ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Exorcism in Christianity

Exorcism in Christianity is a way of getting rid of evil spirits or demons that have entered into a person or place, by using prayers and rituals.

Do you remember how in scary movies, there are ghosts, monsters, or creatures that possess people and make them act strangely? That's what a demon or evil spirit is, except it's not just in movies or stories, it's something that some people believe in.

Believers of Christianity think that demons exist and that they can enter the bodies and minds of people and do bad things. Exorcism is a way of trying to help the person who is being possessed by praying and asking God to help expel the demon from the human body.

In an exorcism, a priest or religious person will say special prayers and ask God to help protect the person who is possessed. Sometimes the priest will hold a cross or a Bible and sprinkle holy water on the person. Throughout the exorcism, the person being exorcised may feel pain, become sick, or show strange movements, but the main goal is for the person to be cleansed of the evil spirit or demon.

Exorcisms are typically done when other methods of healing have not worked, and only after careful consideration by church officials. They are not to be taken lightly and should only be performed by trained individuals under the guidance of the Christian faith.