32
votes
Accepted
If all demons are believers, then why are some humans atheists?
I imagine it's hard not to believe in the supernatural when you yourself are a supernatural entity.
Greater evil by no means necessitates greater unbelief; while we know very little about demons, they ...
- 1,679
20
votes
Accepted
Did Aquinas believe that church bells ward off bad weather?
St. Thomas did not write that. It's made-up by Rydberg, Magic of the Middle Ages (1879) pp. 73-74, cited in the anti-Catholic hit-piece by Cornell University co-founder Andrew Dickson White, History ...
- 37.8k
10
votes
Was casting out of demons done in the Old Testament by any Prophets or was it started in the New Testament?
There are no explicit references to exorcism in the OT. However, in a possible foreshadowing of Christ, David caused an evil spirit to depart from Saul multiple times by playing the harp (1 Sam 16, 18,...
- 324
9
votes
Accepted
Ephesians 2:2, which one comes first in the Calvinist view?
From Calvin's commentary on Ephesians 2:2 :
We may now draw from it also this inference, that ungodly men have no excuse in being driven by Satan to commit all sorts of crimes. Whence comes it that ...
- 3,650
8
votes
Accepted
Why is the sin of the fallen angels unforgivable? (Catholic catechism)
Satan and all the fallen angels (demons) are completely consumed with evil and chose to do evil with all their intellect and sin against God, thus repentance is no longer possible for them.
...
- 65.3k
8
votes
Dinosaurs offspring of demons?
The first step in looking for a respected theologian who can propose this view is to define how we know a theologian is respected, and I suggest a minimum requirement is that he or she is a theologian ...
- 14.4k
7
votes
Accepted
Who said that the mere sight of devils was one of the greatest torments of hell?
The most obvious reference I see comes from St. Catherine of Siena, one of the Doctors of the Catholic Church.
St. Catherine wrote a work known as the Dialogue, representing a discussion between a ...
- 18.4k
7
votes
If all demons are believers, then why are some humans atheists?
The text in question states that "even the demons believe" not that "all demons believe." One can certainly picture atheistic spirits wandering in the nether gloom, perhaps unware ...
- 4,617
6
votes
Was casting out of demons done in the Old Testament by any Prophets or was it started in the New Testament?
I don't think there is any other reference to casting out out of demons other than what's stated above about David. BUT Jesus said this in Matthew 12:27 NLT
And if I am empowered by Satan, what ...
- 161
6
votes
Accepted
How are people who were not approved by Jesus (Matthew 7:21-23) still able to expel demons?
tl;dr
It is possible that they are not casting out the demons but that the demons participate by leaving on their own accord, in order to provide credence to the preacher.
Exorcism exists also in ...
- 76
6
votes
Accepted
What is the difference between Demon and Devil?
From the perspective of the Greek New Testament, demon could be said to represent δαίμων (daimōn, from which the corresponding English word is derived) and devil could be said to represent διάβολος (...
- 5,607
6
votes
Accepted
Can demons manifest in bodily form in the physical, just like angels do in the Bible?
Can demons manifest in bodily form in the physical(?), just like angels do in the Bible?
Catholicism accepts the possibility that Satan and the Demons may appear to men, just like the Holy Angels.
...
- 65.3k
6
votes
Should Christians have a conscience about pagan or idolatrous nomenclature?
Christians have felt uncomfortable about nomenclature before.
George Fox, the founder of the Quaker movement (which today is a very different thing to the way in which George Fox lived and worshipped) ...
- 22.8k
6
votes
Should Christians have a conscience about pagan or idolatrous nomenclature?
How should Christian coders relate to software that can be seen as inadvertently demonic (as opposed to intentionally demonic, e.g. "Diablo"), and obedience to God and not defiling oneself ...
- 21.8k
5
votes
Accepted
Is the book "The Supernatural Occurrences of John Wesley" a legitimate collection of Wesley's journal entries?
Yes, it appears to be a legitimate compilation from the writings of John Wesley. I haven't confirmed all of the many stories in Jennings' book, but I selected several and found them corroborated in ...
- 42.3k
5
votes
Why does church tradition teach that one third of the angels fell with Lucifer when no verse supports that
@BYE points in the right direction. Some of the prophecies in Revelation look backwards to events that occurred before John lived, because the contest between Satan and God goes back to the beginning ...
- 11.2k
5
votes
Accepted
What are demons according to the Catholic Church?
According to the Catholic Church, demons are simply fallen angels: i.e., angels who have sinned gravely against God and are now living the eternal consequences of their separation from Him.
Angels
...
- 13.2k
5
votes
Accepted
Do spirits need bodies to manifest?
As a lifelong Protestant whom most people accept as being 'evangelical' I would say the following :
There are many examples and this is but one [Acts 8:27-29, KJV] :
Behold, a man of Ethiopia, an ...
- 22.8k
5
votes
Did Aquinas believe that church bells ward off bad weather?
Did Aquinas believe that church bells ward off bad weather?
St. Thomas Aquinas as a faithful son of the Church would seem to have believed in this possibility.
I doubt one will find a clear quotation ...
- 65.3k
4
votes
Does the Southern Baptist Convention consider other religions evil, demonic, and satanic?
According to the SBC's FAQ, the best place to look for SBC views on various issues is in their resolutions:
The Southern Baptist Convention makes official statements regarding specific issues by ...
- 42.3k
4
votes
What is the difference between Demon and Devil?
What is the difference between Demon and Devil?
What is a Demon?
Demon
Originally a spirit between the gods and men. In the New Testament a demon is the same as an evil spirit, which may be ...
- 65.3k
4
votes
Accepted
Did any Church Fathers believe that angels could still choose to become demons?
Origen of Alexandria (184/185 – 253/254)
He was a passionate believer in free will.
Origen broaches the subject of the hierarchical arrangement of the
world early in De Principiis in relation to ...
- 1,624
4
votes
Accepted
Where does the Bible say along the lines of, "The weakest saint is stronger than the strongest demon?"
This seems to be a chapter title from The Recognitions of Clement Book IV:
Chapter XXXIII.—The Weakest Christian More Powerful Than the Strongest Demon.
”Is it, then, that we are of another and a ...
- 8,612
4
votes
According to Catholicism and/or Eastern Othodox, if we have Guardian Angels do we also have an assigned Demons?
Jesus says of the little ones who make up the kingdom of heaven :
Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face ...
- 22.8k
4
votes
Accepted
According to Catholicism and/or Eastern Othodox, if we have Guardian Angels do we also have an assigned Demons?
If we have guardian angels do we also have an assigned demon?
The short answer is: Possibly.
Some church denominations believe in the existence of Guardian Angels such as Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox,...
- 65.3k
4
votes
What is the basis for the Christadelphian belief that Satan is not a personal being?
The following paragraphs are copied from http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_delp.htm which in turn cited the page titled "What Christadelphians believe about the Devil" at the ...
- 21.8k
4
votes
Are demons as strong as angels?
I think the question is wholly answered in these few verses :
7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8And prevailed not;...
- 22.8k
4
votes
Should Christians have a conscience about pagan or idolatrous nomenclature?
The biblical principle that applies to all Christians is that whatever does not come from faith [in God and in Christ Jesus] is sin (Romans 14:23).
The work we do, the way we spend our leisure time, ...
- 28.6k
4
votes
What is the Protestant view with what happens to a Christian who resists the Devil but he doesn’t flee?
It likely means that submission to God is being misunderstood or mistakenly undertaken. The immediate context in James is one of friendship with the world equated to enmity with God which brings ...
- 14.3k
3
votes
Accepted
Is the Testament of Solomon Biblical?
In broad strokes, the term "Biblical" gets used in one of two senses:
Content included in or coming directly from the canon of the Bible.
Something that is in essential agreement with what the Bible ...
- 37.2k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible