Bob Larson of Spiritual Freedom Church is a Christian author and so-called exorcist who boasts that he has performed over 15,000 exorcisms. For a fee, visitors to his website can even undertake a "demon test" to see if they are possessed. His three teenage daughters, Brynne, Savannah, and Tess, also claim to be adept demon exorcists.
In a YouTube video making the rounds in the blogosphere, Larson claims to be exorcising a gay demon from a middle-aged man. Calling the creature a "filthy stinking sex demon," he beseeches the man to accept Jesus.
At first, I laughed at the sheer absurdity and hamminess of the video. Upon reflection, however, I looked at the video with sorrow. The notion that homosexuality results from demonic activity is not unheard of in fundamentalist Christian circles, both in the U.S. and abroad. It frames homosexuality not only as a supernatural evil, but as a spiritual pathology to be cured, rather than a normal variation of human sexuality. Such superstitions both reflect and fuel homophobia, with devastating consequences for LGBTQ people. It is these superstitions we must challenge.
Hat tip to Gaystar News. For more information on Bob Larson, click here.
For additional commentary, visit the following links.
Think Progress: Gay ‘Exorcisms’ Distract From The Real Harms Of Ex-Gay Ministries And Anti-LGBT Beliefs
Gawker: Here’s a Man Undergoing a Gay Demon Exorcism
Progressive Puppy: Fundie Pastor Confronts Devils, Performs Gay Exorcisms
As ridiculous as it sounds I'm afraid there are some LGBT people who take men like this seriously.
ReplyDeleteDonna -- That worries me. This kind of thinking can be the root of a lot of self-hatred.
DeleteI think that any demon strong enough to change my sexual persuasion would be strong enough to keep me from going to church and asking to be exorcised, but that's just me.
ReplyDeleteThis is some of the worst faith has to offer: blaming something other than yourself for your behavior (a demon or Satan), misidentifying natural behavior as a sin, and putting on a show to bilk people out of their money.
Wise Fool -- You'd think! I agree that this kind of video shows the ugly side of the tradition: homophobia, superstition, and bald-faced hunting for profit.
DeleteFrom the noises the exorcisee was making, he was either the world's worst actor or suffering from the world's worst case of constipation.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't these bozos study up on exorcising the rape-idiocy demons who possess so many Republican politicians these days and make them blurt out skin-crawly stupidities about rape and pregnancy? The gay-sex demons are rank amateur demons by comparison.
Infidel753 -- He was possessed by the demon of low-fiber diets! :D
DeleteYeah, I'd much rather say goodbye to the demons of misogyny and stupidity that have possessed the GOP than supposed gay demons.