Demonic possession is no laughing matter – but if you find yourself pitted against one of the 13 most dangerous demons in Hell, watch out! Anton Szandor LaVey, the former High Priest of the Church of Satan, listed the most powerful of Lucifer’s minions in his notorious book, The Satanic Bible. “Theologians have cataloged some of the names of devils in their lists of demons, but the roster which follows contains the names most effectively used in Satanic ritual,” wrote LaVey, known to his followers as The Black Pope. In addition to what he called the “crown princes” of Hell (Satan, the fallen angel Belial and the destructive sea monster Leviathan) LaVey lists other vicious demons who also occupy the “Royal Palace of…
I cannot overemphasize how skilled Guinness is at clearly explaining the true nature of the vices. Before reading this chapter, whenever I thought of the word ‘sloth,’ I either thought of a slow-moving animal or of a person who expects results without expending effort. For this reason, although I am lazy more often than I should be, I am industrious enough that I do not really fit the definition of a ‘sluggard.’ However, according to Guinness’ definition, I am not guiltless of sloth. In fact, I have gone through several slothful periods in my life. Although many of the examples in this chapter focused on sloth as the loss of hope in life, Guinness’ interpretation of this vice reveals that it is unfortunately quite easy to slip into a lesser…
A well-known American author, Mark Twain, once said; “Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody.” This proves that one’s human nature has a seed, growing inside, consisting of both good and evil. In the novel Lord of the Flies, written by William Golding, as the novel progresses, the nature of hunting changes. This persuades the boys to abandon the values of civilization, leading them to self-indulge themselves with savagery. At first, the main purpose of hunting is for meat. It is evident that the innocence within Jack and the hunters is present when they have a hard time adjusting to their new lifestyle. This can be seen when they fail to follow through with the killing of the piglet. As the novel advances, innocence begins to fade and savagery comes to light. Now that hunting is no longer being utilized for survival, Jack and the hunters exhilaration and enjoyment to kill shows when they murder the sow. The hunters excitement explains how…
Furthermore in this particular chapter, Screwtape goes on to talk about the patient’s state of mind. He states that the patient can still come to the Devil’s side. This part of the chapter made me realize that no matter how long you have been a Christian, the devil is still going to try to tempt you to come back to Satan’s side. Another thing that really caught my attention was the fact that Screwtape refers to God as the enemy. “The Enemy takes…
After ruthless attacks on the patient in The Screwtape Letters, the outcome seems to be leaning more towards the favor of the demons. In one letter to Wormwood, Screwtape goes as far as to say that he is “obviously making excellent progress” (Lewis 57). Even after several triumphs for the demons, the patient still ends up in heaven and the reader is left questioning why this would happen and why Screwtape would be okay with it. One probable solution for this question may be that C.S. Lewis wanted the reader to see the demons as a threat, even after defeat. If Lewis would have portrayed the demons to be weak and submissive, the reader would pass them off. Lewis spent his whole novel building up the demonic characters as a force not to be reckoned with. Though after losing their patient, it would seem easier for the demons to just face their defeat, Screw tape instead continues to plan. Still seeking to ultimately defeat God, in the last paragraph Screwtape says, “If only we could find out what He is really up to!” (Lewis 175). In an in adverted way, because Lewis portrays the demons as creatures who never give up, he instills fear in the readers. Accomplishing a goal is a huge achievement, but being able to lose everything and yet still see the bigger picture takes extreme optimism and is even more admirable.…
“Come, thick night, And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell. That my keen knife see not the wound it makes.”…
In the novel Fifth Business, guilt is a plague that has spread throughout the lives of Dunstan Ramsay, and Paul Dempster; both characters are drenched with guilt that was a result of a tragic incident caused by Percy Staunton Boyd when he threw the snowball and it “hit Mrs. Dempster on the back of the head.” (Davies, 2). Dunstan experiences guilt early on in his childhood, realizing it is him who ultimately caused the premature labour of Paul, “Nevertheless this conversation reheated my strong sense of guilt and responsibility about Paul.” (Davies, 136). As the guilt overtakes his life, Dunny compares what he is feeling to what dying feels like and questions whether that would be better than dealing with this overwhelming guilt: “Ah, if dying were all there was to it! Hell and torment at once, but at least you know where you stand. It is living with these guilty secrets that exacts the price” (Davies, 19). Born prematurely, Paul Dempster was convicted of being guilty as he was responsible for robbing his mother of her sanity, as explained to him by his father, Amasa Dempster, “My father always told me it was my birth that…
“Mine eyes are made the fools o' the other senses, /Or else worth all the rest: I see thee still; /And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, / Which was not so before. There's no such thing: /It is the bloody business which informs /Thus to mine eyes.”…
The Screwtape Letters is a satirical book written by C.S. Lewis with the intent to deliver practical lessons on a person’s daily exercise of his or her faith. The book’s overall theme is “God vs. the devil” or “good vs. evil” in the human experience. In the book, two devils – Screwtape, an elder tempter, and Screwtape’s novice nephew Wormwood -- are in a fight to claim as many souls, or ‘patients,’ as they are referred to in the book, and Screwtape advises Wormwood on the particulars of his job through a series of letters to his nephew, which are then “published” as this book. When Luke Johnson says in his essay “Powers and Principalities: The Devil is No Joke” “When Satan’s power is portrayed in terms of individual temptation and seduction rather than systemic evil and social oppression, when the cosmic battle between the angels of Michael and of Satan pictured by Revelation is reduced to “My guardian angel” and a nemesis imp competing for a moral victory…the way is cleared for devil jokes,” (Johnson 3) he captures what Lewis was trying to deliver…the simplistic and overlooked talents of the devil to win the hearts and minds of people. What will be examined today are the lessons presented by C.S. Lewis in the book The Screwtape Letters, the relevancy to Christian life, and the main point of the book in reference to theology.…
“Then a powerful demon, a prowler through the dark, nursed a hard grievance. It harrowed him to hear the din of the loud banquet every day in the hall…”…
Satan places his pride first and resists obedience to God, thereby taking the alternative that is also available to human beings. But by persisting in his perversion of free will, Satan's sin expands and develops consequences for the human race. His resistance amounts to a claim of autonomy--total self-creation--which, as Milton's readers…
As clearly demonstrated by one Chicago minister, (Document I) clergymen often viciously damned drinkers, pounding them with insult after insult, and stating that only the sober would be delivered unto heaven. The main motives for these fellows to be preaching this was money. If clergymen convinced drinkers that they would be damned to hell, it would lead ex-drinkers to church, praying for forgiveness, and more importantly, putting money into the offering pan!…
I will begin my story from the point of my arrival in Denmark when my initial engagement takes place: I began my terror long ago when I sat in the darkness yelling and growling in pain of the happiness and joyousness coming from Hrothgar and his men yet, they still challenge me, after seven years they still celebrate and boast and laugh with their music. I, Grendel, through my great strength and immunity from the weapons of humanity, vow to plague the mead hall. I stayed in the darkness consumed with impatience, bitterness, and jealousy of listening to loud, joyous music coming from the hall; songs of rejoice make my hands scratch and claw at the top of my head. The king of Denmark shall flee in terror as my wrath is cast upon the people of the mead hall. After the laughter and the celebration were finished that night I came out of hiding from the marsh hidden in the darkness. I attacked from the front of the hall, destroying all in my path and devouring all those who stand in my way. The pathetic humans tried without success to prevent my massacre. Their weapons are primitive, worthless against my flesh. I hurled myself towards the crowds, devouring the humans who stood in my way. I hold my brutal and violent acts, those of jealousy and envy; just as the acts of my descendant Cain, in the highest regard as a force of sheer and utter destruction. I will prevail, of this I am sure.…
Everyone, at least once in their lifetime, has been an advocate for the bad guy; whether it would be Heith Ledger, playing the Joker, verses Batman or the innocent Satan verses the tyrant God. John Milton does a fantastic job in letting his audience observe Satan in a new manner that one has not analyzed before. Milton portrays Satan as the most likable character in Paradise Lost, yet he is thought of being the foulest individual in the social realm. Satan stands above the rest of the characters in the poem, a once archangel casted out of heaven, trying to find his way in the universe. Although he is depicted as the most sentimental character of the poem, Satan is still the profound angel that society recognizes him as today. Milton’s exclusive…
In the song “Demons” by Imagine Dragons a man sings about a beast inside him. This man is having a hard time as the things that he looks up to betray him and his dreams disappear. The beast inside this man is portrayed as his emotions. The hurt that he feels, and the loneliness he feels can be seen through the words he uses in this song.…