Giving Demons Their Due by Karla Oroszko

Let us first acknowledge the elephant in the room: conversations about demons make most of us very uncomfortable. No one quotes 1 Peter 5:8 as their favorite scripture: “Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Not only do we dislike discussing the possibility of evil spirits lurking around corners waiting to attack us, most of us don’t even want to think about it. However, it is a topic worth addressing, if for no other reason than to attend to that suspicion of the French poet Baudelaire: “The devil’s finest trick is to persuade you that he does not exist!”1

Acknowledging the existence of demons—and further, attributing to them the power to cause illness and suffering—scandalizes our Western sensibilities. Stories of demon possessions are scattered throughout scripture, yet we quickly brush aside those stories as quaint explanations of illness that the pre-science culture of the Biblical writers lacked the capacity to understand.

What do the scriptures teach us about illness? And is there a connection between demons and illness? Find out by reading the full text of this article in the July/August 2008 issue of Horizons.

Call (866) 802-3635 or subscribe to Horizons or order the November/ December 2008 issue (HZN-08-250; $4 plus shipping).

Karla Otroszko is associate pastor at Carrollton First United Methodist Church in Carrollton, Georgia.

Hell, 1756. Image depicting a set of demons burning prisoners. British Library. London. HIP/Art Resource, NY.

Notes:
1. Charles Baudelaire, “The Generous Gambler,” The Poems in Prose (Vancouver, British Columbia: Anvil Press, 2003). Often attributed to C. S. Lewis, this quotation famously appeared, albeit paraphrased, in the 1995 film, The Usual Suspects, written by Christopher McQuarrie.

Other Articles Online This Issue

Proclaiming the Gifts of Holy Wounds
Giving Demons Their Due
From Brokenness to Wholeness
Eight Steps to a Sounder Mind
Shopping for Justice
Dispatch from Forbearance Presbyterian Church
Mosaic
Working for Justice and Peace
Faithful Parenting


What do the scriptures teach us about illness? And is there a connection between demons and illness? Find out by reading the full text of this article in the July/August 2008 issue of Horizons. Call (866) 802-3635 or subscribe to Horizons or order the November/ December 2008 issue (HZN-08-250; $4 plus shipping).	Giving Demons Their Due: A Scriptural Look at Possession, Illness and Restoration by Karla Otroszko Let us first acknowledge the elephant in the room: conversations about demons make most of us very uncomfortable. No one quotes 1 Peter 5:8 as their favorite scripture: “Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Not only do we dislike discussing the possibility of evil spirits lurking around corners waiting to attack us, most of us don’t even want to think about it. However, it is a topic worth addressing, if for no other reason than to attend to that suspicion of the French poet Baudelaire: “The devil’s finest trick is to persuade you that he does not exist!”1 Acknowledging the existence of demons—and further, attributing to them the power to cause illness and suffering—scandalizes our Western sensibilities. Stories of demon possessions are scattered throughout scripture, yet we quickly brush aside those stories as quaint explanations of illness that the pre-science culture of the Biblical writers lacked the capacity to understand. What do the scriptures teach us about illness? And is there a connection between demons and illness? Find out by reading the full text of this article in the July/August 2008 issue of Horizons. Call (866) 802-3635 or subscribe to Horizons or order the November/ December 2008 issue (HZN-08-250; $4 plus shipping). Karla Otroszko is associate pastor at Carrollton First United Methodist Church in Carrollton, Georgia. Hell, 1756. Image depicting a set of demons burning prisoners. British Library. London. HIP/Art Resource, NY. Notes: 1. Charles Baudelaire, “The Generous Gambler,” The Poems in Prose (Vancouver, British Columbia: Anvil Press, 2003). Often attributed to C. S. Lewis, this quotation famously appeared, albeit paraphrased, in the 1995 film, The Usual Suspects, written by Christopher McQuarrie. Other Articles Online This Issue Proclaiming the Gifts of Holy Wounds Giving Demons Their Due From Brokenness to Wholeness Eight Steps to a Sounder Mind Shopping for Justice Dispatch from Forbearance Presbyterian Church Mosaic Working for Justice and Peace Faithful Parenting	Current Issue JUL/AUG 2008 About This Issue Contents FREE Resource How to Use In Our Next Issue Items underlined can be seen in this Web site, all others appear in the July/August 2008 issue, HZN-08-230. to Horizons or call (866) 802-3635 this issue ($4 plus shipping/handling)

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