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An Exorcist Tells His Story

Gabriele Amorth

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Apr 04, 2023 Jillian rated it did not like it

OOF! I could NOT get through this. This is a DNF but I am counting it because it gave me so much to say about it.

One, to be clear, I am a spiritual person who finds truth in every religion and spiritual practice. I was raised Catholic and find so many of the Catholic traditions beautiful, meaningful, important, significant, and filled with truth. I also am a yoga teacher, Reiki practitioner, have studied Buddhist meditation, astrology, mythology, and have many personal pagan practices. By those OOF! I could NOT get through this. This is a DNF but I am counting it because it gave me so much to say about it.

One, to be clear, I am a spiritual person who finds truth in every religion and spiritual practice. I was raised Catholic and find so many of the Catholic traditions beautiful, meaningful, important, significant, and filled with truth. I also am a yoga teacher, Reiki practitioner, have studied Buddhist meditation, astrology, mythology, and have many personal pagan practices. By those accounts, I suspect this author would happily let me know I was going to hell, despite the fact that my most meaningful spiritual practice is...

wait for it...

to be a loving and kind person.

This book is....severely outdated. To the point where any truth that may be found within its pages is lost beneath bigotry, fear-mongering, religious gatekeeping, and more.

Yes I believe in demonic possession, and the power of Mary to intercede. I believe in Jesus as a significant teacher and role model and who rose from the dead, because I believe in miracles. I am open and receptive to the concept of the Trinity (which appears in many religions) as it pertains to Catholicism, as well as the concept of a spiritual teacher sacrificing his life to teach us about sacrificial love, redemption, and our soul. I believe in Saints and angels and their power to guide us.

I do NOT believe.....

Everything else!!!! Are we really talking about Adam and Eve like they were two people? Are we really going to talk about rock music and witchcraft and movies that glorify SINFUL TEMPTATION? Are we not beyond this as a society? Do we not yet realize God/Goddess/the Universe is BEYOND THIS?!

This man is harping on about his version of ABSOLUTE TRUTH with EVERYTHING ELSE being a doorway to Satan himself. That's a giant NO from me.

Maybe if this had been written more recently, or it had been written by someone with a more loving, understanding, and inclusive perspective....I could've been more patient with the pieces of the story (because it is a story) that don't make sense to me. I could have been understanding when things that I consider to be deeply meaningful in their symbology (and that reveal truth) are spoken as unattested historical fact.

But.

This perspective and the way it is communicated was so difficult to listen to, I just couldn't. I think this is only for people who have....either a very intense tolerance for outmoded perspectives, OR who are devoutly Catholic/Christian in a way that feels equally aggressive OR who are (sadly) hate-reading this, OR are reading this as an elaborate ghost story.

I much preferred the accounts of Ed and Lorraine Warren, who speak about exorcisms but take a holistic and nonjudgemental perspective and who are also completely different storytellers. ...more

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Sep 16, 2023 Kathy Jo marked it as to-read

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