Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohio
How then do you describe those demon possessed that the Lord Jesus healed who cried out, "what have we to do with You, Son of God?" Mt 8.29
How do you attribute this to mental illness? The Lord never said they were sick and needed healing, rather He transferred the demons to the hogs.
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There are numerous possibilities. I don't claim that I KNOW there are no such things as demons. However, I understand there is very little positive evidence for them. Other possibilities include that the writer may have believed that is what happened or the story was created to make a point. The story may have been passed along as oral history for years before it was written. The demoniac may have believed he was demon possessed and consequently spoke out that way..you know, like multiple personality disordered people do in the movies. Perhaps that's the way Jesus, a man of his times, saw the situation.
I would still classify exorcism as a healing. Healers often do even so called faith healers today. Any way the significant take away for me is that Jesus had the compassion and power to heal.