ChristMyth

I was watching the Headline News Network last night and caught a piece about Bob Larsons. I don't know if any of you have heard of him, but this guys a complete wacko. According to him, half of all people in the world are possessed by demon of some sort and he feels its his job to tour the US (or the world) and exorcise these things out of people. At one point in time, he acutally hit a woman on the head with is bible and yelled, "Come out in Jesues name." The sad part is that these people are paying this guy big money to do this . Makes me think I should start my own exorcising business.

Rathpig

That would explain alot.

(Remove the money, remove the cameras, and his business vanishes. Isn't it funny that the real God is the green-back dollar.)

Let me know if you need a demon possessed soul to save. Even most atheists think I am demon-possessed, so I could play the part convincingly for the right price .

fjripit

I happened to catch this clip on CNN last night. At the end of the clip, it was mentioned that he does offer exorcism training (and certification?).

If it works out for you, please let me know. I think that maybe I could convince myself that I was really helping these people.

On second thought, forget about it.

Withered

I actually had the opportunity to go to one of his seminars way back in the early nineties, in Tampa. This guy is as big a fraud as you can find. He was focused at the time on the hidden cults that assault america's youth at every turn. Mostly every form of mainstream media that is not controlled directly by god. He was a huge fan of scapegoating Dungeons and Dragons also if i recall.

This guy is just about as cheesy as it gets. He wasnt doing faith healing at the time though, or exorcism, his show was just about cults that lead to things that only his books could explain or protect us from.

I remember that he wanted to save everyone from the evil, but would not say how to protect ourselves from the evils he was aware of...had to buy the book to do that.

As an atheist i went just for fun since it was free, but looking around at the audience of like a thousand people, i was shocked to find them eating it all up. He had a member of a local metal band come up on stage and rip a bible in half while proclaiming how powerful satan was! The audience hissed and booed. it was really sad.

This kind of salesmanship should be required to have a disclaimer. It is a lot like pro wrestling.

fromdownunder

Hey! Don't knock pro wrestling. At least it provides entertainment, does not take itself seriosly, and does not rob people of hard earned cash (we watch it because we want to, not because we are scared shitless of satan and his demons.)

Norm

Tubby Lardmore

Some of the most fun I’ve had listening to Christian radio was back in the old days of Bob Larson’s call-in talk show. You are right that he really went after D&D. Mormons were also a target, and it was delicious to hear a Mormon caller trading Biblical quotes with Mr. Larson, each certain that his own faith was the True one.

There was a new movie back in those days called E.T., about an alien landing on Earth. I remember Mr. Larson saying that the alien’s glowing finger was “clearly a Satanic symbol.” What made that funny to me was that days earlier a co-worker had heard his Episcopal priest say that the reason E.T. was such a popular movie was that it was the New Testament story, with the alien in the role of Christ. Sometime later I read that in fact the script was influenced by Old Yeller, with the alien playing the same role as the dog.

More and more Larson’s show turned into a series of exorcisms, some done over the phone, and some being taped from face-to-face encounters Larson had had with supposedly possessed people. I eventually quit listening to the show as I grew tired of the endless streams of exorcisms. The Golden Age for Mr. Larson was definitely when he was taking on atheists, heavy metal music fans, D&D’ers, Mormons, Baha'is, et al.

Over the years he has been on Trinity Broadcasting TV a few times when I have watched. He is a wiry guy with reddish hair and a short beard. Seems to be a frustrated musician, as I think he was in an amateur band in his younger days. He makes the news now and then. He traded in his old wife for a new one in time-honored alpha male fashion. I believe he owns some high-dollar property in or near Scottsdale, Arizona.

He’s a piece of work, all right.

fjripit

Visit http://www.boblarson.org/

His disclaimer at the bottom of his homepage will blow your irony meter to smithereens. That CNN would give this creep any exposure is pretty outrageous.

ChristMyth

Its sad to think that people actually buy into this stuff. Even when I was a christian, I didn't believe in the whole "demon possession" thing because it didn't make any sense.

Of course, what really pissed me off about the CNN bit was the announcers kept saying, "If you didn't believe in demon possession before, we will show you something that will really make you think" as if they had footage of satan himself taking volunteers for possesion.

whyicantbelieve

lol

oh gosh, that just cracked me up.

sunspark

Bah, I think it's Larson that's possessed . I once caught part of his radio show, and for some reason, his voice really creeps me out.