Can somebody help me out with this question?

Question

I have been watching stories about people whos houses are haunted by ghost, telepathic detectives who can find those who are lost (The police use them), and many other real life stories about the supernatural. If even one of these stories is correct and there is even one true ghost story then i believe it is proof of the after life and more importantly of God himself. If these shows and people are for real then what do you believe...?

FESTBLUE: How can these detectives know so much then? How can they lead people straight to the bodies without any previous knowledge. There is something going on you have to admit.

Magus: So what you are saying is that we can exist without God In the material form and in the spiritual form? I dont think its possible without some kind of creator.

Answer 1

DEMON

An invisible, wicked, spirit creature having superhuman powers. The common Greek word for demon (dai′mon) occurs only once in the Christian Greek Scriptures, in Matthew 8:31; elsewhere the word dai·mo′ni·on appears. Pneu′ma, the Greek word for “spirit,” at times is applied to wicked spirits, or demons. (Mt 8:16) It also occurs qualified by terms such as “wicked,” “unclean,” “speechless,” and “deaf.”—Lu 7:21; Mt 10:1; Mr 9:17, 25; see SPIRIT (Spirit Persons).

The demons as such were not created by God. The first to make himself one was Satan the Devil (see SATAN), who became the ruler of other angelic sons of God who also made themselves demons. (Mt 12:24, 26) In Noah’s day disobedient angels materialized, married women, fathered a hybrid generation known as Nephilim (see NEPHILIM), and then dematerialized when the Flood came. (Ge 6:1-4) However, upon returning to the spirit realm, they did not regain their lofty original position, for Jude 6 says: “The angels that did not keep their original position but forsook their own proper dwelling place he has reserved with eternal bonds under dense darkness for the judgment of the great day.” (1Pe 3:19, 20) So it is in this condition of dense spiritual darkness that they must now confine their operations. (2Pe 2:4) Though evidently restrained from materializing, they still have great power and influence over the minds and lives of men, even having the ability to enter into and possess humans and animals, and the facts show that they also use inanimate things such as houses, fetishes, and charms.—Mt 12:43-45; Lu 8:27-33; see DEMON POSSESSION.

The purpose of all such demonic activity is to turn people against Jehovah and the pure worship of God. Jehovah’s law, therefore, strictly forbade demonism in any form. (De 18:10-12) However, wayward Israel went so far astray as to sacrifice their sons and daughters to the demons. (Ps 106:37; De 32:17; 2Ch 11:15) When Jesus was on earth demon influence was very prevalent, and some of his greatest miracles consisted of expelling wicked spirits from victimized persons. (Mt 8:31, 32; 9:33, 34; Mr 1:39; 7:26-30; Lu 8:2; 13:32) Jesus gave this same power to his 12 apostles and to the 70 that he sent out, so that in the name of Jesus they too could cast out the demons.—Mt 10:8; Mr 3:14, 15; 6:13; Lu 9:1; 10:17.

Demon influence in human affairs is no less manifest today. It is still true that “the things which the nations sacrifice they sacrifice to demons.” (1Co 10:20) In the last book of the Bible, the “revelation by Jesus Christ, which God gave him, to show his slaves the things that must shortly take place,” prophetic warning is given concerning accelerated demon activity on the earth. (Re 1:1) “Down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels [demons] were hurled down with him. On this account . . . woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing he has a short period of time.” (Re 12:9, 12) Unclean, froglike expressions “are, in fact, expressions inspired by demons and perform signs, and they go forth to the kings of the entire inhabited earth, to gather them together to the war of the great day of God the Almighty.”—Re 16:13, 14.

Christians must, therefore, put up a hard fight against these unseen wicked spirits. James, in arguing that belief alone is not sufficient, says: “You believe there is one God, do you? You are doing quite well. And yet the demons believe and shudder.” (Jas 2:19) “In later periods of time,” warned Paul, “some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired utterances and teachings of demons.” (1Ti 4:1) One cannot eat of Jehovah’s table and at the same time feed from the table of demons. (1Co 10:21) The faithful, therefore, must put up a hard fight against the Devil and his demons, “against the world rulers of this darkness, against the wicked spirit forces in the heavenly places.”—Eph 6:12.

To the Greeks to whom Paul preached, what were demons?

This use of the word “demon” is narrow and specific compared with the notions of ancient philosophers and the way the word was used in classical Greek. In this regard the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, edited by G. Kittel (Vol. II, p. 8) remarks: “The meaning of the adj[ective dai·mo′ni·os] brings out most clearly the distinctive features of the G[ree]k conception of demons, for it denotes that which lies outwith human capacity and is thus to be attributed to the intervention of higher powers, whether for good or evil. [To dai·mo′ni·on] in pre-Christian writers can be used in the sense of the ‘divine.’” (Translated and edited by G. Bromiley, 1971) When speaking controversially with Paul, some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers concluded: “He seems to be a publisher of foreign deities [Gr., dai·mo·ni′on].”—Ac 17:18.

When speaking to the Athenians, Paul used a compound of the Greek word dai′mon, saying: “You seem to be more given to the fear of the deities [Gr., dei·si·dai·mo·ne·ste′rous; Latin Vulgate, ‘more superstitious’] than others are.” (Ac 17:22) Commenting on this compound word, F. F. Bruce remarks: “The context must decide whether this word is used in its better or worse sense. It was, in fact, as vague as ‘religious’ in Eng[lish], and here we may best translate ‘very religious’. But AV ‘superstitious’ is not entirely wrong; to Paul their religion was mostly superstition, as it also was, though on other grounds, to the Epicureans.”—The Acts of the Apostles, 1970, p. 335.

When speaking to King Herod Agrippa II, Festus said that the Jews had certain disputes with Paul concerning their “worship of the deity [Gr., dei·si·dai·mo·ni′as; Latin Vulgate, ‘superstition’].” (Ac 25:19) It was noted by F. F. Bruce that this Greek word “might be less politely rendered ‘superstition’ (as in AV). The corresponding adjective appears with the same ambiguity in [Acts] 17:22.”—Commentary on the Book of the Acts, 1971, p. 483.

Answer 2

I'm no expert, but I've started to develop a theory that when we die we go into a sleep like state. We stay that way until the 2nd coming of Christ when those alive are either taken in the rapture or left behind. During the rapture, the Lord also rises the dead and includes them in this process. We are then judged.

So.. based on this theory, if when we die, we do not immediately go to heaven and are in a sleep like state; perhaps that state also enables the spirits to roam and can be detected by equipment and the bases for these tv shows we watch.

I am a new Christian and am still learning lots. I believe the only "life after death" to be experienced is for those who accept Jesus (John 3:16) and have everlasting life as part of God's plan.

Answer 3

I believe that a spirit can be lost and that some people are able to acknowledge their presence, and maybe some people can sense things through telepathy. Who knows what the human brain is capable of doing.
The idea of a God and the after life have been around as long as man could think beyond instinctive survival. Although practiced differently in many cultures, the concepts are basically equal. I guess one never really knows until the body dies.

Answer 4

I believe those stories are lies. The people who claim to be telepathic are con artists and the police don't use them nearly as often (if ever) as these cons would like to have you believe.

This is not to say that God does or does not exist, only that these people are lying. The question about the existence or non-existence is far more complicated than what can be answered in a 30 minutes TV program you watch once a week after work.

Answer 5

It does not necessarily prove there is a god. Lots of religion believe in an afterlife, and not God.. This could be the afterlife of the Hindu's or, Muslims. Who's to say which religious "god's" afterlife it is. I'm kinda of stuck on the " if God is real then what happens to people that believe in other religions" such as the Hindu or Muslin religion. I think I myself believe that there is a god, and if you fully whole heartedly believe in a religion then you will make it to "heaven" or whatever your religion believes in as a happy afterlife. But what if that's not how it works? Will all these people go to hell? Or even worse What if the christian/catholic religion is wrong and all the Christians go to hell or whatever the "right" religion believes to be the "bad afterlife"... Its all so complicated :o)

Answer 6

I can't speak for the tv shows. I can speak for myself and I can say that I have encountered ghosts before. I can't say that it is a happy position to be in. My friend had a sixth sense to where she could tell you when they were around and who they were and what their cause of death was and why they were still roaming here on earth. It was very creepy to me and I didn't believe her until I experienced it with her. I was told that there are such things as ghosts and they are supposed to be people that have passed and have unfinished business, whether they were murdered and trying to bring their death to justice, or if they are here to look after loved ones, ect. I know that the night that my friend died of cancer I had not seen her for two weeks prior to her death. The night that she died I sensed her in my presence and that she was no longer here on earth in physical form. I walked out of my bedroom and seen her standing in my living room window watching me. She was not there for long and she dissapeared. I had to pray and ask God if I was seeing things because I couldn't believe it with my eyes even though I knew in my heart that she was there. It is possible and it is real but on tv I can't vouch for the accuracy of the programs.

Answer 7

The Scriptures tell us that the dead know not anything, neither can they praise the Lord anymore or return home anymore. It also speaks of death as a time of sleep until Jesus wakes us up on Resurrection Morning bringing His reward for us with Him. God says that is the way it is and Satan twists things and makes it a lie. So long for now. Mmm

Answer 8

Is it that Haunting show on discovery?? I like that show. I personally don't believe in any of it but I think whatever you believe is cool- hopefully you don't have angry spirits to deal with. I do believe that negative energy can stay in a place though if that means anything

Answer 9

"Blessed are those that believe without seeing"

I love those shows...some of it look a little corny though. The lady goes off saying something like, "I believe someone was once in this room" Like yea duuu lol
But ghost or not would not determine my faith in an already existing God...but hey I'd love to watch the atheist pee there pants if they did find one lol

Answer 10

Let me ask you a question:
Give me one proof, of someone coming back from the death. Have you, in all your readings, ever seen this proof?
So many people, has in the time of life, promised someone, to come back and say goodbye.
That has still not been documented.

Answer 11

Life never ends. It only changes form because the spirit is energy and this is what energy does-change form.

Hauntings are a result of people who lived/ died in a way they were too attached to the things of this planet thus its difficult or almost impossible 4 them to move on to higher planes.