Demon Possession & Exorcism

Richard Syrett welcomed Joseph Laycock, who teaches a class called "Demonology, Possession, and Exorcism" at Texas State University. Laycock discussed why there is such a strong belief in demon possession, along with his research that shows exorcisms are on the rise. Documents from ancient Egypt, Babylon, India, as well as New Testament accounts, describe what someone is like when they are possessed by a demon or god, and various practices to rid them of it, Laycock explained. The practice of exorcism became epidemic during the 16th and 17th centuries but by the 19th century, with the start psychiatry, so-called demon possession was viewed as a purely medical problem, he added. According to Laycock, the practice of exorcism as a spiritual defense against evil is back in vogue in the Catholic Church, as well as through the deliverance ministries of certain protestant denominations.

Almost every culture on the planet believes something can get into a person an influence them, Laycock explained, noting the tradition of the djinn in Islam and a creature called the dybbuk in Judaism. Evidence for demonic possession may be inconclusive but some cases have details that are not easily explained, he continued, citing the exorcism of Roland Doe in which witnesses reported seeing objects move on their own and scratches spontaneously appear on his skin. Doctors in the Philippines recorded watching bite marks with saliva appear on a woman who fought with an invisible force and somehow pulled a handful of hair from the unseen assailant, Laycock disclosed. "We should not be smug when we confront people who have had these types of experiences... it's not our place to dismiss them," he said.

Pro Sports Corruption

In the first hour, Brian Tuohy revealed professional sports' dirty little secrets, including why most pro sports are fixed to some degree, and the latest allegations of tennis match fixing. "Tennis is the second most gambled upon sport worldwide... there's a lot of people with a lot of money who are going to use whatever means they can to make more money," Tuohy said. Most tennis pros lose money on tour so it is not difficult to imagine why a player might throw a match for a few thousand dollars, he added. According to Tuohy, since tennis allows in-game betting, players can simply fix a single game or set without necessarily affecting the outcome of the match. Tuohy outlined how gambling and drug troubles can lead some athletes to throw games, citing an accusation against the New York Knicks for fixing games for a cocaine dealer. As long as the various governing bodies can investigate themselves with no outside oversight, corruption in sports will continue to be a problem, he opined.