Opening Doors To Evil

[The Thurifer]

In the last couple of years there has been an explosion of new television shows where people enter old buildings to hunt for and communicate with ghosts, and shows featuring reenactments and interviews with people who claim to have been possessed by the devil. A couple of recent movies including [u]The Rite[/u] have featured these themes. There are also an abundance of programs where people tell of encounters with UFO's and alien races, and where historians theorize on the history of alien influences in earth's past, all of which seem to have demonic roots.

We know that it is dangerous to tamper with the occult, and that attempting to communicate with "the other side" via ouija boards, tarot cards, or other means can open doors to evil spirits. Could there be a similar danger in watching these shows?

[ExCorde]

The movies usually don't create the trend, they do reveal to those who aren't into them what the trends already are. This is quite the case with The Rite since it got the idea from a book about a real priest and a renewed interest in formation of exorcists.

This is needed because people are indeed getting involved with the occult to start with. In Italy there's a vivid concern about satanic cults, for instance.

Most of these movies are too scary to make people interested in the actual practices, I think. If they are close to being accurate, as The Rite is reported to be (with the usual Hollywood dramatizations), they have the sobering effect of causing people to leave it alone and turn away, rather than making them more interested.

The result of a secular world is that paganism will find its way back. People just won't believe in "nothing". People aren't naturally nihilistic, but religious. Because of that, "organized religion" is an easy target and is pushed away easier whereas "non-descript" "spiritualities" take the forefront. You should definitely not watch [i]that[/i] type of light daytime or late night entertainment on TV. People are looking for answers, scientific, philosophical and theological answers, but often stick to what makes no demands on them.

The Rite is a really scary movie and I do recommend it to anyone who has the stomach for it. Maybe then they'll also take things more seriously and not be content with things that aren't really good for them - meeting your enemies has the benefit of having you fortify where you stand.

TL;DR: It's scarier that there's so much absence of good, rather than the presence of evil.

Edited February 7, 2011 by ExCorde

[rkwright]

BTW I just saw The Rite this weekend. I don't feel like it opened the door to evil, but rather made Hell that much more real to me.

The excorcisms we not that scary to me, it was more the demons talking about the people in Hell. Which I felt was extremely sobering.

[Socrates]

Leave the Necromonicon alone.

It's always bad news.

[Selah]

Cthulu will kill and eat your FACE.

Edited February 7, 2011 by Selah

[The Thurifer]

I also saw The Rite, and it was overall an excellent portrayal of how Satan works. I guess my question had more to do with the "ghost hunter" type of shows, where people seek out "ghosts" and attempt to communicate with them, and often alleged recordings of disembodied spirits are played over the air. Our faith teaches that souls are judged immediately upon death and are sent to heaven, hell, or purgatory. Unless haunting a house constitutes some form of purgatory, it is likely that the voice comes from an evil spirit mimicking the voice of a now-deceased person. Can listening to such recordings of alleged ghosts or possessed people (assuming, of course, that they weren't created by the show's producers) or placing undue attention on the subject bring about unintended supernatural consequences?

[Sternhauser]

[quote name='The Thurifer' timestamp='1297115334' post='2209796']
Unless haunting a house constitutes some form of purgatory, it is likely that the voice comes from an evil spirit mimicking the voice of a now-deceased person. Can listening to such recordings of alleged ghosts or possessed people (assuming, of course, that they weren't created by the show's producers) or placing undue attention on the subject bring about unintended supernatural consequences?
[/quote]

Quite possibly. It's better to avoid the occult. Especially people who have too much interest in it, and especially people who treat it as entertainment. A book or a movie that conveys realities is a different story, but you still need to make sure you aren't being adversely affected.

~Sternhauser

Edited February 7, 2011 by Sternhauser

[Laudate_Dominum]

To me most of that stuff is just hokey.

[Selah]

Hockey?

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='The Thurifer' timestamp='1297115334' post='2209796']
I also saw The Rite, and it was overall an excellent portrayal of how Satan works. I guess my question had more to do with the "ghost hunter" type of shows, where people seek out "ghosts" and attempt to communicate with them, and often alleged recordings of disembodied spirits are played over the air. Our faith teaches that souls are judged immediately upon death and are sent to heaven, hell, or purgatory. Unless haunting a house constitutes some form of purgatory, it is likely that the voice comes from an evil spirit mimicking the voice of a now-deceased person. Can listening to such recordings of alleged ghosts or possessed people (assuming, of course, that they weren't created by the show's producers) or placing undue attention on the subject bring about unintended supernatural consequences?
[/quote]
Many good priests have written about the subject, so simply thinking about it doesn't *necessarily* put oneself at risk.
In fact I just got a lovely old book (with a Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur) about poltergeists and haunted houses, written by a Jesuit from the 50s.

[Selah]

The Ring wasn't that scary.

[AudreyGrace]

I don't necessarily think that [i]watching [/i]the ghost hunting shows can open ourselves to evil. However, allowing ourselves to be overcome with fear from watching these types of movies and shows is, in a sense, letting evil into our lives by allowing the devil to scare us and possibly by compromising our faith.

[Ice_nine]

I had a dream a few nights ago that I was being oppressed by demons. Then the next day or two I was filled with an overwhelming sadness. I don't know if this is just a combination of hormones and not sleeping but it was not fun .

Anyhow I don't think it's opening a door to evil if you study evil forces, but one must keep his primary focus on God otherwise it can be a slippery slope. So yeah basically what everyone has said. I'm such a grate contributor

[Selah]

[quote name='AudreyGrace' timestamp='1297134948' post='2209929']
I don't necessarily think that [i]watching [/i]the ghost hunting shows can open ourselves to evil. However, allowing ourselves to be overcome with fear from watching these types of movies and shows is, in a sense, letting evil into our lives by allowing the devil to scare us and possibly by compromising our faith.
[/quote]

Now this I can understand and agree with. Though, when I go further into it, you may disagree, but hey, such is life.

I always believed that evil spirits have only as much power as you give them; which, like you said, if I allow myself to be open and spooked, chances are you are letting said malevolent entities take control over you. That doesn't mean this can work all the time however, but it certainly doesn't help to watch a scary movie in the dark at 3 in the morning. Though, that could all be psychological in nature. I dunno. But I can see what your saying.

I remember watching Paranormal Activity and being-not scared-but confused and horrified at the overacting and the....what the heck? People were scared and gasping, and I was laughing my butt off. It didn't affect me (but then, weird things normally scare me as opposed to things that should obviously scare me, lol). If I had allowed it to affect me, would I have opened some kind of door? Who knows?

[Mark of the Cross]

[quote name='AudreyGrace' timestamp='1297134948' post='2209929']
I don't necessarily think that [i]watching [/i]the ghost hunting shows can open ourselves to evil. However, allowing ourselves to be overcome with fear from watching these types of movies and shows is, in a sense, letting evil into our lives by allowing the devil to scare us and possibly by compromising our faith.
[/quote]

yes, this.

[quote name='Selah' timestamp='1297171657' post='2210075']
(but then, weird things normally scare me as opposed to things that should obviously scare me, lol). If I had allowed it to affect me, would I have opened some kind of door? Who knows?
[/quote]

I was worried about watching Van Helsing but ended up thinking it was funny, while thinking Troy might be good got upset at the cold blooded killings especially the opening scene where Archilles slays the giant soldier.

Edited February 9, 2011 by Mark of the Cross