There are numerous accounts of Jesus driving out demons in people. Some of them even talked to him before their exorcism. So here comes my question of the day. Where are all the possessed people today? I saw the movie The Exorcist many years ago and I do think, but don’t know for sure, that the Catholic church still performs them. But why aren’t they somewhat common as they appeared to be in Jesus’ day?
The one exorcism that Jesus did that I remember the most was where he drove the demons out and put them in to a herd of pigs. Pigs just didn’t get treated well in Scriptures. First the Jews wouldn’t have anything to do with them because of something about their feet and then Jesus used them for a receptacle for storing demons. The poor pigs just couldn’t get a break. My grandfather was a pig farmer and when we visited him I don’t recall ever seeing any possessed pigs. But there was one old boor that always gave me a hard time. Maybe he was possessed and I didn’t know it 🙂 .
Some say these demon stories are just embellishments and that they really didn’t happen. You know the kind of thing that gets exaggerated over the years. I remember the game that a elementary school teacher once plays with the class. She told the first student a short story and then each student relayed the story to the next member of the class. After it was relayed through twenty kids or so it did not in the least way resemble the story that started. Was this what happened with the possessions? We know that most of the bible, especially the Gospel of Luke, was an oral tradition handed down from one generation to the next. Were stories made up during this process?
I want to believe that Jesus drove out demons but I still have doubts. This is something I need to study and contemplate more on. But even if it turns out that he really didn’t drive out demons it would not be something that would shake, or even rattle, the foundation of my faith. I do believe that the devil is around today constantly tempting us but I take him to be of a spiritual form rather than a physical one. I assume that demon possession is another form of the devil in physical form. Maybe the devil for the most part just quit using demon possession after Christ’s time? Questions, questions, questions.
RedLetterLiving 
Hi RJ,
I was perusing my tag surfer on wordpress and stumbled upon your blog!
You have quite a bit of interesting thoughts!
The topic of demons is an interesting one and I highly suggest you have a conversation with a person who comes from a culture where demonology and spiritual occultism is prolific.
I am Vietnamese and in our culture there is no doubt that demons exist and the power of the spiritual realm.
What I find is that often in North American Christian tradition (I am assuming that you are a North American as well) – as a culture, we have primarily shut out the spiritual realm with our skepticism.
Can demons take on a physical presence? Some would argue yes.
I’ve had enough experiences to know that spiritual attacks can borderline physical attacks.
Check out C.S. Lewis’ “Screwtape Letters” (if you haven’t already) as he makes a point in one of the chapters where one of the devils makes the poignant remark that they’ve been able to pull off the greatest feat: they’ve made man believe that demons don’t exist.
Thanks Thich for your input. I welcome unique perspectives on the topics I choose to highlight on the blog. Yes, you are correct that I am a North American Christian; in fact a good part of my geneology includes Native Americans.
I am not saying that I don’t think demons exist but I am saying that they don’t appear to be as prolific as they were in Jesus’ day. I have read the “Screwtape Letters” but it was not with demons in the focus. Maybe I need to revist them; thanks for the suggestion.