1, 2011
The Rite
I went and saw the movie The Rite recently and really enjoyed it. It was very applicable to my paper as the entire movie revolves around exorcism and possession. Without giving anything away the plot involves a young clergyman, who doesn't believe in possession, that is sent to Rome to learn under a priest who has performed an amazing amount of exorcisms. I've included a link to the trailer in the title and I recommend the movie to any who like this kind of movie. My question for you all, and it's a controversial one, is whether or not possession and exorcism is real? If not, do these people who are "possessed" suffer from mental conditions or does something else cause their ailment?
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I don't believe in supernatural explanations for human behavior -- but a believer could dismiss that as Satan talking through my mouth. Hence my dissasfaction with supernatural explanations; because they could in theory explain everything, they in practice explain nothing.
I recommend sociologist Michael Cuneo's book American Exorcism: Expelling Demons in the Land of Plenty (Doubleday, 2001). Cuneo argues that exorcism is more common these days among charismatic Protestants than among old-guard Catholics. Its official publication date was Sept. 11, 2001; make of that what you will.
I don't really believe in the concept of possession or exorcism. Certainly there are times when people don't seem to be acting normally (even in very major/serious ways), but I don't think that this means that a demon or spirit has chosen to occupy them. Maybe it is a sort of mental disorder that contributes to this, but more often I think people just let themselves slip into a deep, trace-like state. They fall back and just do what feels natural, sort of giving in to their subconscious. I guess most of us could feel this in something like dance or music, where you just let go and do what feels right.
I feel like the idea of a physical show of something religious is more or less a way for people to reaffirm their beliefs. I think some people can be convinced they are possessed, which can result in them acting crazy (like Eleanor's case). These people are then "healed" by the priest because that's what they needed as far as their beliefs go.
And now, for a mini religious discussion...
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
[1673] When the Church asks publicly and authoritatively in the name of Jesus Christ that a person or object be protected against the power of the Evil One and withdrawn from his dominion, it is called exorcism. Jesus performed exorcisms and from him the Church has received the power and office of exorcizing. In a simple form, exorcism is performed at the celebration of Baptism. The solemn exorcism, called "a major exorcism," can be performed only by a priest and with the permission of the bishop. The priest must proceed with prudence, strictly observing the rules established by the Church. Exorcism is directed at the expulsion of demons or to the liberation from demonic possession through the spiritual authority which Jesus entrusted to his Church. Illness, especially psychological illness, is a very different matter; treating this is the concern of medical science. Therefore, before an exorcism is performed, it is important to ascertain that one is dealing with the presence of the Evil One, and not an illness.
Also,
[1237] Since Baptism signifies liberation from sin and from its instigator the devil, one or more exorcisms are pronounced over the candidate. The celebrant then anoints him with the oil of catechumens, or lays his hands on him, and he explicitly renounces Satan. Thus prepared, he is able to confess the faith of the Church, to which he will be "entrusted" by Baptism.
--And so, in the sense that baptism is an exorcism, I (as a Roman Catholic) obviously believe in that. From thereon, I'm certainly not an authority on the topic, even reading bits of my catechism like these. I know that I have friends who believe heartily in demons who will manifest themselves in one way or another and who have met priests who have performed exorcisms of the non-baptism kind.
Personally, when I think of demons, I try to not think of the Haunting in Connecticut living-in-the-basement-and-coming-after-you-with-hollow-eyes kind, but rather that sin is a way of falling prey to demons of the worst kind--because even though they don't show up like the one I keep referring to, they convince you to turn away from God (which is basically what sin is).
Also, this is not an official teaching, but rather something I heard from my mother regarding the "major exorcism." She told me when I asked a long time ago that yes, priests perform exorcisms, but sometimes--I guess for lack of a better way to say it--it's just to humor people. So it's not like there's a way of gathering evidence, or a way of determining what kind of forces are really at work as far as the exorcist himself is concerned--rather, if someone is concerned enough as to believe that they need an exorcism performed and the bishop okays it, it'll happen.
I do believe in God and the Devil. I do not believe in possession. Primarily for the same reason I don't believe in alien abductions. If aliens really were around abducting people, why do they only abduct the random nobodies from the boonies? Why not major world leaders?
Possession is the same. Why are all the possessions always some random person out on a lonely farm? Why do demons not possess major world leaders or people of consequence.
I do believe in possession and demons but not necessarily in a traditional sense. I like to think that as we evolve so have demons. Maybe instead of outright possession they use other means. Drugs, for example. I've have a family member who is a hardcore addict. My family look at drugs or addiction rather as a demon. It's not the everyday demon with a forked tongue and spiked tail but rather an object or symbol. The family member I mentioned isn't the same person he used to be. He does all kinds of terrible things to get drugs. I remember the kid who told me he shot Rudolph in the nose so Santa couldn't come fondly (it's much funnier now than it was then) but today he's always strung out. He's possessed. Possessed by the desire to get drugs, give up anything for drugs, hurt anyone for drugs.This view is more abstract and probably doesn't stand up to scrutiny but since when has faith ever done so? I'm not giving my family member an excuse. He did this. This is his fault. What I'm saying is that now he is in a place where he is possessed by his addiction because he does things he would never do if he was straight. He doesn't need an exorcism where people throw holy water on him. He needs the kind of exorcism that I would call a detox. And an exorcism from the situation. That last bit doesn't make sense sorry.
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