Ever Seen A Ghost ???

[righteousdude2]

Actually, I was wondering if any of you had seen these "ghost hunting" shows on cable and major networks ??? And, if you have an opinion as to what's behind this latest fad and the sudden growth and popularity of these shows ???

There seems to be an awful lot of interest in the paranormal events, and hunting and finding an explanation for what lies beyond this life. This seems to be the premise behind most of the ghost hunting on television.

There are more than a handful of shows, with the likes of: Paranormal Kids; Ghost Hunter's International; Paranormal States; Paranormal Cops; Ghost Hunters; the Ghost Hunters Academy; and, finally Ghost Adventurers, all on cable television.

Then on the major networks there is: Medium and Ghost Whisperer; and, maybe some I'm not aware of yet!

I was wondering if any of you have an opinion as to why the sudden interest in ghosts ??? Of course, it wasn't really "sudden" as it seems to have been growing with each new season.

The reason behind my question is simple. Recently, at a church event, I was asked by several teens as to my whether or not I'm opposed to believers watching these shows, and, while I had an answer, it didn't seem to rest too well in their hearts.

I told them that there are, without a doubt, paranormal events. However, the cause behind these events is purely demonic. Now this seems to have caused spiritual heartburn in these teens, and they've "burping" up - forgive my pun - their dis-satisfaction with my response.

So, I thought I'd turn to the Board to get some feedback as to what you folks see as being the real reason behind the "fad" in ghost hunting ???

And if you have any special Scriptures that I could share to help convince these kids that they need to be careful with this growing phenomena in werewolf movies and the ghost hunting fad.

The one Scripture I have is found in Isaiah 26:14 - "They [the former tyrant masters] are dead, they shall not live and reappear; they are powerless ghosts, they shall not rise and come back. Therefore You have visited and made an end of them and caused every memory of them [every trace of their supremacy] to perish." The Amplified Bible

SEE ALSO: from the Message Bible - http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/?search=ghosts&searchtype=all&version1=65&spanbegin=1&spanend=73

Shalom,

Pastor Paul :type:

 

[Alive in Christ]

"Ever Seen A Ghost ???"

No, but I've been indwelt by a Holy one. :wavey:

Thats the only legitimate "ghost" I know of. :thumbs:

 

[christianyouth]

Either Job or one of his companions talked about "spirts that pass during the night". Could that be referring to ghosts?

 

[Thinkingstuff]

To me the Ghost fad is just like the alien fad. Neither exist (not hauntings by spirits of dead people that is) but is an attempt to grasp at the awsomeness of the universe and to be awed by something that gives a hope. It basically replaces religion and alows people to have that insignificant feeling yet a hope for a better future. I remember when I was a kid I saw close encounters of the first kind and got emotional when the main character went with the aliens. What I would have done to be in his place! That was before I new Jesus Christ and a chance to begin again in a better more advanced place was something to be wished for. I know people really into the Ghost thing. They like being stuck by the fear of the unknown. And they have a hope that there is continuation of life after death. But is it one with God? Not one of them believes in God the way the scriptures speak about him. There is a generalness of God who leaves people alone. And all people that are decent join in community of spirits in life after death. And only the few really bad people make the after life a hell of their own making. That is what I've encountered by these people.

 

[christianyouth]

^
Great post!

 

[sag38]

There are no real absolutes concerning ghosts, etc. It is much easier to deal in the muddled occult than to deal with Jesus saying, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except by me."

 

[Amy.G]

Either Job or one of his companions talked about "spirts that pass during the night". Could that be referring to ghosts?

Job 4:14-19 Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake. Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up: It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof: an image was before mine eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying, Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker? Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly: How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?


This is a vision of Eliphaz. He's telling Job that he has no right to question God's wisdom. Even the angels do not have the right. Yet, he is taking it upon himself to show his "wisdom" regarding Job's situation, violating the message of his vision.
Did he really have a vision? Or was he just trying to show his superiority in wisdom? I don't know, but based on his subsequent speeches to Job, he was definitely full of hot air. :laugh:

 

[Jon-Marc]

I've enjoyed some ghost movies on the TV since they were just make-believe and meant only for entertainment, but what I don't care to watch are the ones where they claim to hunting actual ghosts since there are none to hunt.

 

[abcgrad94]

RD, I agree with your response to the teens. I would even take that response a step farther and caution those kids not to give ANY place to the devil. Satan can use a person's innocent curiosity to lure them into the occult. The more you see divorce, adultery, homos#xu@lity, ghost hunting, or other sin portrayed as "ok" or even fun on tv and in books, etc, the more you will accept it as "normal" or at least become desensitized to some degree. They are even making ouji boards especially for little girls now. We have the Twilight books that make vampires look exciting and romantic, Harry Potter, horror movies full of bloody murder, and every other sin painted up to look fun. Garbage in, garbage out.

 

[pinoybaptist]

they're by and large stupid shows.

 

[righteousdude2]

You Should Get an Award For This Response

No, but I've been indwelt by a Holy one. :wavey:

Thats the only legitimate "ghost" I know of. :thumbs:

That was the greatest comeback I've heard in a long time. Bless you!:thumbs:

Pastor Paul :type:

 

[righteousdude2]

Garbage In, Garbage Out!!!

RD, I agree with your response to the teens. I would even take that response a step farther and caution those kids not to give ANY place to the devil. Satan can use a person's innocent curiosity to lure them into the occult. The more you see divorce, adultery, homos#xu@lity, ghost hunting, or other sin portrayed as "ok" or even fun on tv and in books, etc, the more you will accept it as "normal" or at least become desensitized to some degree. They are even making Ouija boards especially for little girls now. We have the Twilight books that make vampires look exciting and romantic, Harry Potter, horror movies full of bloody murder, and every other sin painted up to look fun. Garbage in, garbage out.

Great point. And I fully agree with the desensitization of hearts. It is where the introduction to the occult begins...

 

[saturneptune]

The shows you mentioned are entertaining, but a bunch of baloney. I see no evidence in the Bible that the souls of dead humans (saved or not) wander the earth. I think the rich man and Lazarus makes that pretty clear. If one has seen a ghost and is not insane, then yes, it is some sort of trickery of Satan or a demon.

I do take issue with one post that equates life elsewhere in the universe with the subject of this thread. There is nothing in the Bible that makes that impossible, other than someone's opinion.

Oops, guess I was wrong. These just rang the front door bell.

 

[John Toppass]

In Deuteronomy 18:10 and Exodus 22:18 speaks of those who delve in spirits or ghosts.

Much like playing with fire, sooner or later you will get burned. These shows are for entertainment only (so they say) but they introduce curiosity of ways of Satan. This is warned to us in
1 Timothy 4:1
Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, (ESV)

It is indeed desensitizing people into thinking that what God has forbidden is not so bad.

 

[Alcott]

I do take issue with one post that equates life elsewhere in the universe with the subject of this thread. There is nothing in the Bible that makes that impossible, other than someone's opinion.

You take issue with me, then, because I do equate those topics-- particularly in the context of television shows with teams that search for them or try to "prove" their existence. And the same goes for bigfoots and Lock Ness monsters. I don't believe any of these beings exist, and these "researchers" are not at all skeptical, or even objective, but want to find any indication and give it a favorable rating to prove what they have made up their minds for in the first place.

However, if your meaning was more in the line of life existing in places other than earth, especially in the forms of a single cell, bacteria, or microbes, then I'll grant that to be more likely than ghosts or intelligent aliens or monsters of folklore. Still, though, it's not falsefiable-- we can look for it for thousands of years and not finding it still doesn't prove it doesn't exist.

 

[saturneptune]

You take issue with me, then, because I do equate those topics-- particularly in the context of television shows with teams that search for them or try to "prove" their existence. And the same goes for bigfoots and Lock Ness monsters. I don't believe any of these beings exist, and these "researchers" are not at all skeptical, or even objective, but want to find any indication and give it a favorable rating to prove what they have made up their minds for in the first place.

However, if your meaning was more in the line of life existing in places other than earth, especially in the forms of a single cell, bacteria, or microbes, then I'll grant that to be more likely than ghosts or intelligent aliens or monsters of folklore. Still, though, it's not falsefiable-- we can look for it for thousands of years and not finding it still doesn't prove it doesn't exist.

I believe my statement was quite understandable, and that life can mean single cell to more complex forms. I also said nothing about them being here on earth, or legendary monsters on earth. You not believing a certain being exists, whether here or there, does not make it so or not so. The only thing we know about life anywhere is that God created it.

 

[ReformedBaptist]

I think the interest in it, its popularity, is because of people's nature to be curious about spiritual things. I think there are a plethra of shows because it makes money.

 

[Thinkingstuff]

I believe my statement was quite understandable, and that life can mean single cell to more complex forms. I also said nothing about them being here on earth, or legendary monsters on earth. You not believing a certain being exists, whether here or there, does not make it so or not so. The only thing we know about life anywhere is that God created it.

actually, according to sting theory the universe is layered like a painting you got your base and then things are addes on top of it until you get the finished product we only live on the surface (theoretically) thus "ghost" maybe multidimensional or universal bleed throught depending on the planx motion. So it could be something else entirely.

 

[HAMel]

When the rich man died he lifted up his eyes to discover his torment and that great gulf was fixed that no one could cross.

No, I don't believe in ghosts. I do believe in the power of Satan to deceive.

Back in the early 1950's while living in Southern California, age 7, my mother and I were in the back yard of our home one afternoon and witnessed no less that 8 bright lights at high altitude skipping across the sky. UFO's.

Over the years I have come to understand these UFO's to be part of the Great Deception. UFO's are real as radar does not bounce off a mirage but their origin is more down to earth for the believer.

 

[saturneptune]

actually, according to sting theory the universe is layered like a painting you got your base and then things are addes on top of it until you get the finished product we only live on the surface (theoretically) thus "ghost" maybe multidimensional or universal bleed throught depending on the planx motion. So it could be something else entirely.

Very interesting theory. It reminds me of an illustration used once to show the differences in the dimensions. If a person lived in a two dimensional world, he would basically be living on a flat plane. Now, if you wanted to communicate with that person and stuck your fingers through his dimension, he would see five small circles because of where your fingers intersected the plane. That is all he can see. In the same way, eternal beings being in a higher plane, would appear to us very much unlike they really look. We do not look like five circles, but that is how this friend in dimension two sees us.

All of this stuff fascinates me, but in the end, it is only interesting to talk about. It is like the arguments about the Creation, end times, KJVO, landmarkism, etc, really has very little to do with salvation of the soul. I have always wondered about the unknowns, once we are in the presence of the Lord and can ask Him about this or that, will we even care?