Are demons and exorcism for real? Billy Hallowell & Michael Shermer

There’s been a rise in the demand for exorcism from church priests in recent years.  

Billy Hallowell author of ‘Playing With Fire: A modern investigation into demons, exorcism and ghosts’ says we need ot take the supernatural seriously. Atheist skeptic Michael Shermer believes that there are better natural explanations for paranormal claims.  

[rhamlyn]

Funny, that with everyone in the world having a smartphone movie camera in their pocket, none of this ever shows up on YouTube.

[bernardobila]

"A boy walked up a wall backwards"
Source: trust me bro

[ModernDayDebate]

Super interesting topic! Cam from Capturing Christianity had a couple recent videos on this topic lately too!

[Джонатан-рд]

For a ouija board, why would you touch anything anyway, if it's all spirits? If spirits can throw chairs across the room, they can interact with the board directly lmao

[Indorm]

I love how open Billy Hallowell is about his faith.

[ubersheizer]

"I'm a Christian first, then a journalist." Maybe not the best argument for truth. Image Shermer saying "I'm and atheist first, then a skeptic."

[whiteninjaplus]

Fun fact if you misremember something you can't tell that you misremembered it. It feels just like all your other memories

[jesuelm]

Michael's radio story is really amazing, it really made me think!

How likely it is that something like that would happen...

The fact that a broken radio would suddenly turn itself on, play the right station, with the right romantic music, at the right time just after his fiancée's father died, a very touchy moment for both of them, moreover, not only a radio but! something with a high emotional value directly connected to his father! and after that moment, the radio would never work again...

if Michael had been alone, and this would have happened, the story would have been hard to believe, but then there was his fiancée, another witness...

in order of probabilities such an event is really difficult to happen, almost impossible... and not only that... the fact that it happened to Michael, a committed skeptic, with varied scientific knowledge, also owner of a magazine, and not just any magazine, a magazine for skeptics, a person who also has a past related to faith, who has spent the last decades talking about it from a naturalistic point of view, which gives him enough credibility to talk about it...

That's really so unlikely to happen.... that it's surprising!

if I hadn't seen Michael talk to the camera about it I wouldn't have believed it...

all that makes me think...

maybe if this had happened to a common citizen, maybe this would be finished differently, possibly in an anecdote, a legend among the friends of the bar, some story of the hallway, we would be branded as liars even if this had happened to a person who is not a scientist or with recognition, possibly very few would be believed with doubts... we would argue that he had a hallucination, that it was an effect Mandela... it was all imagination and that it was all in his head, even that he is lying to us to become popular, controversial or to draw attention to himself.

But... yes, we believe Michael, because well... he is Michael.

That's what makes testimonies so difficult, to believe or not to believe .... but certainly, that story is surprising! men...

[willard]

whenever Billy is given a non-Christian example that fulfils criteria he accepts, his response begins with ‘Ok..putting on my Christian hat..’ and proceeds to explain one mystery by referring to another. For example, when asked about the relatively higher number of demonic occurrences in other cultures, he says its because they are ‘outside the Christian realm and don’t have that protection’. Or he doesn’t answer it at all (e.g. Sathya Sai Baba)

[Luke_Radiosmash]

Good discussion. I would like to ask Shermer: when does it become more reasonable to believe the supernatural over the natural? To use an extreme example, you saw someone shot to death, and buried for years, then he dropped by your house one day. Is it *reasonable* to say, "he must have just fallen asleep, survived for a while underground, then dug himself out"?

[dawid_dahl]

Would have loved this discussion to be longer. Thank you! 🙂🙌🏻

[mojomanrosie]

I just watched ASK AN EXORCIST ANYTHING just yesterday lol

[martinlag]

I know this may not be persuasive to you, Michael, but let me just change the whole subject and give a Christian sermon.

[bobritter]

This was lovely, tho I sadly missed the beginning (I'll catch up). Prof Shermer used to make me so cross, as I questioned his motives, being a 'believer' in many of the things he (perhaps religiously) expends so much effort debunking. He is now seems like the agreeable cousin I disagree with on details of reality but agree with on methods of exploration.
I'm not familiar with your other guest, but I think I lean in the direction of his very competently argued position, I will, no doubt, be familiarising myself with his work soon.
Much gratitude to you for this one, I was heartened greatly by it.

[pasifred]

For me, the concept of _'super natural'_ has become a misnomer and I reject using it altogether.

[whatwecalllife]

Short answer: No, much like gods, it lacks strong evidence and there are better explanations.

[zach]

“There was some levitating.” 😂 side note?

[tonybinder]

Spiritual warfare is real! We need those who can fight.

[calebp]

Interesting that this came out right after Cameron Bertuzzi's (Capturing Christianity's) interview with Fr. Lampert. I recommend any sceptic to have a watch of that interview. Peace.

[drome]

Why would anyone go to the Catholic Church for help? Demons must have a good laugh with that. Why would evil cast out evil? God have mercy and protect us.