Fear of Holy Water?

[Welgaia]

I'm not sure this is the right place to post this, but I am looking for help for a friend of mine in every possible place.

Recently I went to church with a friend, and although I often study religion, we had never brought it up. When she spent the night on Saturday I told her I was going to church in the morning and she suddenly looked very frightened. I asked her what was the matter but all she said was that she would go with me to church (she was not religious to my knowledge). I was worried it might have been a molestation of some sort involving the clergy, but she looked very relieved and said no it wasn't that when I asked again on the way to the church. When we arrived, she stood, completely still, staring at the building for the longest time. I slowly led her up the steps by the hand, but it each step she took it was like she was trying to push her way through a hurricane. When we reached the top she was at a loss for breath, and being physically fit and it only being ten steps, I knew something strange was going on. But she regained herself, and continued walking, though as if on glass. This church has a holy water basin, and I respectfully dipped my hand in (though I am not a catholic) and made the sign of the cross. After taking several steps, I realized my friend had not followed me through the doorway to the main hall. So I went to take her hand and lead her inside as I had through the main enterance (with the hand I had not dipped in holy water, incidentally). After a few steps she stumbled, and as I went to catch her my arm knocked over the holy water basin. The water splashed her hand, and she suddenly recoiled, clutching her hand with the other. Faint trails of smoke rose from her hand. She emitted a shriek and ran from the church as I tried to catch up to her. She lived only about a quater-mile from the church and slammed the door as I tried to help her. I called her today and tentatively asked if her hand was okay and she said it was fine. But when I asked her what happened, she suddenly had to go and hung up.

I have tried to find a psychological answer to all this, but nothing I have found covers what seems to be a burn induced by luke-warm holy water. I know she is not a vampire or anything of the sort, as I don't believe in them, but anyone has any suggestions or ideas please help.

 

[simplicity]

I personally tend to view holy water on a symbolic and ceremonial level. But I do remember one event when my mother had a small bottle of holy water in her purse. It leaked out and shorted her cell phone. Then being the good son that I am I said she could have my cell phone instead. I have been without a cell phone now for like three years.

Welgaia, water is actually a fascinating subject. As you know during the Asian Tsunami, there were relatively few dead animals although there were many human casualities. It has been suggested, since the brains of mammals are based on electrical impulses, possibly the kinetic motion of such a large body of water (salt water being a conductor of electricity) may have caused some kind of early warning.

There was a Biblical passage - I can't remember the exact spot in the Bible at the moment - where feeling of having the holy spirit was described like the movement of water. And of course when we look for life on other planets, one of the first things we try to find is - yes - evidence of water. If you place a few drops of water into an empty boiler that is overheating, it will explode. More familiar to most of us, doing the same to a hot frying pan causes the water to sizzle. It's pretty frightening to pour a lot of water into a very hot and dry frying pan.

In terms of your friend having burn marks from water, I believe I heard of documented cases of this in real life. But like I said personally I view holy water as something symbolic. Nonetheless, I know some ministers make it a point to really get me good when they are flinging that holy water around during certain events. So I guess the leaders of the faith recognize tangible value in holy water that is not immediately evident to me.

 

[bethdinsmore]

Hi Welgaia

What a difficult thing that must have been for you both. For lukewarm water to burn a hand, it sounds to me like there is the possibility of supernatural involvement. It might be helpful to talk to someone on a large church staff who regularly deals with that area (and not necessarily only a church that has holy water).

I am not pointing any fingers (I wouldn't even know which way to point them), but I have had to deal personally with demonic oppression, and I have led a Satanist and several witches to the Lord through the years, and your scenario doesn't sound that different to me from some of the things I have heard.

Following is an example of mine (previously quoted to a similar question),which I believe is germane to your post, with the hope that it could bring comfort to you and your friend:

"I had been an atheist, then accidentally got involved in the occult (it can happen), then trusted in Christ as my sinbearer. "Shirley", a Christian friend I had, told some of her friends about me. They wanted to talk to me because they were in the occult, and had eventually gotten very frightened. They wanted out. (One was a Satanist, one was a black witch, and two were white witches.)

The person who seemed in the greatest immediate danger was a Satanist -"John". (The Satan Seeker gives a good example of the types of things he did and things that happened to him).Through card reading, etc., the demons had told him that the wife of his parent's pastor would die within a week (it happened - she commited suicide). Later they told him that his father would die within a week (it happened - he had a heart attack). So when they told him he would one day die by fire or by water, he was terrified. At that time, he asked my friend to make an appointment for the three of us. We did, and prayed daily for his safety. Because he was so terrified, he delayed for months before finally seeing me.
That particular day, the phone rang at 8:00am - I figured it was something really important, because my friends knew not to call around that time since I would be having daily devotions. Sure enough, it turned out to be my friend "Shirley". She said that "John" wanted to make an appointment to meet that night, for the first time. I was so happy, and told her that when the phone rang I had been praying for John's safety.

Long story short, while I was telling John that night about my occult experiences, Shirley interrupted all of a sudden and said, "Cathy was praying for your safety at eight this morning." John looked astonished, and said, "I was at the top of a long flight of concrete steps at that time - I had just looked at my watch. Though no one was behind me, I felt like someone shoved me in the back. I fell all the way down, but I wasn't hurt in the slightest." Eventually John left the occult and became a Christian, and was never harmed. (The other friends, once they made the same choices, also were delivered from harm." (One nearly became completely blind because she wouldn't give up her crystal ball, saying it was so beautiful. But her eyes were healed when her boyfriend sneaked it out and got rid of it - God's amazing grace).


I'll pray for you and your friend. I do not mean to imply that your friend is demon possessed or oppressed. Nor am I trying to make a statement about a church with holy water. Only that it sounded to me as if the supernatural was possibly involved in some way with the burning. If I can help more, please let me know. God is able to deliver.

Aloha in Jesus.

 

[Sketcher]

Sounds like she's into the occult and/or some evil spirit got some sort of hold on her life. Maybe a priest could help her out. She definitely needs to get prayed for.

 

[Welgaia]

Hmmm.... She doesn't show any signs of being in an occult. She doesn't wear a pentacle or anything that would suggest satanism or the like, and she had never talked to me about religion before (as mentioned in the OP). Then again, I have never been in her room, which could hold some answer... but I'm not about to invade her privacy. If she wants to tell me about it I will listen, but I don't think I should pressure her about it. But I am wanting to help her, so I asked the priest to go to her house tonight and talk with her privately. I hope this was the right choice. Thanks for all your help simplicity, bethdinsmore and twistedsketch.

 

[NothingButTheBlood]

People have some strange phobias. I could see someone being afraid of holy water. But the smoke thing throws me off. Then I think of stigmata. There are no wounds but people bleed and 9 times out of 10 they bleed where their church crucifix shows wounds. If faith can evoke such a strong emotional responce as to cause a physical reaction then I guess it could be so.

 

[Marut]

Thanks for not calling me a vampire, Welgaia.

 

[selfintercession]

Priests use holy water during exorcisms (yes, excorcisms are a genuine (albeit rare) ritual of the Catholic Church). This is the effect it is supposed to have on a person who is posessed (i.e. the demon who has control of their body) or other people dabbling in the occult or involved in witchcraft etc. That's just scary. I know you said you're not Catholic, but my only advice would be to speak to a Catholic priest. Any priest of the Church should be willing to speak to you if you call and tell them you have an urgent matter to discuss. Good luck and God bless. Please PM or post any other questions here if yuo would like to. I'm going to ask some other OBOBers to duck in here

 

[ALIOSIAS]

She may be demon possessed. You need explain to her that Jesus is the only way for her to get free of the demons.
If she wants to get free of the demon you need to get some born-again believers together to cast the demon out of her.
If she does not receive what you have to say then stay away from her.

 

[Silent Enigma]

This is astounding.

You are all taking this story seriously.......

wow.


First thing, there is no such thing as "holy water". At any rate, I think Welgaia is having fun with you people, and you're all being very obliging in assisting him.

 

[jezic]

yes there is holy water. It has been blessed by a priest.

And i would agree. It is normal water to humans. And i promise it doesn't "hurt" to touch it. however, satan doesn't like it.

 

[Silent Enigma]

Why should anyone think such a thing as "holy water" exists?

 

[heron]

It's a liturgical term, like "holy vestments." I would guess that the water is prayed over (intentions anyway) just as kosher food is prayed over.

 

[heron]

People are taking this seriously because many of us have watched extraordinary manifestations of demons, and assume that, even if Welgaia is poking fun, the advice will help someone else with questions.

 

[xristos.anesti]

Silent enigma, word of advice my friend:
Do not talk about what you do not belive in.

 

[Eruliel]

I'm disinclined to suggest your friend is possesed. That's a very serious accusation, and anyway I don't think Demons are afraid of holy water. Some of the ones mentioned in the New Testament seemed to me to be a little flippant, and I think that a possessed person would show signs of "insanity". No I don't think she's possessed.
Rather I think that you are pulling our legs, and trying to get a rise out of us. Unfortunatly you succeded. Well done.
Eruliel.
ps. and by the way Holy water is merely water that is prayed over. My church uses it to sanctify the wine in Communion.

 

[heron]

If you approach her about the subject, make sure you do not imply she has demons as an accusation, as if it was her intent. Demons sneak in unannounced, and remain quietly, gradually exerting influence. You could ask her if she wants to speak with someone who knows about spiritual warfare, in case there are any unseen forces trying to hinder her. That's what these spirits do--they hinder our lives, distort truth, try to destroy us from the inside. Approach this as helping her find a way out of a dilemma, not fixing her.