Lets...

Let's stop 'demonizing' grown men with free will in plenty, just like the rest of us, still choosing to commit evil deeds upon the heads of innocents.

After a lengthy discussion between myself and a 'raised-mennonite' woman on the Bible, the church, the congregation, and differing religions, I have come to a somewhat surprising rocker of a revelation. I have some deep-seated issues with the church, church leaders and congregation. Not all, not generalizing on all pastors, or those seated taking in all that is taught; often without checking for themselves or within themselves. Like lambs to the slaughter.

One theory was that 'all religions but christianity are DEMONIC...'

We'll stick with this one point, though there were quite a few more i wholeheartedly disagreed with and was strangely disgusted by.

It is not that I believe demons to be a figment of a writers imagination. As christians we demonize anything we do not understand when in point of fact, God created us with creativity, intelligence and an insatiable need for knowledge and understanding; seeking adventure and glory along the way.

MEN created a variety of creation stories, some thousands of years old and yet, we scoff? Worse, we call them demonic to keep parishioners within the fold. Create fear and voila..

One question I asked was 'what makes us right, and them wrong?'

Why are we so much smarter with our historical evidence of the life of Christ on this earth all those years ago? The response was that 'we have proof, they do not.'

Well, I can guarantee THEY believe they have proof necessary to commit their lives to their personal faith choice. What it doesn't do is make their religion demonic.

This is demonic, that is demonic...seeing demons in the every day as well as men who commit atrocities, who are monsters from hell themselves.

I vehemently say NAY.

Not in need of exorcism replete with priest and holy robes, holy water and bible in hand. No, these men (and some women) are in full control of mind and body with absolutely NO damn need for a demon to whisper instruction in their ear.

My FRIENDS! Giving voice to such thoughts gives the beasts an out, takes accountability and responsibility for their actions and rolls it clear out the door.

Not everything comes from the devil, as humans we do quite well all by ourselves.

Let's talk about free will.

'The power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate; the ability to act at one's own discretion.' Oxford Dictionary.

This is usually lobbed into the lap of our Creator...but with all things, there must be balance.

It applies to the enemy camp, so to speak, as well.

The damn red guy downstairs can't MAKE you do anything you don't want to.

Just as God's hands are tied because of this LAW, so too the devil; lesser being, remember?

Within these monsters who take lives, mete out pscychological and physical abuses, there lies a living well of hate, rage, shame and frail ego. From this well springs ideas, thoughts, and horrific behaviours; and so we seek knowledge to gain understanding of the 'how' and 'why' of what they do.

Evil lives, make no mistake. The issue lays within each heart capable of devising such insanity. Do demons whisper sweet nothings while they sleep? Perhaps...perhaps not.

In the end, we choose. We choose to do good, or to do harm.

Who stands in judgement when that day comes?

US.

We do.

For our actions.

Second Corinthians 5:10 says, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”

If we stand by the bible and the words written within it, then it stands to reason, does it not, that blaming demons for our own actions is way off base.

Let's begin seeing people for who they are, respect the religion and choices that other people make and seek our own growth in this thing we call life.

May God bless you greatly and hold you close.