'Demonic presence' strikes a nerve

I don't know if I'd call getting 150 comments on my column last week "going viral," and that's not counting the 50 other emails that came in my email, but it's safe to say my column, "Heavy demonic presence in California city," got its fair share of attention.

Actually, I had expected a lot more personal attacks than I received. And while there were the usual number of plain stupid comments – including a host of not-particularly clever one-liners and a number of personal attacks on my character – all in all, I thought the commentary presented a fairy well-balanced and interesting discussion on the subject of demonic influence or possible demonic possession on people's lives.

I've decided – rather than write anymore on the subject myself – the most interesting way to re-explore this issue is to reprint bits and pieces of the comments themselves.

So that's what we're going to do here. By the way, there were numerous abhorrent uses of the English language and many spelling errors in the comments. One would think that if someone wanted to be taken seriously, they'd take the time to proofread their messages.

Ah, well.

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As is often the case, the discussion was dominated several people – some of whom could have benefited from the help of a good editor.

One such person was someone who went by the alias "Somebody Explain It to Me." This individual's comments displayed a fairly decent knowledge of scripture, though, unfortunately, the writer tended to go off on tangents that had nothing whatsoever to do with the subject at hand.

"If one worships the demon, there is no demon present. Moreover, even if you find yourself in Talking Heads fashion" (huh?), in the middle of a Luciferian Islamist PsychoBilly Buddhist Mongol Blooddring hord [sic] remember:

18. We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them.19. We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 20. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we know we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and the eternal life.

21. Dear children, keep yourself from idols. And be thankful that you cannot ask the dinosaurs.

Then run!

"Somebody Explain It to Me" returns a short time later with this little ditty:

I agree that demonic activity has been ramping up. We are entering a time that the Lord Jesus said would be like the days of Noah, which [sic] we know from Jude was pretty sick.

Mr. Goldman's perception places geography over the condition of the human heart. I like many young guys who lived in Isla Vista can attest to, lived there for the sold [sic] purpose of girls and alcohol. The beach isn't even that great, tar balls and trash.

At least the guy's honest about his motives for living in Isla Vista.

A comment from another guy who goes by "jasondylan" (any relation to Bob?). Here we go:

California is pretty much a big giant cult. In LA., you have the sex/death cult of Hollywood sleaze, lots of money, mixed in the with the gangs and the Santa Muerte demon cults, which permeate into the art world and especially Hispanic neighborhoods all the way up to Sacramento.

S.F. Berkley is the hub of the eastern mysticism cults, including the church of Satan. Most of the Acid Rock (peculiar use of capitalization bands came out of there, Jefferson Airplane, watch the Monterey Pop festival for a gander, they invaded Woodstock as well).

California could literally fall into the ocean any day, and become its own floating port a potty. We would all be better off. I think CA is like a breakfast cereal, full of truths [sic], nuts and flake.

Sorry, you fail the test as a writer of humor.

"Pagan TeaPartier" decides to go intellectual on us:

The universe is certainly not defined by chaos, but it is dependent upon an element of it.

Heavy concept.

"Donnerparty" decides to weigh in with his very own Isla Vista experience:

Smoked my first marijuana cigarette in Isla Vista. Funny. I only heard law enforcement types say "marijuana CIGARETTES, and no one ever said "dose" of LSA.

Now it's time for a little personal attack on me from "Andy."

So a voice in your head convinced you that others were hearing voices in their heads. … Yea, you are a special kind of stupid.

How about one more from "dude," who also decides to take a potshot at yours truly.

This guy is a complete idiot. As a former Isla Vista resident, I speak for most people when I say that tits a great place to learn about yourself, others and the world in general. Jointing cults and being a gullible ---- aren't activities typical of most students, only WND authors. Bro, you want to try Isla Vista? Fine, it's fun. But don't blame it on demons when you are feeling guilty about it because you caught the holy ghost later on in life.

It's unbelievable that an author or website would still be churning out baseless fairytale content months after tragic events just to get some page click Did Elliot Rodger kill a bunch of people? Yes, so did David Attias. A small percentage of people entering a psychopathic rage, and a small percentage of people not being able to handle as much alcohol as they thought they could handle is not indicative of anything wrong with the town as a whole.

At what did the demons do to make you inhale that reefer? Or take that tab? Why do you feel the need to point out that it was the place to get marijuana? That alone shows that you were probably the kind of dude who didn't really fit in and needed help finding drugs in an area that's infested by demons and spirits.

Fortunately, "Yitzchak" comes to my rescue.

I notice how many negative comments you have received here. People don't seem to believe that evil can take up residence in particular places. I believe they do so through the activities of men, past or present, who make them feel welcomed. Unfortunately, many people do not believe in spirits or just do not understand them. Ignorance of your enemies makes it nearly impossible to stand against them. And, no, I haven't used drugs!

Well, folks, I'm afraid that's all the comments we have time for here. But I think these represented a good share of the comments that came in. All in all, I think it presented a fairly balanced picture of my readers and their attempts to deal with a very complex subject.

So, thank you all – the intellectuals, the psychobabblers, the idiots, the kindhearted and the bulk of you – who, like most of us, are simply trying to understand the nature of the spiritual realm (which exists, whether you believe in in or not).

Until next time.