Oh the irony of the title...Deliverance Ministry.
Cue the duelling banjo's because only inbred, uneducated mutants could think up a a sick twisted idea like Deliverance Ministry.
Wikipedia on Deliverance Ministry:
In charismatic Christianity, deliverance ministries are activities carried out by individuals or groups aimed at solving problems related to demons and spirits, especially possession. Leaders of and adherents to these ministries emphasize the activities of evil spirits in many physical, psychological, or emotional maladies that people experience. The practices and many of the underlying beliefs of these ministries are not accepted by all Christians.
Methods
Deliverance ministries focus on casting out the spirit or spirits believed to cause an affliction. The method of casting out varies. Some adherents directly recite Biblical examples in prayer intended to command a demon to depart an afflicted person, and do not believe an ordained clergy is required perform the deliverance. Though many people confuse deliverance with exorcism, they are not the same. Exorcisms use the "holy" water as the main expulsion technique, while deliverance uses the authority Jesus Christ gave His church through his victory on the cross with his spilled blood.[citation needed]
Ministries also organize the removal from homes of items that are believed to harbor demons, including fantasy or horrornovels, and artworks / artifacts depicting pagan gods or frogs.
Popularity
The rise of deliverance ministries in the United States appears to have occurred almost immediately following the release of the film The Exorcist in 1973, and the film has been credited with creating interest in casting out demons, even though the practices of deliverance ministries differ widely from the highly ritualized exorcisms carried out by the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. The same year, a Baptist minister named Frank D. Hammond and his wife Ida Mae Hammond published a book entitled Pigs in the Parlor which was a 'hit' book on the subject. Derek Prince was also viewed as an authority on deliverance during his lifetime.
In the United States, the best-known current practitioner is Bob Larson.
See also
A simple search on google will return hundreds of books,websites and organisations that believe in, promote and carryout this stone age rubbish.
Unfortunately it seems the Australian government isn't concerned that Mercy Ministries Australia is a big fan of using deliverance ministry to treat anxiety disorders or anorexia. Indeed half the politicians in the Senate actively tried to block any investigation into Mercy Ministries.
You would think that living in the 21st century and in the West we would be free of this rubbish, but it seems that the US is is perhaps its biggest promoter.
Its all harmless though right? No one really believes? Its just a few wacko's here and there.
Wake up and smell the bacon people. Here's a few links to scare you:
Ten Steps to Deliverance from Satan
They offer courses on the crap:
Unfortunately this rubbish has made it to Australian shores, below are listed Ministries that include deliverance as part of their ministry:
What happens when no body says anything about these fringe groups? They become accepted and you get a situation where you have deluded and potentially unstable people giving mental health advice and treatment to people with very serious problems.
Come on now Sean none of the mainstream churches believe in that crap?
Ehem...
The Church of England’s Deliverance Ministry, which was set up in 1974 after an “unfortunate” exorcism in Yorkshire, has teams of clergy and psychiatrists in each diocese and investigates dozens of claims of haunting, poltergeists and demonic possession very year. No exorcism is sanctioned without the consent of the local bishop and a psychiatric assessment.
But note the difference is the use of proper medical advice in the form of psychiatric assessment. So the big boys pay lip service to the old ways while recognising the medical advancements of science. Unfortunately it means they can' really be critical of the evangelical nut bags.
6 Comments:
They have always been nutbags. Every one of them.
AF
Thanks for dropping by Absolutely.
Yes I can't believe the inanity of all this. Funny thathat this neo-exorcism has really only been around since the Exorcist screened - say 30-40 years.
late last year the Pope announced they were going to train hundreds of new exorcists
just what the world needs... NOT
How about training hundreds of proper psychologists, psychiatrists or counsellors - people who could actually make a difference.
Church of England crap definitely- over the years Ihave had a couple of 'interesting' clients who believed their child was 'possessed'by 'something' or thought that maybe they had ghosts or spirits in their house that were influencing their child (generally a younglad acting out because of hormones or just because his parents were shit)
SoI have gone to assess these kids and spent a lot of time very gently disabusing these people of their notions of 'possession' but in each and every case the bloody churchhas been there influencing them - even when their vicar told them to get help from Psych services they still had them praying over their child and scraing the shit out of them.
And it influences in other ways too- one young lad I have seen for a couple of years was admitted to the children's ward due to anorexia- and his dad would leave a list of passages from the Bible for him to read every night- and pray over his bed- this lad is now working his way nicely towards rebelling against his parents- which is the best thing he can do for his own sanity and health.
Bloody churches should not ever be involved in any mental health services!!
I must concede on this one, yes some of us Christians are right nutters I am afraid to say. You wouldn't be interested in taking these ones back would you? Into the Atheist fold I mean?
Matt,
I would have to politely decline your generous offer :)
The Inn is full :)
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