Ghosts and hauntings

[satz]

Anyone know that is the christian viewpoint on 'ghosts' and hauntings?

Should a christian worry at all about staying in a house that has a reputation for being 'haunted'?

Now, i doubt that 'ghosts' of the secular kind really exist, but we do know that demons are real.

What are your views on this?

 

[satz]

Originally posted by joshua
I think that demons are real and are very present and responsible for many troubles in our lives. It's almost cliche' to say "Our battle is not against flesh and blood..." but that doesn't take away from the truth of the statement. In such a case, the Christian ought to be bowed and submitted to obedience of God's Word. If so, whatever comes his way, he'll be granted the strength to deal with. Job's sufferings were initiated by God, not Satan. If you notice in the text, Satan spoke not until he was spoken to. Job was "upright", yet still afflicted. Also, he was never given an answer to his "why?" question. God has His purposes and "the secret things belong to" Him. A Christian should never worry.

thanks for the reply! I agree as well,

However, i think i didn't phrase my question as well as i should have. To rephrase;

What is the christian response to hearing a house is haunted? On the one hand we know there are no 'ghosts' of the casper variety around, on the other hand, there could be real demonic activity. Should we avoid such places?

 

[LadyFlynt]

I truely believe, as having dealt with such, that the Lord will protect those that are His. One person could have demonic activity in a house, and yet another move in w/o knowledge of it and be fine. I truely think it is who lives there rather than the house itself. Too many ppl are willing to "entertain" these demons by either accepting them or fearing them.

 

[Texas Aggie]

Demons can be found just about anywhere and the list of unholy spirits in the scripture is plentiful. Outward manifestations of demonized people are apparent and you can see it almost everyday. Geographic locations can be demonic strongholds. Just think of the most beautiful metropolitan areas and how the masses flock to them for all the typical reasons. Haunted houses can have strongholds as well... I would imagine the goal of these demons is to instill doubt about the realm of the dead. Man is either on earth, in heaven or in the underworld (hell). Demons practicing foolishness in a house or geographic area draw a certain crowd. UFO's and space aliens are probably of the same demonic stronghold. Just remember, if you encounter a ghost believed to be a past loved one, watch out for its lies.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

I confess to enjoying scary movies and ghost stories. I also acknowledge that there are dark forces at work in the world. There is some tension between those realities. However, as I have looked into stories that supposedly were based on 'true' accounts such as the Amityville Horror (supposed incident in New York state) and the Exorcist (supposed incident in Georgetown, Washington, DC), I have found nothing to hang one's hat on in terms of the modern portrayal of demonic activity. Yet, I don't doubt the reality of demonic activity in the world and in the Scriptures. I don't want to deny the existence and influence of the Devil, but I don't want to give him too much credit either. I believe and yet don't believe -- make sense?

 

[Scot]

Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot
I believe and yet don't believe -- make sense?

Yeah, makes sense to me.

I tend to dismiss the haunted house stories alot of the time. I'm actually more convinced that the demonic activity is happening in the charismatic type churches more than the secular world.

It's been awhile but I remember hearing the stories about that church in Brownesville (I think it was Brownesville). People flying 15 feet backwards, children seeing "angels" flying around the ceiling, etc. That's scary!

 

[RamistThomist]

If the Bible says, I believe it! I believe in demons, dragons, giants and Noah's ark, right down to the giraffe with his head stuck out the window! Ok, to answer your question. My answer is the same as the above posts (i.e., Demonic activity=Humanism). There is an article in the Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible that suggests that demonic activity is usually in places where God's kingdom has not yet advanced, or is losing ground (jungle tribes and Europe/America).