The home has a devotional shrine to a Hindu god, so in other words this isn't just a house ornament. This is used for when my friend prays to God.
I am a practicing Catholic, I frequent the sacraments, I pray every day, and I am very scrupulous, so I have worries about being around things like this.
I read an article from a bishop that exacerbated this fear of mine.
http://www.catholicculture.org/cultu...fm?recnum=5299
CHARMS AND AMULETS
This is a form of magic in which the particular object is believed to have power to attract the good or to ward off evil.... When the object is worn on the person or carried in the purse or placed in the home, it means that the influence of evil is always present there with us.
Examples are: carrying garlic in the purse in order to always have money, keeping an open pair of scissors for good luck, keeping special herbs in a jar, wearing a crescent around the neck or a necklace of garlic, putting alfalfa and flowers in front of a statue, PLACING FIGURES OF ORIENTAL OR INDIAN GODS IN THE HOUSE, and so on.
Is it safe for me to spend a lot of time in these homes?...not just this home, but in general places where people may have pagan paraphanalia?....as in is there any reasonable possibility that I could be demonically possessed or harassed spending time there due to the nature of what is in that household?
I've stayed the night there many times and nothing happened, but I still feel concerned for my safety when I sleep there. I get the heebie jeebies waking up and seeing a statue of Ganesh staring at me.
At the same time, I also don't want to come off as rude to my friend or be an awful form of witness. (For they may think "This Christian thinks he is better than me, won't even stay in my home, and now he is insulting my god as evil").
And I also don't want to get to the point where I feel like I need to bring an exorcist with me every time I go to a non-christian religion house.
So I'm asking you for suggestions on what is safe in these situations and what is not...while also considering not offending the houseowners.
