Sex & Extra (and Sub) Terrestrials

This story from LifeSite (via New Oxford Review) relates the comments of Fr. Jeremy Davies of England:

A priest of Westminster, the leading diocese of the Catholic Church of England and Wales, has written that promiscuity, whether homosexual or heterosexual, can lead to dire spiritual consequences, in addition to the dangers to physical health. Promiscuity, as well as homosexuality and pornography, says 73 year-old Fr. Jeremy Davies, is a form of sexual perversion and can lead to demonic possession.

Davies is likely to be dismissed as a 73-year-old crackpot, despite his being a graduate of Oxford and a qualified physician. Of course, education doesn't guarantee reasonable views. But on the other hand, there are so many instances of claimed possession--a phenomenon, if true, stunningly more relevant than possible extraSex terrestial intelligence somewhere out in the cosmos--you would think reasonable men would investigate these things with all the energy of a SETI researcher. Maybe, just maybe, these are the "extraterrestrial intelligences" we've been waiting for.....

Comments

[W.E.D. Godbold]

I've read a couple of (rather frightening) books by Gabriele Amorth with whom he cofounded (according to the article) the International Association of Exorcists. I certainly accept the possibility of demonic possession and oppression, but my theological understanding is that being baptized would make one rather resistant to such things. That said, sin of all sorts seems likely to open you up to these nastier sorts of principalities and powers. (I think that's one of the things Paul is alluding to in Romans when he urges Christians not to "serve sin" with our members.)

Since there is an International Association of Exorcists, I wonder if they keep statistics on their cases. It would be interesting to do a little hypothesis-based research on these. One might be able to answer the question of whether certain sorts of sins make you more prone to possession/oppression.

[dj]

I read one of the books to which I think Mr. Godbold refers, "An Exorcist Tells His Story." In addition to possesion,(rather rare according to the book)and oppression, (which if I remember correctly, it's been many years, refers to anything from illness to the inability to keep a job-) Fr. Amorth refers also to demonic obsession (persistent thoughts or images.) Unfortunately most of us require little influence to sin, but it seems to me that demonic obsession is closely related to addictions in all forms including pornography. Whether the demonic influence is the match or the gasoline no doubt it lurks somewhere in the consuming flames.