Is it surprising that posters here are defending exorcism, or just sad?

[Warren Stupidity]

[Curmudgeoness]

1. Or bizarre.

I am astonished, but not surprised. If the "church" condones it, it must be ok and therefore, should be defended.

This trend scares me....the next thing you know, everyone will be demons.

[kdmorris]

2. I vote for "just sad"

Or kind of scary and "just sad"...

[Scuba]

3. Really? Hadn't seen that, but it's sad if true.

That seems really, really ignorant to me.

[Locut0s]

4. Really? Where? nt.

[Hissyspit]

5. Where?

[uriel1972]

6. I think it's this thread...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1218&pid=106583

[AtheistCrusader]

14. That thread was a brutal slog.

I did my best.

Got nowhere as usual.

[progressoid]

15. And that's why I stay out of that forum.

[Warpy]

7. Not surprising, some believers swallow every bit of the horseshit

but are still reliable yellow dog Democrats.

I just hope at the last minute they'll opt for antipsychotic drugs over brutalizing a mentally ill family member.

[sinkingfeeling]

8. Sad.

[Iggo]

9. It's sad.

It's like exorcism is one of the cards in their house of cards, so they just gotta defend it or the whole thing might collapse.

[mr blur]

24. ^^This^^

It's the only explanation.

[trotsky]

10. Not just sad, it's pathetic and potentially harmful. n/t

[Fix The Stupid]

11. So.wait a minute...

These people defending this move by the vatican to train more exorcists...

I am NOT supposed to laugh at them?

Seriously?

I have to RESPECT that 'belief'?

Are you fucking kidding me?

There are people in friggin 2014 who believe this shit? And call themselves "progressives"?

I won't, nay, I CAN'T get on board with this.

They SHOULD be mocked and ridiculed.

[Warren Stupidity]

12. Well, I think the argument is more like "what's the harm?".

Which is the same bullshit line used with other woo, like homeopathy. The harm of course is on at least two levels, first the victims may be using demon extraction instead of seeking actual medical care, second the extraction process itself can be brutal and downright dangerous.

[trotsky]

13. Well, not necessarily.

Because the same people screeching for "tolerance" (i.e., no one gets to mock their religious beliefs) generally mock with reckless abandon when it comes to beliefs THEY don't like. Calling creationists "dumbasses," for example. Or some of the things that have been said about Scientology, for another.

It's rank hypocrisy coupled with special pleading, and a big layer of self-righteousness on top.

[amuse bouche]

26. Of course they should

be mocked and ridiculed. But then...the delicate flowers will spew their outrage and delete you

Now that is pathetic

[TxDemChem]

16. Sad

[onager]

17. Horrifying true story of an exorcism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anneliese_Michel

Michel was a young German woman diagnosed with epilepsy. Her parents became convinced she was demon-possessed and two priests attempted an exorcism. Michel eventually died of starvation and dehydration at the hands of the exorcists...and her own parents.

Her case inspired 2 movies, the German Requiem and the Hollywood Exorcism of Emily Rose.

Oh sorry. This is obviously all BS, since the theological masters in DU's Religion forum assure us the process is blessed by the current Pope and it can't do any harm, anyway.

[Warren Stupidity]

18. oh that is just anecdotal evidence.

Or so I am told. And besides it is "just a metaphor" and a "ritual exercise that may help some people".

[Arugula Latte]

19. AIOIYCIR

Anything is okay if you call it religion.

[deucemagnet]

30. ...and it just happened again.

Police: Maryland mom kills 2 of her children during attempted exorcism
By Faith Karimi and Joe Sutton, CNN
updated 11:05 PM EST, Sun January 19, 2014

CNN) -- A Maryland mother stabbed two of her children to death and wounded two others while attempting an exorcism, authorities said.

Zakieya L. Avery, 28, was charged Saturday with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder, Montgomery County Police said in a statement.

A second woman, who was briefly hospitalized after the incident, was also charged in the two deaths. Police believe she is not related to the family, but lived at the same residence in Germantown.

Norell Harris, 1, and his sister, Zyana Harris, 2, suffered fatal stab wounds while their siblings, ages 5 and 8, were hospitalized with injuries, authorities said.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/19/justice/maryland-exorcism-deaths/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

Horrible.

[skepticscott]

20. Not surprising that certain posters are

They seem to have nothing better to do all day than sit at their computer with DU open, hit refresh every 30 seconds, and defend religion in every way possible, no matter how delusional they have to be.

[onager]

31. I've often wondered about that.

Sometimes the most prolific couple of posters will put up dupe links to the same article within minutes of each other.

That will generally be an article about a SERIOUS PROBLEM!!! in atheism, to distract from the latest article about some religious outrage. But I digress...

[LostOne4Ever]

21. I had an argument with one poster in that group

Who tried to claim exorcisms are proof of the existence of god. Made my head hurt.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1218&pid=81736

[Iggo]

23. Oh shit!!!!

[mr blur]

25. I'm pretty sure that one is a Poe.

and I see that the smug one was in good form there.

[amuse bouche]

27. Clearly

wingnuts have not cornered the market on buffoonery

[Rob H.]

22. Not surprising, just sad

...but not as sad as posters acting all annoyed and claiming it's a "distraction" (and apparently a clumsily-deployed distraction, at that) for people to bring up the pedophilia scandal in the RCC, along with other things heinous things the church has done and continues to do. (Note that the scandal was brought up in a thread about the pedophilia scandal. Seriously, wtf?)

Wait. Did I say "sad"? I meant "disgusting."

[NastyRiffraff]

28. How about very very dangerous

As in this terrible story;

Attempted Exorcism: Mother & Another Woman Charged With Killing Children

[Warren Stupidity]

29. I've been told repeatedly in that thread that there

Is absolutely no connection.