For most people it is a way of toning the limbs and soothing the stresses of everyday life, but the Catholic Church’s best-known exorcist says yoga is evil.
Father Gabriele Amorth, who for years was the Vatican’s chief exorcist and claims to have cleansed hundreds of people of evil spirits, said yoga is Satanic because it leads to a worship of Hinduism and “all eastern religions are based on a false belief in reincarnation”.
Reading JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books is no less dangerous, said the 86-year-old priest, who is the honorary president for life of the International Association of Exorcists, which he founded in 1990, and whose favourite film is the 1973 horror classic, The Exorcist…
“Practising yoga is Satanic, it leads to evil just like reading Harry Potter,” he told a film festival in Umbria this week, where he was invited to introduce The Rite, a film about exorcism starring Sir Anthony Hopkins as a Jesuit priest.
“In Harry Potter the Devil acts in a crafty and covert manner, under the guise of extraordinary powers, magic spells and curses,” said the priest, who in 1986 was appointed the chief exorcist for the Diocese of Rome…
Father Amorth has previously said that people who are possessed by Satan vomit shards of glass and pieces of iron and have such superhuman strength that even children have to be held down by up to four people.
He has also claimed that the sex abuse scandals which have engulfed the Catholic Church in the US, Ireland, Germany and other countries was proof that the Anti-Christ is waging a war against the Holy See.
Being caught at criminal behavior apparently is just a result of the anti-christ plot. Uh-huh.
Consider that 4 priests holding down a child probably aren’t thinking about the Anti-Christ.
This anti-yoga thing is not new nor is it coming from just one guy. As a young Catholic I came across this information decades ago.
What’s wrong with a little green guy who’s down with The Force, ‘n’ all that good shit?
Commrade Ednerd,
If you truly believe in God then the rest will follows logically, but not as an absolute rule. If you wanted to discredit a religion you would introduce child molesters and other evil into it. The Catholic stand is that while the Church is of GOD, the church is composed of mortal man corrupted by sin. It would be similar to trying to discredit the Demoncrat party by introducing a draft dodger to be President, or a Muslim. Like have a multi-millionaire Congresswoman profess to be for the working poor of America, while voting to export job and import foreign trash to undercut our standard of living. The tactics are the same.
Yoga is peppered with eastern belief which in turn is a reflection of the religion from the area where Yoga came from, Hindu and Buddha [who, as an ex-Hindu , would not of been fat, but really really skinny in real life]. Weak minded people follow the eastern beliefs into, naturally enough, eastern religion. The weak minded also read Harry Potter and try to cast spells and like Trekkies, immerses their life the Harry Potter trash. If you haven’t seen the books in Barnes & Noble on spell casting you should check it out, it sinful and disgusting. Either one will take you mind off GOD and living by His Way, or if you are a nihilist atheist, yourself and whatever whim strikes you.
Whatever……………………………………………………………………………
Traaxx
So, erm, you believe all that crap?
…And the REALLY “weak minded” believe in religion! Because…
THERE IS NO GOD!
Prove it.
You first.
After all you were “trained to do science”, it should be easy for you.
I don’t ever see this getting old.
The one making claim of the existance of a thing, is the one who should prove the claim. To say there is no god is a logical position to take considering no evidence for the existance of god have been shown over the great number of years of human existance.
So what you’re saying is “My fantasy says your fantasy is stupid and a waste of time.”
Harry Potter is fiction. That you or your beliefs are threatened by it says more about you than about a fiction series.
HP is responsible for turning more kids on to reading than anything else in 20 years. That’s the real reason the church is threatened. Cant have people educated or thinking for themselves…
“HP is responsible for turning more kids on to reading than anything else in 20 years.”
Dramatic statements like this should be sourced. What’s your evidence, tcc3? Assuming it is true, how about actually linking it to education. All reading isn’t educational. It needs to be challenging and have content value. Otherwise, it’s not any different that watching HP at the theater.
Name another juvenile book series that was this widely popular? That had kids lining up at the book store? That made the NY times best seller list so often they changed to rules to keep it out?
This is not a dramatic statement. Kids got excited about a book, an usual feat. The biggest hurdle to getting kids to read is usual a mental one: “Books are boring.” Smashing that mindset at least opens the door for more reading in the future.
And content is not as important. Even comics have a positive effect on reading skills. Though reading full length works would be preferable. Its not the same as “watching HP at the theater.” Reading more means better abilities, which means more success at reading harder “challenging and content value” books later.
Reading one series of books does not a reader make. Proof of more kids reading in a much broader spectrum of books would be shown in an increase of library usage or book purchases. Proof would be shown by an improvement in the language, comprehension, and spelling scores in schools. Like anything else practice helps learning and thus skills improve. Proof is not shown by the sales history and profits brought in by one series of books.
Granted there are other factors at work, tv consumption, video games, parental involvement. One book series is not a magic bullet. But its a good start.
Millions of kids reading because they enjoy it? Thats a win in my book.
“..the church is composed of mortal man corrupted by sin.”
And Father Amoroth can most assuredly be one of those corrupted by sin, namely Pride.
clap^3
We’ve all heard it:
There’s no fool like an old fool.
Here’s PROOF!
I love that there’s an association & convention for exorcists. Imagine what the exhibition hall looks like.
Traaxx said: “Budha [ who, as an ex-Hindu , would not of been fat, but really really skinny in real life]”
The Buddha is never (to my knowledge) depicted as fat. The fat character (often called the laughing buddha) was a Chinese monk.
To the devote anything that comes between you and your faith is a sin.
Since most of you have faith in nothing this should not concern you.
What should, but obviously doesn’t concern those who profess there is no God, is that anyone who actually follows the teachings of the Koran is supposed to terminate you because you oppose the will of Allah or at least that is the way I read my translation.
Please note that because the word of Allah cannot be changed and the view is clearly expressed in the Arabic text as well as the translations even congregations that don’t share that view are likely to produce someone that does and will act accordingly.
Anyone arrogant enough to reject the verdict of the judge or of the priest who represents the LORD your God must be put to death. Such evil must be purged from Israel. (Deuteronomy 17:12 NLT)
A man or a woman who acts as a medium or fortuneteller shall be put to death by stoning; they have no one but themselves to blame for their death. (Leviticus 20:27 NAB)
Whoever sacrifices to any god, except the Lord alone, shall be doomed. (Exodus 22:19 NAB)
They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul; and everyone who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. (2 Chronicles 15:12-13 NAB)
Your holy book is pretty violent too. I suppose we should view all Christians with suspicion as violence plotting fundamentalists too?
“I suppose we should view all Christians with suspicion as violence plotting fundamentalists too?” I usually do with all the looney types.
So says the man “trained to do science” I guess that science thing didn’t take so you turned to spookology.
Of course those nice xtian knights and priests only wanted to bring the word of god to the “holy land.”
That whole killing, torturing, and raping thing was just a misunderstanding. Those poor un xtian folks just didn’t get it.
tat tvam asi!
Really? It says that in the bible? Yoga is evil. Well then I’m going to Hell.
I’m a recovering Catholic and I call BullShit on that cretinous mongoloid and all of the Papal Bulls.
This the same outfit of ignorant and proud of it professional imbeciles that burned Giordano Bruno for getting the mechanism for celestial motion right.
They aren’t fit to suck the sweat off my testicles, though the lying sacks of monstrous murderous morons would probably have loved to try it when I was young and impressionable.
“Father Gabriele Amorth, who for years was the Vatican’s chief exorcist and claims to have cleansed hundreds of people of evil spirits”
Well, I prefer not to judge a man unless I know him personally. All we know for sure that he’s a liar and a Catholic whore.
deowll said: “…the word of Allah cannot be changed and the view is clearly expressed in the Arabic text as well as the translations…”
Very interesting, deowll. Especially since the koran, like the bible, is of unclear provenance. Mohammad didn’t write it – he was functionally illiterate! Oh, it’s sometimes claimed that the “miracle” is that he produced it despite his illiteracy but Mo, himself, preached against believing in miracles. Who knew the ‘catch 22’ was so old? Even if he dictated it to a scribe, he couldn’t know the transcription was accurate.
So, even IF the koran is the word of god, like the bible it is tempered through the hands and minds of men. And, of course, the book was then hand copied over and over, undoubtedly with edits and changes reflecting the way various imams preached it, until it was stabilized by the printing press.
Another truly “holey” book of fables and bogeymen…
All that I have to say to catholic “exorcists” is:
Matt 7:22-23
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not … in thy name have cast out devils? … 23. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
The catholic “exorcists” should read Acts 19:13-16, for that scripture speaks of them, and what would befall them if they met a real demon, not the conjured acts of flesh that they claim are ‘possessions’.
‘The Exorcist’ is a fairytale movie and catholic exorcism is nonsense.
Eph 6:12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
And who is this ‘God’ that many speak of? Many religions have a God or Gods and refer to their deity(ies) as ‘God’. Does this God call you ‘Man’? Or does your God not know your name either?
My God has a name, and I know it, and He knows mine.
Ps. 9:10
And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee:
Ps. 91:14
I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
Pr 18:10
The name of the Lord is a strong tower:
Jer 16:21
I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is The Lord.
And what is that name that He is called?
(Auth KJV quoted above for commonality)
Alfie? Is that you?
I would not be so quick to dismiss exorcists as fake. I have my doubts about supernatural things happening in modern times, but I think it’s possible.
The I never knew you quote is about people who do good deeds and are not followers of God. God doesn’t care if you do good deed if you do not follow Him.
Then hes a selfish child who is not a supreme being and not *worthy* of worship.
Faith is irrelevant if you live a good life, unless your god just needs his ego stroked. Good works should always trump faith and belief.
Perhaps this saying is relevant: “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”.
A fuller understanding behind our salvation tells us in Romans 5:12 that Adam brought sin and death unto all, and _only_ through the sinless Christ’s death, blood, and resurrection, we have means for reconciliation with Adonai. It’s that simple, easy, and it’s free.
Doing good works will not guarantee resurrection*. And good works are not a requirement for salvation (however, see Jam 2:14).
* I am no man’s judge. There are those few who will be resurrected into the 1000 year reign who were not saved through personal acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice in this system.
It is not an “ego stroking”. The entire story can be condensed down to a few summary sentences, and an ego Adonai is not.
If “good works” gets one to the hereafter, but there is no “faith and belief” in it, that is a pointless concept.
Acts 4:12, I Cor. 2:2
There is no other way. Not even through good works alone.
Using scripture to defend the “logic” of religion is like using a word in its own definition. Its a meaningless recursive circle jerk.
I know thats what your religion claims. I’m not disputing that’s what the dogma says. I’m saying its stupid and internally inconsistent.
Either your dogmas wrong or your god is kind of a dick. An immoral, immature, tantrum throwing, authoritarian dick.
My post does not state that all exorcists/exorcisms are fake.
Matt 7:22 also refers to those people who claim to cast out devils in Christ’s name. This is totally relevant to the discussion.
A group that believes in some other god(s), fills their life and places of worship with idols, and prays to the dead, won’t be empowered by Adonai.
If it tastes like chicken, it could be anything.
I can see the threat to the church. Yoga can be a ‘gateway drug’ to rational thinking. Next think you know is they start asking questions!
Animby–that certainly isn’t Alfie. deegee’s bibble quotes are all on point.
Its always good to be reminded just how nuts all religions are–our own included. I wish that weren’t true so that my Islamaphobia could remain pure, but once again, the perfidy of The Trinity ruins another otherwise well founded suspicion of all things foreign.
Speaking of yoga==you’d think the Catholicks would admire anyone that could get so twisted up and claim it was good for you. Just another case of “not invented here.” Ha, ha.
Benji==you are always good for a laugh. What “could be true” hasn’t been proven after 2000 years of claiming it so? You could be a genius riding a pink unicorn everywhere you go with a flying monkey in your pocket. Who can disagree?
You can mock this guy all you want, but his job is to drive devils out of people all day long.
He should know.
Keep your kids away from the CRACK-POT FARTS !!!
You don’t want them DRILLING HOLES IN YOUR KIDS !!!
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED !!!
Yoga could open up pathways that will allow one to remember the catholic church molesting them in present and past lives.
I agree with the Harry Potter Thing but hey, Im more of a crowley man so Do What Though Will.
The Old Guard of the Catholic Church will always be nostalgic for the pre-literate days when the clergy told the people, in effect, “Don’t you worry your pretty little head about it — we’ll tell you what it all means and what to do. Don’t you dare ask anyone but me about it and no thinking on your own!”
#40
Bobbo (#34) – numbered serial posts are a sign of the anti-christ and a path to the devil.
On the other hand however, people who prefer threaded posts also prefer their women fat, flat and flatulent with hairy backs and zits on their thighs.
Take your pick.
Bobbo – You are, of course, right. I was foolish enough to skim over the actual quotes. My apologies for slandering (libeling) deegee. The devil made me do it.
On the subject of yoga – you’d think Cat’olic priests would approve of yoga. Little boys are so limber. Think of the possibilities…
You need to leave it alone about catholic churches and little boys. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH… I may not be catholic but I am christian and I am getting sick and tired of people associating this. There is a few bad seads out there in every group. That includes the leadership as well. While this has happened , i do see it happening boyscouts, teachers and so on but who gets the most bash for it? the catholics and or christians in general. KNOCK IT OFF!!!! We know the system is not perfect.
There is a reason that the Church gets, deserves and continues to deserve such scorn. First, it is an organization that used its millions of dollars and legal minions to cover up the fact that its priests *are* (and were) molesting children. This stuff is still happening there is still resistance by the Church to be 100% forthcoming about all information about all priests and molestation activity past and present. Until that happens, they will definitely continue receiving scorn. In addition, they actively worked against punishing these priests even when they knew what they had done. How can you defend such an organization?
Second, it is a cult which continually, as in the OP case, warps facts in order to justify horrific actions. Claiming that molestation are because everyone *else* is against them is despicable. Claiming that Harry Potter is “evil” is the height of stupidity which is saying something for an organization that prides itself on its stupidity.
So no, enough is not enough. Until the Church proves it is willing to *actively* put an end to this molestation problem and until it shows it is willing to have representatives that live in the real world, we should be obligated to give it scorn.
Hey, I hear Sandusky was a christian too. Maybe its just a thing with all religions where men and boys come into contact.
Learn to spell and we might take you seriously. I doubt it, but you never know.
Tried Yoga, meh.
Harry Potter, meh.
Catholicism, meh.
New wave protestantism, eh, no thanks.
is jesus is older or yoga is older uuuu