Catholic Church is forced to recruit more exorcists after the number of 'demonic possessions'...

[trotsky]

(headline con't) ...in the Philippines triples

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3294810/Priests-wanted-able-cast-Devil-Catholic-Church-forced-recruit-new-exorcists-cope-huge-rise-demonic-possessions-Philippines.html

The Catholic Church has been forced to recruit more exorcists to cope with a 'three-fold' increase in reports of demonic possessions in the Philippines.

The Archdiocese of Manila says the church now has between 80 to 100 exorcism requests on its books at any one time and is struggling to keep up.

...

He said the rise may be explained by the fact more people have learned about the exorcism office on the popular radio program Light In The Darkness, it was reported by Catholic News Service.

Huh. So they assume demonic possession because they're told it's real and that the church can help. Who knew?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. They need to send a few priests over to RNC headquarters.

I never saw a bunch of folks who needed an exorcism more than those guys.

[Goblinmonger]

3. At least they aren't getting them the mental health help they need.

At least there's that. I'm sure the placebo affect will help these exorcisms solve the real problems.

[edhopper]

4. So instead of dealing with it as mass hysteria

the Church that is suppose to be all sciencey, and not one of those anti-intellectual "fringe" churches, enables this bullshit and does more harm.

I need some Catho-splaining to make sense of this.

[Silent3]

5. Who ya gonna call?

Oh, wait, sorry... that's ghosts.

This is demons. Ghosts would be silly.

[packman]

6. Oh, fuck - that's gotta be the best laugh of the day

Don't know what is going on in the Philippines; but had a co-worker from the islands who - in all sincerity now - was worried about the rise of the Roman Empire and how it would persecute Christians again. I was too stunned to reply except to say "Really - the Roman Empire?"

[Fix The Stupid]

7. I can't remember...

Can we point and laugh at this? And people who believe in this horseshit?

Or is this off limits?

Is it fair game like scientology?

I need someone to explain this to me...

[bvf]

9. Laughter is a natural reaction

to this crap, but so is a sinking feeling of resignation that these are human beings with supposedly functioning brains.

[Hoppy]

10. I wonder what an exorcism costs. Jesus does need a lot of money.

[Fumesucker]

12. What's in ~your~ wallet?

[Hoppy]

8. In my arch-diocese, (Newark, N.J.) the demons reside in priests.

They then cause the priests to engage in buggery with young parishioners. Why just last week, a priest from Short Hills, N.J. was issued a summons before the diocese council for just such buggery.

By law, such instances should be reported to law enforcement. In this case, the church officials will hear the complaint. If it was a mufti or sheik, this approach would be called Sharia Law.

That talking snake sure gets around.

[Fumesucker]

11. You'll know when it's The Devil

[Yorktown]

13. If only religious hysteria in the Philippines was limited to exorcism..

Christian militia

Islamic separatists

[Warren Stupidity]

14. Will we get the Catho-splain, the google gish gallop, or the argument non sequitur?

[rug]

16. Unlikely, this thread is already covered with lame, recycled snark.

It's suffered enough.

[Goblinmonger]

17. Who had non sequitur?

[Warren Stupidity]

18. U.

[Lordquinton]

15. I'm hoping that this being the daily mail it's all made up

But knowing the RCC it's probably not...