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"Then what would be the purpose of possession?" Karras said, frowning. "What's the point?"

"Who can know?" answered Merrin. "Who can really hope to know?" He thought for a moment. And then probingly continued: "Yet I think the demon's target is not the possessed; it is us,. . .the observers. . .every person in the house. And I think--I think think point is to make us despair; to reject our humanity, Damien: to see ourselves as ultimately bestial; as ultimately vile and putrescent; without dignity; ugly, unworthy. And there lies the heart of it, perhaps: in unworthiness. For I think belief in God is not a matter of reason at all; I think it finally is a matter of love; of accepting the possibility that God could love us. . ."

Again Merrin paused. He continued more slowly and with a hush of introspection. "He knows. . .the demon knows where to strike. . ." He was nodding. "Long ago I despaired of ever loving my neighbor. Certain people. . .repelled me. How could I love them? I thought. It tormented me, Damien; it lead me to despair of myself. . .and from that, very soon, to despair of my God. My faith was shattered. . ."

Karras looked up at Merrin with interest. "And what happened?" he asked.

"Ah, well. . .at last I realized that God would never ask of me that which I know to be psychologically impossible; that the love which He asked was in my will and not meant to be felt as an emotion at all. Not at all. He was asking that I act with love; that I do unto others; and that I should do unto those who repelled me, I believe, was a greater act of love than any other." He shook his head. "I know that all of this must seem very obvious, Damien. I konw. But at the time I could not see it. Strange blindness. How many husbands and wives," he uttered sadly, "must believe they have fallen out of love because their hearts no longer race at the sight of their beloveds! Ah, dear God!" He shook his head; and then nodded. "There it lies, I think, Damien. . .possession; not in wars, as some tend to believe; not so much; and very seldom in extraordinary interventions such as here. . .this girl. . .this poor child. No, I see it most often in the little things, Damien: in the senseless, petty spites; the misunderstandings; the cruel and cutting word that leaps unbidden to the tongue between friends. Between lovers. Enough of these," Merrin whispered, "and we have no need for Satan to manage our wars; these we manage for ourselves. . .for ourselves. . ."

The lilting singing could still be heard in the bedroom. Merrin looked up at the door and listened for a moment. "And yet even from this--from evil--will come good. In some way. In some way that we may never understand or ever see." Merrin paused. "Perhaps evil is the crucible of goodness," he brooded. "And perhaps even Satan--Satan, in spite of himself--somehow serves to work out the will of God."

I'm so very sorry that you did not understand what was being said here. Let me. . .look at your statements.

First of all: The fact that the creature is trying to make them think they are ugly, bestial, and that God may not love them is directed primarily at them because of the fact they are religious.

I believe you aren't, so your first point is gone.

Secondly: Read the third paragraph more closely. He is FAR from blaming Satan for anything; rather, he is blaming us for managing our own small, petty strifes. "The cutting words that slip unbidden between the tongues of friends. Of Lovers. Enough of these."

He is most definitely far from blaming Satan.

The characters are not giving God the credit for all good we do--rather, very far from that. In fact, nowhere in the quote does it even mention the idea that God is responsible for all of our good acts. It only says that /maybe/ Satan himself works out eventually to do good. I'll let you read more closely to find out what the author is saying.

Again, read closely.

Salaam~