Why does Jesus' name work on poltergeist?

[Espirit]

So, was doing some musing today, and had a question for you all.  Often I will see a show, or hear of a story through a person, about some sort of poltergeist activity.  The person may call the entity a demon, maybe a ghost, maybe just the unexplained.  During these stories, eventually, someone gets a Bible involved or speaks the name of Jesus Christ and they story goes that it happened to be the thing that got rid of it.

Do you think it's because Jesus really is the all powerful authority and the Son of God? 

Is it because humanity has such a large consciousness over the power of the name?

What do you think this is all about?

[mslemon]

Could it be our expectation? That is, if we believe invoking that name will work, it does. Sort of like another example of the Law of Attraction.


So here's another question to think on in this same vein...


If one is of a different type of religion, does invoking the name of their god have the same effect in a similar situation? I would think so.

[Espirit]

That is exactly what I'm interested in learning.. I do wonder if other gods that are depended upon to be the authority work in the same way.  I haven't seen enough of a variety of stories to know for sure. 

Is the energy our confidence?  Our certainty?  What about people that do not really claim to be believers, but then call out on the name of God or Christ to be the "ambulance" so to speak...

At this point, I'm thinking similarly to you, mslemon.

[mslemon]

I can't recall any stories off the top of my head that call on other deities. Maybe it's not just calling on a "higher power" but the undisputable belief in that instant that shifts the "energy".


 There are plenty people who are non-believers and they call upon a higher power and things improve. But, we don't seem to hear stories of those who don't believe and have called for higher power intervention. So I think in reporting this stuff, the balance is swayed to the side of people finding some miraculous intervention because those are the stories that are reported. Reporting a non-intervention would just be par for the course, so to speak. It's expected nothing will happen and when it doesn't it's not noteworthy.


This is kind of the same idea as people who make "bargains" with a higher power if only the higher power will do XX. Such as non-religious people saying at a time of crisis, "I will never drink or do drugs again if only you save my grandma from the horrible clutches of cancer."




Thoughts?

[all_outta_angst]

there are many many many stories of spirits being driven out in the name of...
your probably only looking into the traditonal sense of religion, specifically the judeo christian god.

if u look at any religious culture at any point in time in history, you will find more than your fair share of how they invoke their convictions to fight poltergiests.  they call those same spirits different names...and they have different agendas and purposes in regards to which society/religion/culture your looking at.

egyptian
japanese
greek
etc...

zues
jesus
mohammad
horus
etc...

[Espirit]

Yes, Angst, you're right, I am pretty much only referring to what I've seen on T.V. or have heard from sources that are mainstream.  I have not gone out of my way to research other version of these types of stories, but I do take your word for it; stories based in other cultures where folks call upon the deity they either believe in or are conditioned refer to when in a crunch.

Thanks for sharing!

[ElementalElder]

I think that hollywood has pushed the idea of excorcisms too far into the Christian Corner. If you think of excorcism, most people now adays envision the "Holy Father" from the church with his bible and cross battling the "Bad Spirits." However, I say fuck that bullshit. In every culture, there were certain gods who were known to be the ones who cast out spirits and other such dark beings, and so when it was believed such an occurance was happening, one would invoke the name of the god to drive away the spirit. don't put so much conviction into the thought that Jesus was anything more than a normal man. If you were Egyptian, you would have called on Bes if you had spirit problems. as angst said, it depends where you come from.

[all_outta_angst]

It's also important to note, that on a poll on Catholic Priests, a whopping percent of them don't actually believe Satan is an being...and more of an idea!

[Antdog2181]

It's also important to note, that on a poll on Catholic Priests, a whopping percent of them don't actually believe Satan is an being...and more of an idea!

Can you find me a link  to that poll?

[ejderha]

Even whit no poll allot of them don't believe in Satan as is true,
Will say is between 60-80% that don't believe, not to mention some of them because of priest because is a good job( like in my country)

[Antdog2181]

Id like to see the official poll if its out there.  That seems kind of wierd to  me.  Like if I said 80% of atheist believe there is a higher power.  Im sure that an atheist would like to see where I got that info from.  Thats all im asking.