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[–]Priest 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (7 children)

The quick version. (Disclaimer, writing from perspective of being a theologian so will state things you may wish to question).

God made everything, including angelic orders. Fallen Angels are those who chose to do their own thing rather than spend eternity serving/worshipping God.

Demons, in rabbinic traditions, came about this way:

Some fallen angels/sons of God slept with daughters of men and their offspring were the legendary warriors called the nephilim. These 'people' had human flesh/bodies but angel-esque souls. In the Noahic flood, their bodies perished but their spirit's endured and seek to either: be embodied, or oppress the embodied.

Apparitions/visions/encounters are therefore generally understood to be a property of a fallen angel, rather than a demon.

[–]swallowtail[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (6 children)

Now, would these beings use technology?

[–]Priest 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

Angels/Fallen Angels are created beings and so can interact with creation, which could include technology. Some speculate that they and aliens are interdimentional beings, and so the Arthur C Clarke line about tech and magic comes to mind.

I would suggest that an angelic being could use tech, and that a demonic could affect tech.

But ancient theologies don't talk much about iphones or spacecraft and so this is more more in the realm of speculation and personal beliefs to be honest.

[–]swallowtail[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

I would suggest that an angelic being could use tech, and that a demonic could affect tech.

What makes you suggest that? Demons are spirits with no bodies, unlike angels?

[–]Priest 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

Angelic appearances in scripture suggest a tangibility. Outside Eden an angel stood with a flaming sword. The three angels that visited Abraham eat. Jacob wrestles with one. Daniel says they the angel closed the mouths of lions.

Other interpretations are possible, but it seems that the scriptural view is that angels can at the least interact with the physical world.

Demons, as outlined above, are the intangible essences which have survived after the physical bodies have died (drowned in the flood). This is why they seem to tend towards possession or affliction. Examples of the first would be Legion - the man who was bound by chains before being exorcised by Christ, and the demons went into a herd of pigs who then ran into the lake and drowned. The second would be the example of a boy who was thrown into danger by a spirit. A common modern interpretation of this would be that the boy had epilepsy. The conversation about the relationship between mental health and the demonic is a sensitive one. Briefly, sometimes mental health by be caused or amplified by the demonic, and sometimes it is simply physical/mental.

It seems therefore that while we take the reality of the demonic seriously that that reality is limited. A demon cannot assume a substantial form by itself, but attempts to appropriate other (already existing) forms to its own ends.

With technology, I would suggest, and this is my own speculation, that a demon could not sit at a keyboard and type a message in a forum. But it could cause a computer which is free of any malware to crash for seemingly no reason.

Hence I would apply the traditional language of possession and affliction to demonic interactions with technology.

Returning to the original idea of how this all relates to aliens or interdimensional beings, I would say that it's that aliens would be understood to be of the angelic order, rather than the demonic.

[–]swallowtail[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Thanks for the writeup, Priest. :) Interesting stuff.

[–]Priest 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

It's quite alright, I find it fascinating myself and it helps to articulate it to another sometimes.

Peace :)

[–]Priest 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Came across this and thought you might be interested.

There's some speculation that these "Owlmen" may be multidimensional or somehow supernatural. Plus they're dark winged figures.

IF this were angelic/demonic type activity then this would be a prime example of being Fallen Angels being seen rather than demons, precisely because of the physicality of them.

Owlmen: HigherSideChats (Youtube)

Edit: Formatting