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Sean, I must say that I admire your ability to put your own feelings aside and respect an offer like this…

As an outsider (both to BIID and religion) I can certainly say that people who believe in supernature to the extent that prayer cures nut allergy strike me as much more “mad” than anyone with BIID.

Did you know every diocese in the US has an exorcist? It’s not something…um..we generally talk about.

Exorcism is a valid form of prayer for being possessed by the devil or an evil spirit, if you believe in those. Real exorcism is extremely difficult both spiritually and physically. If one is really possessed, the evil spirit will do anything so he wouldn’t have to leave the body, including slandering the exorcist and even physically harming the possessed including killing (like breaking a neck) him. So if I believe in exorcism, I would not trivially take it up with some lady, unless she works out really hard. But her theory that there is a nut allergy evil spirit is a very interesting one. Nut case, I agree.
So one, if I wanted an exorcism, I would go to an appointed, extremely holy and extremely strong Catholic priest. Sorry, Kimberly.

Second, her thinking goes perfectly with the whole protestant mentality that sickness and handicaps are something to be rid off, that it is evil in itself, something to be fixed. They like to point out that Jesus was always healing the sick, the blind, the paraplegics, the possessed. And they are correct that he did. But the same Bible also says that “In your weakness shall be your strength.” By accepting their weaknesses, saints are made. And many of us with BIID will choose the way of embracing our BIID and seeing where the hand of God or Providence will lead us with. So, sorry, Kimberly, but I trust that there is some higher reason for my BIID and that if my sweet Jesus wanted to rid me of it, he would have done so.

Elisabeth I would have to agree with you there. I’ve witnessed an exorcism myself and it wasn’t a pretty sight.

I also think that God has a reason for the burdens he gives me and I think Jesus has a whole lot more to teach me before I can be rid of BIID. Exorcism isn’t something to be taken lightly and it’s not to be treated as a “cure-all” in my opinion.

Have to agree on that. I have a friend with CP who was told by “Christians” that she would be healed and walk if she let go of the evil within her. I will withold comment and let you digest that.

BIID is a neuropsychological disorder…there is VERY strong evidence that it’s neurological in nature. To suggest that it can be healed by exorcism is to say that evil is the cause of all disabilities.

I have suffered through this and I must say that my suffering has brought me closer to God. And I have offered up all of that suffering for unbelievers, that they may someday find comfort in knowing that whatever happens, there is a God that loves them and someday it will be all right.
The suffering has made me a more compassionate human being, has helped to melt and soften that horrible core of pride within me, has made me more aware of the challenges of people with disabilities and instilled with me a passionate desire to fight for equality.

I have had periods of time where I sailed through life and was blissfully unaware of my faults or those of society.

It’s through suffering that I grow and suffering makes me a better human being. I trust that my suffering isn’t needless or pointless.

Chloe I couldn’t have said it better myself. You have a superb way of expressing fact, yourself, and your thoughts.

One of my friends at the intersex group was sitting next to me at dinner afterwards, a few days ago. We were conversing about her being left handed. As a child, adults had tried to force her to be right handed. Where do people get these ideas that everybody is supposed to be the same? I don’t get it. Can someone explain to me why it is wrong to be different?

My friend is very sensitive about such things. She used to belong to a (Christian) church, and had asked the authorities there how she should handle her gender issues. She was advised that the most appropriate solution would be for her to commit suicide… Like Claire, I’ll withhold comment.

We lefties have to fight the English language prejudice toward us. Sinister (meaning left in Latin) comes to my mind. Dexterous (meaning right in Latin) - so why were Michelangelo and Leonardo so good at painting with their left hand? Goes back even to the Bible though - the saved sheep on right, the damned on left. I was lucky that nobody tried to change my hand preference.

I was reading up on the social model of disability. I like that. It’s OK to be different, that’s what it says. And the society should adjust to it and make sure that impairments won’t become disabilities.

Was asked today if I was wheelchair bound. “No, I use a wheelchair,” was my answer. People really don’t get it.
Got also stuck going up a ramp with my 35 lbs son on my lap. He had to get off. A man asked me if I needed help. Told him about three times No (my daughter was counting it), yet he was trying to grab my wheelchair. I am not proud of it but he got “Don’t touch my wheelchair!!!” from me, you know, when you speak real deep and slow. Didn’t know what hit him. Just left. Have to learn to control myself better.

We never had a leftie in our family, nor my sister-in-law’s, until my oldest nephew came along. He became militant on southpaw rights, married a leftie, and now has a southpaw son. The younger son is a rightie and certainly must get that minority feeling in the family context.
I think part of peoples’ problem with how to act with impaired people is deeply rooted in the herd mentality, an instinctive feeling that this one’s imairment going to threaten the life or safety of the pack somehow. We should be over that by now, and get on with accommodating everyone’s needs.

Elizabeth. When I was very young and less innocent i was a Wolf Cub (young scout) and I remember we had to shake hands with our left hand. Most awkward and sinister. People kept asking me if I was a mason! Good old Baden-Powell!

Exorcism? What a fearsome thing! In Mark chap. 5, Matt. chap. 17, et al, Jesus himself doesn’t seem to go through any toilsome ritual- He just tells the demons to scat! Still an awesome proposition, I would fear this as much as I fear hypnosis (don’t want anyone’s fingerprints on my psyche).

Hey guys, I’m back!

Yeah, some people think exorcisms can cure everything but ignorance.

(I’m sorry if I offend someone’s beliefs, but that’s just too much.)