Have You Inhaled Demon Spirits?

This post is part of the September Synchroblog: “The Devil Made Me Do It” in which we were invited to write about any weird, whacky or just plain different things we’ve heard taught about Satan.

I’ve heard a lot of things that were supposed to be “of the devil” over the years.

Rock Music

Mental Disorders

Secular Colleges

Same Sex Relationships

Yoga

Halloween

Computers

Infertility

Video Games

Harry Potter

Depression

Natural Disasters

Cancelling MidWeekChurchService

To be honest with you I don’t believe that Satan is an actual entity.  I tend to think of Satan more as a metaphor of our ability (or freedom to choose) to do evil, to lie and believe lies, to reject goodness, to hate, to neglect doing good etc.  However, there are many Christians who do believe that Satan is an actual entity – a fallen angel who rebelled against God and spends his time trying to keep people from knowing they are loved and accepted by God.  Personally I feel that we are all very proficient at doing that to ourselves and each other… and therefore, if Satan does actually exist, I can’t imagine that there is much to keep him busy since people appear to be doing his work for him.

Most people I know who believe that Satan is an actual entity don’t go around saying that the devil made them do this or that, or warning people to avoid so and so because it is of the devil.  Most people I know who believe that Satan is an actual entity seem to have the attitude that if they follow in the way of Jesus, believe that God loves them and practice loving others they don’t have to worry much about Satan … but every once in a while you run across someone saying something that is way out there about Satan, the devil and/or demonic spirits.

For example, can you believe there are people who have taken the time to record President Obama talking in reverse???? There are those that say President Obama is Satan, or the son of Satan, or the warm-up act of Satan … or at the very least that he likes Satan.  They know this because when you listen to him say “Yes, we can!” in reverse it sounds like “Thank you, Satan.”  What more proof do you need?

And then there is Michelle Bachmann who says (although now that she is running for President she doesn’t want to talk about it) that calling people who are sexually attracted to the same sex “gay” is “a part of satan” and that people who are in same sex relationships are “enslaved” and/or “in bondage” (which is Christianese for serving Satan):

And we can’t forget about Pat Robertson (he seems to know a lot about the devil) talking about people who practice martial arts and how they get some kind of super strength from inhaling demon spirits:

Have you ever inhaled demon spirits? Did it give you super strength?  I’d really love to hear from someone who has some experience with this?

If you don’t have a story to share about inhaling demon spirits just tell me about something wacky you’ve heard about the devil.

 

Here is the list of others who participated in this month’s synchroblog.  Check them out!

Jeremy Myers at Till He Comes – The Devil Made Me Go To Church

K.W. Leslie at More Christ – Devilish Misinformation

Marta Layton at Fidesquarens – The Christian Jihad

Sonnie Swenston-Forbes at A Piece Of My Mind – The Devil Made Me Do It

Bill Sahlman at Creative Reflections – The [one who will go unnamed] Made Me Do It 

Kathy Escobar at kathy escobar – the stranger (who’s a little too familiar) & the shepherd

Liz Dyer at Grace Rules – Have You Inhaled Demon Spirits?

Leah Chang at desert spirit’s fire – devils, demons, et al

Mail From Hell

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune published a letter from Satan to evangelist Pat Robertson, responding to his comment that Haiti’s ongoing troubles, including the earthquake, are due to a pact the nation made with Satan hundreds of years ago.

The letter was actually sent to the newspaper by Lilly Coyle of Minneapolis.  IMO this is the best response to Pat’s hateful rhetoric yet.

Dear Pat Robertson,

I know that you know that all press is good press, so I appreciate the shout-out. And you make God look like a big mean bully who kicks people when they are down, so I’m all over that action.

But when you say that Haiti has made a pact with me, it is totally humiliating. I may be evil incarnate, but I’m no welcher. The way you put it, making a deal with me leaves folks desperate and impoverished.

Sure, in the afterlife, but when I strike bargains with people, they first get something here on earth — glamour, beauty, talent, wealth, fame, glory, a golden fiddle. Those Haitians have nothing, and I mean nothing. And that was before the earthquake. Haven’t you seen “Crossroads”? Or “Damn Yankees”?

If I had a thing going with Haiti, there’d be lots of banks, skyscrapers, SUVs, exclusive night clubs, Botox — that kind of thing. An 80 percent poverty rate is so not my style. Nothing against it — I’m just saying: Not how I roll.

You’re doing great work, Pat, and I don’t want to clip your wings — just, come on, you’re making me look bad. And not the good kind of bad. Keep blaming God. That’s working. But leave me out of it, please. Or we may need to renegotiate your own contract.

Best, Satan

LILY COYLE, MINNEAPOLIS