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Question Title Posted By Question Date
catholic versus protestant deliverance stacey Friday, May 9, 2008

Question:

Just wanted to let you know that I really enjoyed your article on Charisms and Building Up the Church. It was very informative.

A few months before I left the Charismatic Church, I was having a discussions with some friends who were fellow church members. I had just started to do some research on deliverance ministries and stumbled upon your site in the process. I found your views on deliverance ministries from the Catholic perspective very level-headed and sane.

I remember we were discussing spiritual warfare issues and I made the comment that I felt like the Catholic Church had the best approach in dealing with deliverance. You would have though I had committed a serious offense when I said that. I told them that spiritual warfare was not childs play and that it could be very dangerous.

They were wanting to know what kind of dangers I was talking about and they claimed that as long as one is "covered in the blood of Jesus" they had nothing to worry about.

Can you describe to me some of the types of dangers that could occur with inexperienced deliverance ministries because I can't really think of anything specific to back up my opinion that it is dangerous?



Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Stacey:

Being "covered in the blood" is not a magically shield against all threats. St. Paul was "covered in the blood" and yet had a thorn in his side that he identified as a demon ("a messenger of Satan") to buffet him. He asked God three times to take it away and God said no three times. It was God's will for St. Paul to have this affliction to keep him humble.

The other apostles were all "covered in the blood" but that did not save them from being attacked by Satan through the Romans. All except St. John were murdered.

It is the height of hubris and arrogance, as well as theological stupidity, to suggest that one may not be in danger when dealing with deliverance and exorcism.

Are we to worry? No, we do not need to worry, but trusting in God instead of worrying does not mean that this work is not dangerous.

There is one thing for sure. If we approach deliverance work with cockiness we will be slapped down eventually. "Pride goeth before a fall" the bible tells us.

There have been several times that I have had to pick up the pieces from when Charismatic deliverance teams did harm to a client.

What are the dangers? If not prepared and knowing what one is doing, one can be personally and physically attacked by demons. One's family can and often is attacked. The nature of the attacks can be anything from physical attack to emotional attack to demonic manifestations or apparitions, paranormal happenings, and more.

All credible Protestant deliverance counselors know this and admit to it.

I was originally trained by a Protestant Deliverance Ministry that was one of the few in the country who has level-heads. At the bi-annual conferences hundreds of strong spiritual warriors from all over the world would gather for prayer, worship, fellowship, and training. This group, which includes some of the most famous Protestant deliverance ministers in the world, talk about the dangers of doing this work on themselves and even upon their families.

The attack to the mind, through blasphemous or sexual thoughts, thoughts of distrust in God and more are far more dangerous than the dramatic attacks of paranormal events that people think about.

This is dangerous work. Anyone, and I mean anyone who does not respect that has no business doing this work, is a personal idiot, and most likely has no experience in deliverance.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary


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