Ghosts, Not The Holy Spirit

[Ed Normile]

Does anyone else worry about the advent of all these TV shows dealing with Ghosts and the paranormal on the tube? It started with Ghost Hunters as far as I know and the other day I seen a show called pyschic kids where they expose kids to seances and to attempts to contact the dead or missing to validate a childish interest they have in their so called pyschic abilities. These kids looked like disturbed children to me, judging by their time spent with therapists, their inability to fit in with their peers, and the fact they had problems in school. These kids need a good foundation of parental responsibilty and faith to guide them through their problems, what they have are parents who said they can not control them. The children were exposed to seances and brought to places thought to be "spiritually alive" I do not mean church either, they were asked to contact the dead or missing and their parents were actually pleased by the determination they were "sensitives" they said it validated the kids experiences. Dealing with the paranormal is a dangerous road to trod, particularily for the young troubled and impressionable minds they were dealing with on this show.

This may seem innocuous to many. I see it as another attempt by the media to bring evil into the lives of our children, to bring it into our houses. The things I see and hear on TV in this time would not be discussed in my home as a child. I remember in the 80's you started to see homosexuality being introduced subtly on the tube, now its commonplace to see it on almost every show, also look at the blatant sexulaity of every show. The kids who watch this trash may be exposed to demonic influences, at least it may lead them to some form of cult or wiccan type beleif system. This is scary stuff in a troubling time, what do they say about the youth oh yeah " they are the future"

ed

[Ed Normile]

To add to the above thread consider this from the Catechism of the Catholic Church

2115 All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practises falsely supposed to "unveil" the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history,and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear we owe God.

By the way there was another show I seen about hauntings where a couple supposedly used a ouija board to summon a "black spirit"? which then did not leave as they broke the "seance circle" the cast of the show performed a "catholic ritual exorcism" to quiet the spirit, they were going to have another episode featuring a "catholic priest" from massachusetts to exorcise a New England couples home, this was not Ghost Hunters, it was something like Penn State paranormal investigators. The show started with a young man explaining how he started this service as he was always troubled by some paranormal experience he had a a child and found others interested when he attended college at this school. Just an FYI !

ed

[HisChildForever]

In [i]An Exorcist Tells His Story[/i] Fr. Amorth explains that when an individual meddles in the occult, he or she is more susceptible to demonic possession, oppression, and/or obsession.

[Old_Joe]

[quote name='Ed Normile' date='03 January 2010 - 10:53 PM' timestamp='1262577236' post='2029285']
By the way there was another show I seen about hauntings where a couple supposedly used a ouija board to summon a "black spirit"? which then did not leave as they broke the "seance circle" the cast of the show performed a "catholic ritual exorcism" to quiet the spirit, they were going to have another episode featuring a "catholic priest" from massachusetts to exorcise a New England couples home, this was not Ghost Hunters, it was something like Penn State paranormal investigators. The show started with a young man explaining how he started this service as he was always troubled by some paranormal experience he had a a child and found others interested when he attended college at this school. Just an FYI !

ed
[/quote]

Paranormal State. I actually prefer it over other similar shows, because Ryan and the crew consistently make a point that messing with paranormal matters such as ghosts, hauntings, etc. can open the door to demonic influences, and that Catholic priests and sacramentals do have power over them through God. They also point out that not all spirits are evil, but they can cause serious problems.

[HisChildForever]

Ghost Hunters is also more skeptical than spiritual, in my opinion. The team tries to debunk the phenomena or find logical, scientific explanations before conceding the possibility of paranormal influences.

[Thy Geekdom Come]

I am bothered by these shows. That Paranormal whatever movie that came out has all my students asking questions about it. Why they would want to know about demons instead of God I'll never know. I don't generally entertain their requests for info on demons.

[Happy_Catholic]

I for one will never dabble in the muck that is the "paranormal". I've seen enough disasters caused by idiots who play with things they do not understand. I compare people playing with ouija (sp???) to a child shoving a knife in a power outlet. It will NEVER end well.

When I was 16 our class was waiting for our Nun for religious studies, but she never showed. The next day we found out some morons over at the local public boys school had played with an old oujia they had found in an old basement (the school was about 100 years old). They conjured something up and the principal of that school was so affraid of what he saw he contacted all the Catholic schools in the region and begged for priests and nuns to try and sort it out. What the Sister told us about what she saw down in that basement, well, it was chilling, and I don't feel the need to repeat it for I'm not going to give glory to the thing they called up.

My sister, who's a lazy catholic (now investigating Buddhism), told me about how she and some friends of her's placed with a senance and the thing they called up told them things about each of them that the others did not know, could not have known. She said the thing was cruel and nasty, and so she never, EVER sought such action again.

You just have to watch TV or go into a shop to see the positive light this society is putting on the occult. I stumbled upon a book called "Cool Witchcraft for modern teens" And it spoke of hexing your teachers and casting "spells" to get boys to like you and to increase your sexual power!

It is an incredibly dangerous path to traverse and it will never end with peace in the soul.

I find it concerning, however, that a lot of Christians are drifting into it. I know Christians who have gone to those stupid medium public shows. And while I have no doubt that the medium is speaking to someone other then a duel personality, its not the "spirit" of the loved one who has past.

If Christians want to get into this sort of thing, go into the minstry of Spiritual Warfare and ask the Lord for discernment. I think if people saw even a tenth of what's out there, they'd hide behind the nearest church doors. Its a scary world, and one people with little knowledge of it would do well to avoid.

This is quite a hot button issue for me given the amount of individuals I've met who were stupid enough to venture into the world of the paranormal, and without the say so of God.

[HisChildForever]

[quote name='Happy_Catholic' date='03 January 2010 - 11:45 PM' timestamp='1262580355' post='2029330']
If Christians want to get into this sort of thing, go into the minstry of Spiritual Warfare and ask the Lord for discernment. I think if people saw even a tenth of what's out there, they'd hide behind the nearest church doors. Its a scary world, and one people with little knowledge of it would do well to avoid.
[/quote]

I would use the word disturbing, not scary. St. Teresa of Avila said we are frightened of demons because we let them frighten us.

[tojo]

The homily was preached on spiritual warfare today. Said the Epiphany is the Light conquering the darkness, ultimate spiritual warfare.

[Happy_Catholic]

[quote name='HisChildForever' date='03 January 2010 - 11:55 PM' timestamp='1262580933' post='2029335']
I would use the word disturbing, not scary. St. Teresa of Avila said we are frightened of demons because we let them frighten us.
[/quote]

Doesn't bother me. Scares the heck out of everyone else I know who's glanced into that world.

But I mean scary in a broader sense, like you say, distrubing.

We dont' get a lot of "topic issue" homilies or "spiritual life" homilies in NZl, we tend to get "Jesus is awesome", "funny story about a priest and a rabbi" homilies.

[tojo]

That priest is a special rare one whose homily I heard today.

[KeenanParkerII]

It should be worrisome. I consider myself a mature, rational person, and I had a few occult objects "just for fun" lying around. Well, after reading a novel in which tarot was involved, I began fooling around with them, and faster than you can say occult, I was no longer attending Church.

[tojo]

I say avoid it all at all costs.

[Ed Normile]

Old Joe, the problem I see that is even though they might say do not do this at home, that is usually what entices youth to try it out. Call it the forbidden fruit syndrome if you will, but youth is the easiest to influence, probably the easiest to lead astray also. Look at the amount of kids who mutilate themselves with tattoos and piercings, I seen a young boy about maybe 14 with two silver bars through his lips, they looked like little barbells, he had what looked like shower rings in what was left of his earlobes, easily a 1 1/2 inch opening where you would "normally" see an earring. Just a decade ago it was odd to see a man with an earring, outside the circus.

ed

[jeffpugh]

[quote name='Ed Normile' date='04 January 2010 - 12:36 AM' timestamp='1262583419' post='2029376']
Old Joe, the problem I see that is even though they might say do not do this at home, that is usually what entices youth to try it out. Call it the forbidden fruit syndrome if you will, but youth is the easiest to influence, probably the easiest to lead astray also. Look at the amount of kids who mutilate themselves with tattoos and piercings, I seen a young boy about maybe 14 with two silver bars through his lips, they looked like little barbells, he had what looked like shower rings in what was left of his earlobes, easily a 1 1/2 inch opening where you would "normally" see an earring. Just a decade ago it was odd to see a man with an earring, outside the circus.

ed
[/quote]
Yeah, sadly this is all in the name of "identity". Anywho, cool thread. SMM approves . Just as an aside, I've had problems with my mother having an unhealthy fascination at the "presence" of "ghosts". Sigh.