Concerns over Dublin visit of religious group claiming it set a child with autism 'fr

Cabaal

I'm curious to what people's views are on this type of viewpoint to hold, do some people in this forum believe that sick people or those with autism need to be freed from demons.

Or is this type of worrying viewpoint only held by a very small minority of Christians?

http://www.thejournal.ie/autism-heal-event-2735835-Apr2016/

UTISM ADVOCACY GROUPS are concerned about an upcoming event organised in Dublin by a religious group claiming to have ‘set free from demons’ a child with autism.

The Last Reformation is an offshoot Evangelical church originally set up in Denmark. Its founder, Torben Sondergaard, and his followers claim to be able to expel demons from within people by using prayer and baptism.

Sondergaard travels around the world preaching the message of his church. He claims that through the power of Jesus and the gospel, people can expel demons from within themselves and others.

On a recent trip to Australia, he posted a video claiming that one of the members of the church had “set free from demons” a 9-year-old girl who had autism.

homer911

I would have no doubt that demons exist, and people can be possessed by them

I would treat with a healthy scepticism the claims of this group but perhaps the headlines don't tell the whole story. No group can parachute in, baptise people and then leave - evangelism never works this way.

Can autistic people be possessed by demons? Certainly just as possible as it is for someone who is not autistic

Can someone be cured of autism? I would have thought this is scientifically impossible, but a dangerous claim for any group to make

K.Flyer

I don't see where they actually claimed to have "cured" the child of autism.

Benny_Cake

Unfortunately, there is no shortage of junk science around autism that attracts opportunistic con-artists. From reading the linked story though, I'm uncertain as to whether the group has claimed that the girl's autism was caused by demons, or whether the girl happened to be autistic alongside "demonic possession". Regardless, they seem like a fringe group.

Mrs OBumble

"At the most basic level it sends out the message to people that autism is something that needs to be cured."

Sounds like the advocacy groups think Autism is the new Deaf: not a condition that someone needs treatment for, but rather a unique and special way of being human that should be accepted and cherished for what it is, and that people with it should not be offered anything except acceptance.

Somehow I'm picking that the parents of an autistic kid who receives assistance from <<whatever>> will probably react in much the same was a the parents of a kid for whom a cochlear implant is effective.




Demons? Meh, I'm lukewarm on the idea myself. But I know some very sincere people who believe in 'em.

eviltwin

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Sounds like the advocacy groups think Autism is the new Deaf: not a condition that someone needs treatment for, but rather a unique and special way of being human that should be accepted and cherished for what it is, and that people with it should not be offered anything except acceptance.

Somehow I'm picking that the parents of an autistic kid who receives assistance from <<whatever>> will probably react in much the same was a the parents of a kid for whom a cochlear implant is effective.




Demons? Meh, I'm lukewarm on the idea myself. But I know some very sincere people who believe in 'em.

Autism can't be cured. It can and should be managed but I don't see anyone with the condition being fixed anytime soon. I suppose some people will see it as the work of a demon or a punishment from God for past behaviour and are at risk of being exploited by unscrupulous people like this guy. I don't believe in demons but if I did surely they would manifest themselves in a more obvious way. I have two kids on the spectrum, I wouldn't see their behaviour as demonic.

Eta I don't see anything in the article to suggest they are only targeting autistic people so as Benny Cake says her condition could be just incidental. I find it hard to believe a child who had social and anger issues suddenly became a happy, sociable child after his intervention.

alma73

In the Catholic Church is someone is miraculously healed and they want the miracle validated then usually the Church will ask a professional who is not catholic biased to investigate. When a person has terminal stage 4 cancer one day and doesn't the next then you can say there is no medical explanation. No doubt God could cure a person of autism, however sadly these evangelical groups have a liking for ECB gift cards.. and usually desperate people end up parting with cash for nothing.

No religious group can claim they can cure anything, because they can't, they don't have any power. If the family want to bring their autistic child to a prayer service there is nothing wrong with this and praying to God for help and assistance. But I would be suspicious of any group that collects money from vulnerable people claiming they can do something they can't.

lazybones32

Cabaal wrote: »

I'm curious to what people's views are on this type of viewpoint to hold, do some people in this forum believe that sick people or those with autism need to be freed from demons.

Or is this type of worrying viewpoint only held by a very small minority of Christians?

http://www.thejournal.ie/autism-heal-event-2735835-Apr2016/

What viewpoint are you speaking about? The man never said autism was demonic in nature, nor that he could cure it. The journalist had to stretch pretty damn hard to try and make that connection...and still failed. Yeah, gullible people won't spot the gaps and swallow the story whole (and misguided people will try use this as some sort of a stick to 'beat' Christianity with) but that's nothing new.

I think it is a very good thing that this man's ministry/event has gotten a lot more publicity. If it helps even one person experience the power of Jesus, I'd live with the lies.

Adds: @Alma - they don't charge. A basket would be passed around at the end and if someone wants to donate, they are free to do so. No compulsion. The full-time Catholic Evangelists do the same. St. Paul wrote something about those who work full-time for the Gospel being entitled to earn their living from it. Paul was entitled to earn this way too but chose to work making tents.

recedite

This idea that autism can be cured by a demonic exorcism is nonsense.
It can only be cured by force-feeding the afflicted with strong bleach.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/parents-quizzed-over-bleach-treatment-for-autism-323563.html

Mrs OBumble

eviltwin wrote: »

Autism can't be cured. It can and should be managed

Indeed.

Right now, it's just like diabetes, epilepsy, parkinsons and deafness. But as neuro-scientists learn more and more, it's not impossible that treatments which reverse the underlying cause will be found.

In the meantime, people can try whatever takes their fancy. Some people swear by ABA and campaign for the education to system to make it available to every person on the spectrum - others believe it does major violence to an autistic person and is effectively evil.

Saipanne

Thanks to the enlightenment these practice's have been pushed to the fringes of society, when they were once mainstream.

uck51js9zml2yt

interesting article.

As homer said, people can have demons whether they have a disability or not.

As to whether God can heal someone with autism, its like asking can God heal someone with cancer. Its my view that He can.

Did He in this case? I don't know.

I'd like to see the evidence of the childs condition before and after to see if she was diagnosed with autism and whether there were no traces of it later.

Sadly, there are lots of fringe groups out there that prey on the vulnerable and leave a wake of destruction behind them.As a result they do a disservice to the rest of us leaving people with grounds to be dismissive.
In 30 years a Christian, I've not come across any healings in this area. Doesn't mean there haven't been any.