Inspired by the Ghost Thread. It's Complicated.

[Jynohn]

I was raised Catholic (no longer practicing) and do believe in ghosts. I think in most cases, they are just people who for some reason either don't realize they're dead, or are afraid to move on. I don't think they're something to be afraid of, but rather to be pitied, because I think they're probably just really unhappy and confused.

 

[stargrazer]

Perhaps it should be thrown into consideration that perhaps people don't have to be dead for their souls to roam...

 

[JoyG]

For those of you who are christian and believe in ghosts I'm curious what your church's official position on the matter is. What does your priest or pastor believe?

I am christian and I don't believe in ghosts. I do believe in angels and demons that might appear in human form.

 

[Sthronds]

For those of you who are christian and believe in ghosts I'm curious what your church's official position on the matter is. What does your priest or pastor believe?

You know, I don't think I've ever known what my church's offical position is. That's something to research. Personally, I know that if I hold true the basic beliefs and I know that I am a Christian, then I can also form my own opinions of some of the unknown. It's not bad for some things to remain a mystery.

 

[Spidey7]

For those of you who are christian and believe in ghosts I'm curious what your church's official position on the matter is. What does your priest or pastor believe?

I am christian and I don't believe in ghosts. I do believe in angels and demons that might appear in human form.

As a Christian, I don't care what any "official" position of my pastor or church is, and if they did try to have an official position I would stop going there. I believe what Jesus taught and what the Bible teaches, not what some man in the 21st century says, those are the types of religions you should run away from IMO.

The bible does speak a little bit about the paranormal. There were possession cases, one of which Jesus ordered a "legion" of demons out of a guy and they went into some pigs.

I guess the Bible is not real specific on the issue, but I couldn't acccount to you off the top of my head every reference, I just remember that one possesion case and the pigs.

I don't know what to think to tell you the truth. I have some theories. I think that it is possible that these could be people that aren't allowed to pass on to heaven or paradise and are stuck on this earth.

As for the accounts of children ghosts, I don't know, but I at least HOPE that these are occurences of demons impersonating children and that they are not really spirits of children.

The more accounts I hear and read about though, I am beginning to believe more and more into the other theory that maybe some of these occurences are not ghosts, but some type of residual, residue left behind from tramatic events. Events in time that leave impressions on time that are somehow manifesting themselves like a tape recording or something. That would explain the one posters account of the court house and the loud sounds of boards breaking and screams. Obviously the boards breaking could not be ghosts, so the time residue thing would be one of the only explanations for such a thing IMO.

 

[JoyG]

As a Christian, I don't care what any "official" position of my pastor or church is, and if they did try to have an official position I would stop going there. I believe what Jesus taught and what the Bible teaches, not what some man in the 21st century says, those are the types of religions you should run away from IMO.

I ask the question b/c sometimes church leaders can clarify issues for the congregation that the Bible seems unclear about. Would you disagree with that point? Asking their opinion or advice is not a substitute for researching the Bible for yourself however.

 

[Spidey7]

I ask the question b/c sometimes church leaders can clarify issues for the congregation that the Bible seems unclear about. Would you disagree with that point? Asking their opinion or advice is not a substitute for researching the Bible for yourself however.

No that's cool. Its ok IMO for preachers to give opinions and such. There are just so many organized religions these days that have preachers that are almost like cult leaders that almost kind of like dictate "how things are and should be" that was the types I was talking about.

But to answer your question my preacher probably does have some opinions on things but I've never talked to him about it.

My dad is basically a bible scholar and knows the bible backwards and forwards almost literally by heart. I think he would say that demons do exist on earth and possession can and does happen. I think he would also say that any spirits that are left behind are probably not allowed or at least haven't gone to heaven or paradise and may even be in another dimension of hell.

I have a theory (I think others have the same theory) that the earth and our current existence is a level of hell. That is the reason Satan's angels were "cast down" to here. So if they were cast down to earth, technically you would have to say hell is earth, and it certainly can be (war/genocide etc.) but if you die and your spirit stays on earth, you enter into possibly another level or the next level of hell. Those that are allowed to pass go to a better place. But I have no proof of this and I don't think my dad would think this current existence we have on earth is hell. But I do.