About Ghosts...

[Gnarly]

It is my understanding, those who are Christian believe in an external soul, one that will leave the body and join god in heaven after they've passed away.
If you believe in an external soul, do you believe in ghosts? Like, a Casper-esque ghost?

 

[Jpark]

It is my understanding, those who are Christian believe in an external soul, one that will leave the body and join god in heaven after they've passed away.
If you believe in an external soul, do you believe in ghosts? Like, a Casper-esque ghost?

Well, it is clear that the apostles and even Jesus may have believed in ghosts. (Matthew 14:26; Mark 6:49; Luke 24:37; Luke 24:39) However, these ghosts are likely spirits or demons. Jesus accepted the reality of demons. He used His authority them as a sign and fulfillment of prophecy. (Matthew 8:16-17; Luke 11:20; Matthew 12:28) Jesus was with the wild beasts. (Mark 1:13); in the OT, wild beasts is an allusion to demons. (Isaiah 12:21-22; Isaiah 34:11-15)

God's divine providence can allow a spirit of the dead to be brought up. (1 Samuel 28:11-19) Samuel appeared, but remember, it was not the medium that had brought him up for she cried out in terror. (1 Samuel 28:12) She really saw a spirit ascending out of the earth. However, we should not see this as a real apparition. Samuel was not a dead ghost conjured up, but a prophet of God again delivering God's message to the king.

This was not a residual haunting either for a residue is not aware of his surrounding. God's providence clearly brought up Samuel. Now in Luke 16:29-31, it is again evident that this was not an opportunity for an apparition making himself known to one, but an opportunity for an resurrection. (Luke 16:31) I do not believe there are ghosts, for the spirits of the dead in Christ go to God (2 Corinthians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:17) or go to Hades and then are thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 21:8)

 

[packermann]

It is my understanding, those who are Christian believe in an external soul, one that will leave the body and join god in heaven after they've passed away.
If you believe in an external soul, do you believe in ghosts? Like, a Casper-esque ghost?

As a Catholic Christian, I believe that ghost are definitely possible. The Catholic Church teaches that there is an intermediate state for a Christian who is not yet perfected for heaven. This is called Purgatory. I do not see any reason why Purgatory cannot be experienced by the souls roaming here on earth before they go to heaven.

I think this fits more the experience people have had with ghosts. Sometimes these ghosts seem to be evil, and these can be explained as demons, but there are many times that these ghosts are harmless. For instance, there is ghost in Resurrection Mary cemetary near Chicago. This ghost hitch hikes to find single men to take her to dances. I cannot see why a demon would be interested in this.

 

[Ben013]

I don't know in terms of Christianity and the various foundings and sources, but I personally believe I have seen a ghost it didn't now that I think of it appear to be something though that would be from our earth. As what I saw was not the spirit of a thing that could have lived on earth it appeared this might sound mad but as like a small deer with like a goblin or something on it. Maybe It wasn't really a ghost and it was my imagination I was only a child.

 

[theVirginian]

Ghosts are low level devils that impersonate dead people.

 

[Apodictic]

Ghosts are low level devils that impersonate dead people.

Interesting POV. Do you have any Scripture that supports this view?

 

[theVirginian]

Do you have any Scripture that supports this view?

No, there aren't any. The concept of ghosts comes from the occult. The bible lists some of the categories of the occult but doesn't go into much detail about them.

I've heard a lot of testimonies from Christians who used to be occultists and every one of them who brought the subject up said that ghosts are devils called familiar spirits. I have known a few practicing occultists personally. They were aware of familiar spirits, but considered them to be a kind of guardian angel. They didn't make the connection that when they did a seance, they were conjuring up devils rather than the dead person they were trying to contact. The same goes for when long dead Uncle Joe shows up at the top of the stairs.

 

[iamjcs]

It is my understanding, those who are Christian believe in an external soul, one that will leave the body and join god in heaven after they've passed away.

If you believe in an external soul, do you believe in ghosts? Like, a Casper-esque ghost?

Do you believe in ghosts?
Yes, infact 1 part of the Trinity is often called the Holy Ghost.

If you believe in an external soul, do you believe in ghosts like, a Casper-esque ghost?
Though I believe in ghosts/spirits, the Bible does not describe them to be like Casper & I believe the Bible.