Ghosts, Not The Holy Spirit

[AccountDeleted]

[quote name='tomasio127' date='04 January 2010 - 03:56 PM' timestamp='1262580999' post='2029337']
The homily was preached on spiritual warfare today. Said the Epiphany is the Light conquering the darkness, ultimate spiritual warfare.
[/quote]


Good point. And there really is a spiritual warfare going on that it would be good not to ignore or pretend is not happening. It would be good if young people avoided the occult but Father Barron (google his youtube videos if interested) said the reason they are attracted to such things (witness the success of Harry Potter, Twilight, etc) is because of (a misguided) longing for the supernatural. What they really have is a longing for God and the whole good versus evil thing is part of that.

So we who know the Truth must be the prayer warriors in this battle, and a really great weapon in the arsenal is reciting the prayer to Archangel St Michael every day.

Edited January 4, 2010 by nunsense

[Varg]

Hm.

I speak for myself but the reason I'm attracted to it is because the occult is interesting. Christianity isn't.

[Sternhauser]

[quote name='Ed Normile' date='04 January 2010 - 12:36 AM' timestamp='1262583419' post='2029376']
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]

Ringling Brothers pays me a $200 bounty for every one I'm able to lasso and turn in to them.

~Sternhauser

[Ed Normile]

[quote name='Sternhauser' date='04 January 2010 - 09:08 AM' timestamp='1262614122' post='2029471']
Ringling Brothers pays me a $200 bounty for every one I'm able to lasso and turn in to them.

~Sternhauser
[/quote]

$200.00 !!! Sweet job, I wonder how much a good lawyer costs for a kidnapping charge these days?

ed

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='Ed Normile' date='04 January 2010 - 01:36 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]
Tattoos and piercings are not all "mutilation". Do you think a Marine with tatts is mutilated?
Mutilation usually refers to victims of accidents, torture, physical assault, or punishment, not some form of self adornment.

[rhetoricfemme]

[quote name='HisChildForever' date='03 January 2010 - 10:57 PM' timestamp='1262577452' post='2029287']
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.
[/quote]
Indeed! Sometimes I wonder if watching these shows is all the participation one needs to be harassed by something demonic.


[quote name='Old_Joe' date='03 January 2010 - 11:14 PM' timestamp='1262578486' post='2029296']
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.
[/quote]
I like this show. It's kind of a guilty pleasure, and I can't tell if it's entirely authentic or not. But going along with the above statement I made, I try not to watch it cause it just seems too curious and possibly an invitation to something awful. That's probably overly precautious, but oh well.

[Sojourner]

There was a time when I viewed these sorts of shows as innocuous entertainment, but after doing some minimal reading and study in this area now find them really disturbing. My opinion at this point is that people who view these as being purely entertainment really don't know what they're messing with, and are endangering their own spiritual and perhaps physical well-being, and possibly that of those close to them as well.

I think Catholics who have an interest in this subject should ask themselves exactly what is entertaining about the spirits being sought after in shows like these, and then to honestly evaluate their own interest in this area to discern whether it is truly healthy. Either there are spirits and spiritual forces involved, or there are not.

If it's not spiritual in nature, then why the obsession and interest? What is the point of spending time focusing on quasi-spiritual pursuits, when true spiritual pursuits can bring real joy and lasting fulfillment? At best it is a pointless distraction.

If there are spirits, they are either demonic in nature or they are human. If demonic, inviting or seeking out contact seems dangerous, from everything I've read. Certainly Jesus has power over demons, but it seems to me that to indulge curiosity in evil can lead to big problems.

If they are human, the Catechism clearly teaches that souls are judged immediately upon physical death. The only explanation I've seen for these spirits being human that jives with the Catechism is that these could be souls who are in Purgatory who are appealing for prayers. If this is the case, then they are members of our Church who are suffering and in need of prayer. In my opinion, it would be acceptable for Catholics who believe this and to seek out souls in this state in order to pray for them. But for a Catholic to believe they're human souls and to approach paranormal or preternatural sightings as entertaining strikes me as being very very wrong.

[sacredheartandbloodofjesus]

[quote name='Varg' date='04 January 2010 - 06:31 AM' timestamp='1262604703' post='2029448']
Hm.

I speak for myself but the reason I'm attracted to it is because the occult is interesting. Christianity isn't.
[/quote]

The occult is smashed by the power of Christ.

[TradMom]

+ Praised be Jesus Christ!

I would recommend not watching these shows, nor supporting them. If you have children and they show an interest in the "unknown" or for that matter - an adult (including yourself) - this might be a good time to delve into the mystics of our Church. Many of our saints were mystics, and some of their stories are quite fascinating.

As for the saying the Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel...I thoroughly recommend it!

Pax,

TradMom

[Gregorius]

I still love St. John Vianney's reaction to when the devil, appearing as a fire-breathing dragon, marched into his bedroom while he was sleeping: the saint looked up, said, oh, it's just you, and rolled back to sleep.

Speaking of Demons and Prophets, I found another essay in Chesterton's [u]The Everlasting Man[/u]. He speculated that people seemed to more willing to turn to demons is because they expected actual results. People just need to learn patience, that's all.

[Kitty]

Ghost Hunters used to be a great show. It's gone downhill since the earlier episodes.

The paranormal is fascinating.

[Apotheoun]

TV in general is boring, so-called "reality" TV is boring in particular.

[Varg]

[quote name='sacredheartandbloodofjesus' date='04 January 2010 - 12:15 PM' timestamp='1262625338' post='2029501']
The occult is smashed by the power of Christ.
[/quote]
Christ is smashed by the power of Odin.

Edited January 4, 2010 by Varg

[MissyP89]

[quote name='TradMom' date='04 January 2010 - 12:30 PM' timestamp='1262626215' post='2029502']
+ Praised be Jesus Christ!

I would recommend not watching these shows, nor supporting them. If you have children and they show an interest in the "unknown" or for that matter - an adult (including yourself) - this might be a good time to delve into the mystics of our Church. Many of our saints were mystics, and some of their stories are quite fascinating.

As for the saying the Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel...I thoroughly recommend it!

Pax,

TradMom
[/quote]

This is an interesting suggestion. As someone whose interest in the occult as a child got me into a mess down the road, I've never been sure what to say should my children, god willing, ask me about it. "The Church says it's wrong" typically doesn't satiate the curiosity, at least it didn't for me. Letting them explore the mystics is a nice alternative, though.

[Gregorius]

[quote name='Varg' date='04 January 2010 - 03:04 PM' timestamp='1262635445' post='2029560']
Christ is smashed by the power of Odin.
[/quote]
If the Romans (real group of people) couldn't keep Him dead, and the Sanhedrin (real legal body at the time) couldn't keep Him dead, there's no way some one-eyed mead-head (cool legend but not much more) could smash Him.