[Linux4christians] OT: Hard Questions:

[hpp3 at lavabit.com]

Sorry I'm so late replying to this.
I lost a job then gained a job and forgot to check my email for a week or
two, but I just HAD to pipe in...

> I sent some of these a good while back and though it a good time for
some more discussion.
> I was taking to my neighbor recently who is involved in "ghost hunting".
>   Do Christians believe in ghosts?  Or more appropriately, WHAT do
> Christians believe about ghosts?
> Discuss?
> As an aside, I mentioned to her that I thought it was odd that most of
these ghost hunting groups don't involve Christian clergy.  I wonder
why...
> --
> -Linc Fessenden

Funny also that if you look into the 'serious' ghost hunter groups (the
folks who remain open possibilities but are more interested in the facts),
they usually (IIRC over 90% of the time) find some natural explanation for
what is happening.
Most of the rest can be easily explained (if not verified) by optical
illusions, hypnogogic hallucinations, etc.

So what about that percentage that can't be explained except by laying it
at ghostly hands?
Frankly, it would definitely be (as has already been said) deceptive
spirits, demons, etc. with a bent to distract us from God's word and ways
concerning such things.

Besides the exchange between Saul and Samuel in 1 Samuel 28, also consider
the 'lying spirit' from 1 Kings 22:22-23 and 2 Chronicles 18:21-22.
Wouldn't a 'lying spirit' fit the description of what happens in a
seance-type setting, or so-called 'automatic writing'?

Regarding Saul and Samuel, I've heard well-thought-out exegeses for both
sides of the argument whether it was actually Samuel or something 'other
than' and frankly, neither would shake my faith in the least. Was it
Samuel or Samuel's 'ghost'? Was it a 'lying spirit' or a demon
masquerading as Samuel?
Personally, I believe it was Samuel himself because the Bible says
"...Samuel said to Saul...", not "...the spirit which was like unto Samuel
said to Saul...".
I take great confidence that in either case, nothing happened that was
contradictory to the will and knowledge of God.

How to evangelize to those caught in such a belief system?
Well, when the question is put to me I usually tell people that I believe
there is a *phenomena* that people call 'ghosts' but it is definitely not
the spirit/soul of dead folk hanging around doing goofy things like
tapping walls and jumping in front of cars on lonely highways at midnight.
"So what is it then?" they usually ask.
This inevitably leads to a discussion of what the Bible says happens when
we die... :)

-Eddy