Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Chimp · 08-03-2003, 12:47 AM

According to freespeech.org the exorcist Bob Larson, is a con-man phoney ...I become extremely skeptical when the "D(evil)" words are used. What is Truth?

http://members.freespeech.org/boblarson/vandemon.htm

Quote:

The one question about Bob Larson I am probably asked most often is arguably the toughest one: Are his "exorcisms" real? While I have always suspected that they were not, until recently, the evidence to support my view was circumstantial. But in the last few weeks, compelling evidence has come to my attention indicating that Larson's stage exorcisms are NOT real. Moreover, they may even be harmful.

The first hint that all wasn't right at Larson's traveling ectoplasm show came from Pierre Stromberg of Pacific Northwest Skeptics, who observed that the same people were being exorcised at different shows. While Stromberg didn't have hard evidence to prove it, he and I both alerted the TV stations and newspapers we contacted to look for it. And KCBD-TV, the NBC affiliate in Lubbock, Texas, was the first to find it, airing the following:

"But is his ministry real, or are the participants part of a set up?
We viewed some of his marketed tapes and discovered two of the three random people we interviewed appeared at other shows. We asked, 'he did perform an exorcism on you?'
The person responded, "Yeah, more then once, first one in Richardson...'."1

Of course, the obvious question is why anyone would have to be "exorcised" over and over again, and the obvious answer is that Larson's subjects were paid shills. But we still didn't have any direct evidence of outright fraud until Vancouver resident Ken Hamer observed two suspicious gentlemen discussing rather curious plans just before the start of his March 26 appearance there: "I overheard two young fellows talking about 'when it should all start,' and basically, they mentioned that 'it should start shortly after Bob came down onto the floor...'."2
Hamer kept an eye on the two young gentlemen, making it a point to sit near them during the rally. He noticed, for instance, that they were specifically looking for aisle seats, which would make it easy for Larson to get to them, in case one of them "manifested a demon." But more importantly, he had alerted B.C. Christian News reporters David Dawes and John Cody to their suspicious conduct:
"I was trying to be discreet as Jan Bray and other Larson types were nearby. I kept my voice low, and handed him my card. I did say that 'It'll be over here, or words to that effect, and pointed in the direction of where I and the 2 'suspects' would be. However, I thought the implication would be obvious -- that I knew where THE demons would manifest."3
Reporter John Cody, who overheard Hamer's pre-show conversation with Dawes, stated about his account of that meeting: "That's exactly as I remember it."4 Ken Hamer knew where the first demons were going to appear, and his story is corroborated by an independent Christian reporter. And, just as predicted, one of the suspects "manifested a demon," exactly on cue. But while this man writhed in purported pain, Larson went right on with his commercial spiel. And, after taking several minutes to finish delivering his sales pitch, Larson finally got around to "exorcising" the "demon."

[...]

Is Bob Larson a liar because he has a "demon of lying" ... or is he simply lying about the demons? That question is for theologians to wrestle with. For our part, the evidence that Larson's so-called exorcisms are fake is compelling.

Kat_Somm_Faen · 08-03-2003, 01:42 AM

Did we really need a thread about demons not being real? Have you ever seen one excluding movies?

Man I swear, sometimes I think of changing careers. You can become such a freeloader like these exorcists or Van Praagh or John Edvards. I mean consider this I have wasted sooo many yers and resources for a degree only to find myself in the worst labor market in 20 years but a "demons" guy is actually making money!

Go figure! Other people actually perform other services than shaman-level pseudo-psychology and mumbo-jumbo!

villainess · 08-03-2003, 06:02 AM

Larson's a johnny-come-lately to demons. He used to wail on rock-n-roll (sample title: _Rock and Roll, the Devil's Diversion_), then he decided that the New Age was the problem, and then it was UFOs, and now it's demons because apparently demons are where the money are.

He changes his views virtually with the weather. In his early books rock-n-roll is Bad because it's "ghetto (read African-American) music" A little later it's bad because the backbeat is sexually stimulating, and when Christian rock with the same beats got big, suddenly the beat's not a problem any more, only the lyrics and the lifestyles of the performers. I'd like to study the guy's brain for unique erosion patterns from so much shifting around.

He also wrote (or possible had ghost-written) some monumentally craptastic fiction about salacious, child-abusing Satanists and the heroic studly radio preacher who rescues innocents from their occultic clutches.

Now, if you want some people who are truly dedicated to demons, try the Satanic Ritual Abuse people. No matter how many times their star patients turn out to be pathological liars on a hysterical quest for attention (and really you do have to feel sorry for them, because these are generally people who set out needing genuine psychiatric help and got pulled into this recovered memory schpiel about how cultists made them kill and eat their own babies because they thought Christianity was a name they could trust) they still believe firmly that the whole world is raddled with baby-raping Lucifer-worshipping demons-in-human-form, many in positions of power and wealth that said believers think that they themselves deserve.

the.villainess (thank you for bearing witness to my convoluted sentence of the day.)

Chimp · 08-03-2003, 09:07 PM

To me, demons fall into the category of illusory superstitious truths, that do not actually exist in our objective reality. They only exist in the minds of people, on whom a willing deception may be implanted.

The skeptic of skeptics is the former magician "James Randi" and he offers a million dollar prize for any verifiable ...proof, of the so called spirit world.

http://skepdic.com/randi.html

James Randi appears to be honest and up front about the million dollar prize. If anyone has paranormal abilities, then they will collect one million dollars, simple as that. Randi has exposed many frauds. That is why Uri Geller refuses to be tested by him.

http://skepdic.com/geller.html

Quote:

Geller has also recently ventured into the lucrative New Age self-help/personal growth industry. For sale is his Mind-Power Kit for about $30. The kit includes an audio tape, a crystal and a book with topics such as how to develop your ESP, dowsing, crystal power, color therapy, and, of course, telekinesis.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

08-03-2003, 01:42 AM	#2
Kat_Somm_Faen Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Boulder, Colorado Posts: 3,316	Did we really need a thread about demons not being real? Have you ever seen one excluding movies? Man I swear, sometimes I think of changing careers. You can become such a freeloader like these exorcists or Van Praagh or John Edvards. I mean consider this I have wasted sooo many yers and resources for a degree only to find myself in the worst labor market in 20 years but a "demons" guy is actually making money! Go figure! Other people actually perform other services than shaman-level pseudo-psychology and mumbo-jumbo!

08-03-2003, 06:02 AM	#3
villainess Regular Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Ithaca, NY Posts: 471	Larson's a johnny-come-lately to demons. He used to wail on rock-n-roll (sample title: _Rock and Roll, the Devil's Diversion_), then he decided that the New Age was the problem, and then it was UFOs, and now it's demons because apparently demons are where the money are. He changes his views virtually with the weather. In his early books rock-n-roll is Bad because it's "ghetto (read African-American) music" A little later it's bad because the backbeat is sexually stimulating, and when Christian rock with the same beats got big, suddenly the beat's not a problem any more, only the lyrics and the lifestyles of the performers. I'd like to study the guy's brain for unique erosion patterns from so much shifting around. He also wrote (or possible had ghost-written) some monumentally craptastic fiction about salacious, child-abusing Satanists and the heroic studly radio preacher who rescues innocents from their occultic clutches. Now, if you want some people who are truly dedicated to demons, try the Satanic Ritual Abuse people. No matter how many times their star patients turn out to be pathological liars on a hysterical quest for attention (and really you do have to feel sorry for them, because these are generally people who set out needing genuine psychiatric help and got pulled into this recovered memory schpiel about how cultists made them kill and eat their own babies because they thought Christianity was a name they could trust) they still believe firmly that the whole world is raddled with baby-raping Lucifer-worshipping demons-in-human-form, many in positions of power and wealth that said believers think that they themselves deserve. the.villainess (thank you for bearing witness to my convoluted sentence of the day.)

Freethought & Rationalism Archive

The archives are read only.