I was reading an article about a little boy who is only six years old and how he harms himself, has violent outbursts, and throws himself down. His parents believe he is suffering from schizophrenia. I was thinking though how very much his behavior sounded like the demon possessed boy in the Bible. I wonder if there is more demon possession going on and dr call it mental illness instead? i am not saying mental illness isn't real just was surprised by the symptoms this boy had and how much they were like those mentioned in the Bible. thoughts?rdg
Yes. Demons attack the family. See Jim Logan "Spiritual Warfare" series on here sermonindex
Frank and Ida Mae Hammond ministereddeliverance for many years and have writtenextensively on the deliverance ministry. The Lord gave them a revelation concerningthe demonic pattern of schizophrenia (Double minded ness), and many peoplehave been helped through their ministry.Mike
_________________Mike
Luke 4:35 and then again in Luke 9:37-43 tells us something about demonic activity which some ought to take notice of. In these verses the convulsion or the casting to the ground only occurs as the demon is coming out of a person. And in the case of the little boy in Luke chapter nine there are two references to the boy being thrown to the ground. The first is where the father of the child speaks of the boy having a convulsion as the demon leaves his son, and the second is the demon having the very same effect as the Lord commands it to leave his son. It would appear that in these instances the characteristic is that of neurological disturbance malevolently produced whilst a demon is leaving someone. It also shows that demons come and go when they are not fully dealt with.In Matthew 17:15 we read a slightly different account of this same boy and this time we are told that the boy often falls into the fire and into water. I would be inclined to want to know why these parents think their son is schizophrenic in the first place. The symptoms described are not in any way typical of schizophrenia. It is also a mistake to think that schizophrenia is doubly mindedness as well. It is properly a condition which has difficulty with one reality let alone two realities. The most common symptom of schizophrenia is delusion. The delusions can be quiet formal and rational to the individual but they do not correspond to reality as though the delusion existed side by side with reality. It is one or the other and not double mindedness. A good definition could be to say that a schizophrenic individual is beside themselves. Not two minds but one mind which has lost touch with the real world.Also it is very uncommon for a child to be schizophrenic. Many behaviours which are rightly seen as divorced from the real world, in a child, reflect a reality of experience and not a delusion. I was sent to see a psychiatrist myself aged seven because my behaviour was said to be outside of the normal range of childish behaviour. Psychological disturbance can seem very similar to schizophrenia, but unlike schizophrenia may be nothing more than a reasonable response to disturbing circumstances which go on for a long time. There is also a behaviourally induced seizure which looks very similar to epilepsy but which has its roots in muscular spasms brought on by a neurological trauma, such as hitting ones head or flicking the head back and forwards. Plenty of children have violent outburst entirely of their own volition as well. So it may be neither a demon or schizophrenia.
The parents believed their son is schizophrenic because they said his older sister who is eleven is. She has different symptoms then her brother though, when she was younger they said she had visual and auditory hallucinations, she is now on medications. The article said there is mental illness on both sides of the family. I just thought the description reminded me of the demon possessed boy. The little boy has not been diagnosed with schizophrenia but his mother believes he will be. I just wonder if there could be people who are said to have a mental illness when they are in fact possessed?? not saying that these children are possessed just brought the question to mind. the news article is here if you want to read the storyhttp://abcnews.go.com/Health/born-schizophrenic-mentally-ill-children-threaten-tear-family/story?id=23687000It is a very sad story. rdg
The parents believed their son is schizophrenic because they said his older sister who is eleven is. She has different symptoms then her brother though, when she was younger they said she had visual and auditory hallucinations, she is now on medications. The article said there is mental illness on both sides of the family. I just thought the description reminded me of the demon possessed boy. The little boy has not been diagnosed with schizophrenia but his mother believes he will be. I just wonder if there could be people who are said to have a mental illness when they are in fact possessed?? not saying that these children are possessed just brought the question to mind.
