What do Atheist think about exorcism?

Personally I don't believe in possessions and exorcisms. To be perfectly honest if I saw an exorcism taking place I'd be wondering the whole time whether it was just acting. I don't think it would change my entire belief system.

I would think it was some kind of schizophrenia or something along the lines of mental illness. I mean, before people really knew what mental illnesses were, they blamed their effects on the devil and demons.

From my answer to a similar question:

The same as any other claim of the supernatural.

Imaginary, or in some cases, fraudulent.

Here's how you can conclusively determine that such things are imaginary-

Only religious people get 'possessed'.

Further, only Christians get 'possessed' by those demons associated with Christianity.

Think about it.

Why don't Hasidic Jews ever get 'possessed' by the demons of Norse Paganism?

Why don't Mormons ever get 'possessed' by Scientology's Thetans?

Why don't Hindus ever get 'possessed' by demons of Greek mythology?

Why? Because those concepts MUST be implanted into the mind through indoctrination into a specific religion.

Brainwashing is a powerful tool.

Oh btw- lack of a belief and a belief are not the same.

nicely maximum cases of ppl believing they have been "possessed" are basically cases of psychological ailment. additionally the action pictures are an exaggeration they do no longer portray any real "excorcisms." additionally on the same time as some ppl have pronounced the bible can treatment an excorcist nicely which will nicely be open for debate. Now there are somethings that have been pronounced are unexplained in an excorcism like speaking a various language or llevitating some inches yet those are basically statements that isn't be able to be shown as excorcisms are no longer recorded and the information tend to be bias. additionally I firmly have faith the recommendations is a efficient element. The recommendations is able to do soooo many things even reason amnesia in case you want it to. The recommendations is efficient and scientist won't be able to clarify how the recommendations works exaclty because it is so complicated.

I view such things as being psychological. Especially in churches where people are "literally falling down in the presence of God." There is a powerful emotional element to services like that. It leads to an exited mob mentality that draws people in using the most basic group animal instincts we have. Lots of things can happen when people are caught up in a frenzy. I wouldn't say they are mentally ill, but they are emotionally overwhelmed. Long term emotional manipulation can potentially lead to mental illness however.

Atheism is a lack of belief, sorry. Not believing in purple radioactive monkeys is not a belief.

Having said that, this sounds either like it was staged or that the individual involved may have had some kind of mental illness.

People who are said to be possessed probably suffer from a neurological or mental illness which calls for treatment by medical doctors. The Virginia Tech shooter's mother recognized that her son had serious problems. She responded to his illness by taking him from church to church, looking for a cure by exorcism - and we all know how that worked out.

You reference "a man". Who is he? When did the incident occur? Was it documented? Who else was there? And most importantly, why should I believe the story just because someone posts in an Internet message board? "You can believe me or not, I'm just telling the truth." means absolutely nothing and frankly, only someone incredibly gullible would believe the story without some facts. You've provided none.

I would probably have got that guy strapped down and ran through an MRI to see what is malfunctioning in his brain. So yeah i'd say he was either crazy or acting.

I've been to a few faith healing events and 90% of them have staged people that act like they are 'slain in the spirit'. I'm sure some of them probably believed something so badly they made it real.

Just to put you straight on a few points

atheism is NOT a belief

he was NOT "literally" possessed by a demon

Honestly, I think a lot of psychiatric patients were uselessly tortured.

The last thing a delusional person needs is somebody dressed in strange clothes reciting phrases in an unknown language while waving strange symbols at them.

Psychiatry is the way to go.