Do you believe that Demons really Exist.

by MARTINLEYSHON 56 Replies latest jw friends

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  MARTINLEYSHON

  The reason why I have asked such is question is that I served as a Congregation Elder for 12 years. I served as the Presiding Overseer for 10 years, and as Chairman and Media spokes-person for a particular Region.

  During my time within the Organisation that being almost 30 years, I have concluded that there is, as far as my own experience is concerned grave doubt in my mind as to the existence of the Devil and his Demonic hoard.

  Never once did I experience a strange sound or some strange sighting. Never once during all those years was I or any member of my family subjected to a demonic attack.

  During my time within the Congregation was it ever brought to my attention that any member was under a demonic attack.

  Therefore I have to conclude that the very existence of Demons, is by far created within a persons mind. I suppose I have become very doubtful, if indeed the above is true, that would raise another question as to the very existence of God.

  Theory.

  Therefore looking at the very opposites of this vast Universe if good exists there must be evil, if evil does not exist within a spirit form then conversely good would not exist within this form either.

  Have any of you had a direct attack that would prove my post to be incorrect?
• 

  daystar

  I hear where you're coming from. I debate this general topic with myself frequently.

  My atheist, naturalist side says no. No gods, no demons, just physical nature that we can perceive with our five senses.

  However, there is part of me that understands that my Self is not a reality, but is really a creation of my own mind. Yet, I experience myself as being real. I exist. And yet, I am simply some field of consciousness within (??) my own mind. What makes me real?

  If I am, and you are, really more of a mental construct of our own minds, what's to say that some god, or demons don't exist in much the same way?

  I don't know. I think that my jury is still out on this one. I have had experiences that have led me to question.
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  MARTINLEYSHON

  Thank you Daystar.

  It is one factor that JWs use to keep its members in check. If you do not do as we say, you are following the Devil. However is not just JWs who berate its members with this threat I suppose its a general religious thing.
• 

  Honesty

  Have any of you had a direct attack that would prove my post to be incorrect?

  I was never bothered by Satan when I was a JW.

  Then I prayed to Jesus and became a Christian.

  PM me for details.
• 

  james_woods

  Hi Martin - and welcome as I don't think I have seen your posts before (or at least not written back on one).

  I was an elder and assistant cong servant for about the same amount of time - 1970 to 1980 approx. I totally agree with your observation. You cannot imagine how deeply this kind of superstition rules in the minds of many of the friends - and yet, I have absolutely no excperience with any of it that could be attributed to anything more sinister than hot water pipes popping and cracking. We had one sister whose central heat came on when she came back from a trip and it somehow made water vapor fog momentarily about a foot high from the floor around the vents. Satan at work again! And, of course, the smurf thing and certain books that resisted being burned...did you ever try to burn an intact book? Not that easy unless you tear out the pages and fan them out to get air.

  It seemed to me that this kind of stuff was much more prevalent in a smaller congregation I served out in the country where the need was great. There was a lot of cultural bias toward this kind of thing there, and in general not much higher education. Not much completion of high school, as a matter of fact.

  I think this is kind of an UFO craze customized for the JW populace. It keeps them in line - careful there, middle aged single sister, because there are all kinds of demonic dangers just outside the boundaries of the congregation. Remember how everybody sat on the edge of the charis during that hour talk about the Demons?

  Not a lick of sustance in any of it, but I'll bet you could get disfellowshipped if you professed disbelief in Satan and the Demons too strongly!

  Sincerely, James
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  MARTINLEYSHON

  Well done James. I have not posted here for some time, but have really felt a need to start posting again. I quite agree with your observation, I just wonder if the stories from the older members of the 60s and 70s were more of an URBAN MITH than actual fact.

  Thank you very much for responding to my post.
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  LittleToe

  Define "demon".
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  MissBehave

  Hi Martin, it's funny you brought this up because I have recently been giving this some thought. I've been swaying towards atheistic views but that made me consider that if I doubt the existence of a God then I must also doubt the existence of a Devil and demons.

  And one of the things I have continued to believe was that there are demons. I have never had any personal experiences regarding demons, I just have always felt that things like UFO and alien sightings, ghost stories etc were easily explained away as it was just the demons at work. So I'm having to rethink the whole demon thing.
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  MARTINLEYSHON

  LittleToe - Demon is a fallen Angel according to the Bible.
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  justsomedude

  Nope, Ive checked under all the beds in the house and am glad to say they are all demon and boogey man free.

  I was bothered for years by the fear of such things and could even swear that once I heard someone talking to me in my own house when no one was around. It even creeps me out a bit now to think about it, but I know it was just my head playing tricks on me.

  Daystar,

  Did you just finish reading "The End of Faith"?