Whatever a person’s thoughts about claims those like Stalin and Hitler were demon possessed many of us at times have been tempted to take a hammer or baseball bat to our computers, but wouldn’t an exorcism be preferable? It’s really not all that humorous when someone suggests exorcists may be needed to cast the demons out of computers, but I recall a running joke in a cartoon strip where a magician is called in to fix a fellow’s computer every time something went wrong with it, and having worked with the things from the time you had to load DOS before you could do anything else it isn’t difficult to understand why early pc’s were thought to be more like magic boxes requiring prayers and incantations to fix them and keep them running properly, though most of us were more likely to use our more profane vocabulary on them while visions of hammers and baseball bats danced in our heads.

Some fifteen years ago I actually did keep a hard drive going with a hammer. When the thing locked up on me I removed the pc cover and using a hobbyist’s hammer, a very small one, gave the drive a gentle tap and it booted quite nicely. But unlike some people, I had a good working knowledge of computers and understood the problem with the drive. My using the small hammer rather than some other tool was more for the purpose of my being able to actually tell people truthfully, as I am doing right now, that I really did take a hammer to a computer to get it working. So there you have it: True story.

What got me to thinking about this was the Daily Mail report of Pope Benedict unveiling plans to set up specialist exorcism squads: “The Pope has ordered his bishops to set up exorcism squads to tackle the rise of Satanism. Vatican chiefs are concerned at what they see as an increased interest in the occult. They have introduced courses for priests to combat what they call the most extreme form of ‘Godlessness’…” The article goes on to say the church is being “bombarded by requests for exorcisms,” but what really caught my eye was this statement: “The Vatican is particularly concerned that young people are being exposed to the influence of Satanic sects through rock music and the Internet.”

Well, I’ve already written about what I consider to be demon possession of TV, the increased level of violence and horrid noise that has pervaded so much programming and can best be described as nothing less than evil. So yes, I believe it to be in fact a “Demon Haunted World,” I do believe Satan has dominion over the kingdoms of the earth, a boast of the Evil One that Jesus did not challenge in the “Temptation.” But can we really open our minds to invite demons to take possession of us?

Many are the stories about demon possession and unclean spirits, but where are the stories of angel possession? The story of the Day of Pentecost in Acts is familiar to many, and in the first chapter of Revelation John writes “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day.” Many Christians equate “being in the Spirit” or “filled with the Spirit” with a kind of angel possession; some ascribe the hysteria of glossolalia to angel possession and claim the gibberish is speaking in the tongues of angels. My opinion has always been the nonsense is as stated; gibberish.

However, I do believe there are angels and demons, I do believe there are such things as demon influence, even demon possession. But I also believe there are facts leading to the story in Genesis about the sons of God commingling with the daughters of men resulting in another species, monsters in human form preying on women and children especially, that these monsters in human guise are those responsible for the most heinous crimes and acts of cruelty against women and children in particular. How often are we faced with some such monstrous thing done to a child and asked ourselves the question how any human being could do such a thing to a child! For me the answer is such things are done to children by monsters, not human beings.

I’ll make it quite clear that I do not believe in the Roman Church’s power to exorcise demons by whatever means. But I will be equally clear in my belief there are such beings as demons. And more to the point, I believe we can invite such demons into our minds by engaging in what might well be called “unhealthy” ways of thinking. My extensive background in psychology enables me to consider what are offered by way of explanation for many things considered to be unhealthy for our minds; but I’m also acutely aware that most of psychology is nothing short of being described as per Tom Cruise; modern day witchcraft and the practitioners our contemporary witch doctors; though Dr. Phil is more representative of Nesferatu.

It is fortunate for me that I don’t have to depend on any of my peers or colleagues in academia or even our government for my “rice bowl.” I’m in the fortunate situation of no longer being under any thumb for a paycheck. For this reason I can express my views on a number of subjects without concern for the opinions of others, and this is a freedom and liberty I cherish. So when I write of things like angels and demons I’m not looking for approval of my views, but rather am only expressing an opinion of such things attempting to separate what I believe from what I know.

I know, for example, there is much evil in the world and there always has been. And it is easy for me to believe there is a malevolent supernatural power at work in visiting the many horrors throughout history upon humankind; I believe this because it makes sense to me. I believe the Bible to be the best resource available for an understanding of such evil, and I will continue to use it as my primary resource and don’t hesitate to recommend it to others seeking answers to the most perplexing questions of life and death. But with this caveat: Do the necessary research to understand the Bible, know its history and know its strengths as well as its faults and weaknesses. It remains a book compiled of the writings of men, no women allowed, but nevertheless it remains the best resource book available to us for an understanding of many things that would otherwise be totally inexplicable. And for those like me who find comfort in reading and studying the Bible, so much the better.

What with all the dreadful weather in parts of the country, those of us on the west coast can be excused for thinking our turn is coming in the form of the “Big One!” You know; the one that will cause the west coast to slide off into the Pacific and turn deserts into beachfront property. Well, maybe it won’t happen, but it does bring to mind a passage in the Bible about men’s hearts failing them for fear. Lord knows there is enough bad stuff going on all over to make us wonder what’s next? Well, how about an exorcism for such demonic thoughts? Demons or not, it sure isn’t a healthy way of thinking, this expectation of dreadful things happening. But I’m reminded of the not so funny joke; If you’re not paranoid you just don’t see the whole picture. And it was for good reason Thoreau pointed out with the introduction of candles and Christianity, though all the witches had been hung men still seemed a little afraid of the dark.