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How do Christians make sense of exorcisms in other religions?

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Jesus in Matthew 12 appears to give a compelling argument against the possibility of demons casting out other demons: > 22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. 23 All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” > > 24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.” > > 25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 **If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself**. How then can his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28 **But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you**. > > [Matthew 12:22-28, NIV] In other words, demons are cast out by the power of the Spirit of God, and in the case of Christians, in the name of Jesus. That said, according to the Wikipedia article on [Exorcism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exorcism) , exorcisms have been practiced since antiquity in other religions. And I find this problematic, because if we think about it, non-Christians do not have the power of the Spirit nor the name of Jesus to drive out demons during an exorcism. And they can't be using the power of Satan either, as per Jesus' argumentation in Matthew 12:22-28. So there appear to be no other options left, and we are faced with a dilemma. **Question**: How do Christians make sense of exorcisms in other religions? Are exorcisms in other religions compatible with a Christian worldview? ____ *Note: I'm not sure if I should request answers from a specific denomination or Christian group for this one. I would imagine that most Christians believe that demons exist and can be cast out, and I'm not sure if there is a specific denomination with an official position regarding exorcisms in other religions. But in any case, if this question needs editing, feel free to let me know or go ahead and edit it yourself.*
Asked by user50422
Mar 30, 2021, 03:20 AM
Last activity: Jan 21, 2025, 10:26 AM