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The Christian answer should be to attribute these situations to the works of the Satanic world. A rule I was taught in this regard is that if a supernatural event is not clearly, overtly attributable to God, as revealed in the bible, then it is satanic by default.
To balance the assumption proposed here, it is important to note that some scholars read this as being demonic rather than a real consultation with the prophet Samuel. The following article explains this view quite well:There is a story in Bible about Saul seeks dead spirits (Samuel), so it pretty much confirms we can interacts with the dead.
To balance the assumption proposed here, it is important to note that some scholars read this as being demonic rather than a real consultation with the prophet Samuel. The following article explains this view quite well:
http://biblelight.net/witch_of_endor.htm
It's hard to dispel completely the many reports of ghostly events, but whether or not there is anything to it, we aren't to pray to the dead, worship them, negotiate with them, or anything like that. Moreover, not only do we have no reason to think they can hear us, but there's even less likelihood that they could do anything about it.I've heard many personal anecdotes about dead relatives or friends appearing to the living and sometimes even helping them. Of course a grieving person often hallucinates, but sometimes the details make it harder to explain as a hallucination.
Just curious what the various types of Christians think.
I had understood that Communion unites all Christians living and dead. That seems to contradict the chasm separating deceased Christians from the living, although it is a special case again.
Deuteronomy 18:9-13 is about seeking some interaction through a medium. That's a bit different.
Luke 16:26 is about a gulf between heaven and hell. That doesn't mean there is a gulf between heaven and earth.
Of course some denominations believe in "soul sleep" where the soul requires a resurrected body that isn't available until the second coming. That belief makes interaction with dead loved ones impossible. Of course Catholics and others who ask saints to intercede probably don't believe in "soul sleep".
The word saint in the bible does not mean the dead in heaven---it means those consecrated to God. Fellow Christians were referred to as saints.
Now it's we don't die, we go to heaven or hell forever. Doesn't matter God says He gives eternal life to the saved, now Satan says God gives it to the lost also, the stay alive in hell forever.
This is a good example of why I don't usually respond to atheists. Do you want to know what Christianity teaches? Or do you want to argue and tell us how you know our religion better than we do, when many of us have been studying the Bible longer than you've been alive?
I enjoy learning what various denominations believe
Then learn. But don't do the bait and switch where you ask a question and then, when we answer in good faith, believing you're sincere, you just argue with us and tell us how you know more about our religion than we do.
Thanks, that is true.
Sounds like you don't believe in "soul sleep", the belief that spirit requires body and therefore we can't live until our bodies are resurrected at the second coming?
So how about if I ask: Can people who have gone to heaven interact with people on Earth?
People refer to this as soul sleep--I just say I believe what the bible says--the dead are dead, they are not communicating with the living because they can't. Re-read those verses. They do not praise God, David is not in heaven, the dead are dead. Christ referred to the dead as asleep several times. It is not that God requires a body for us to be resurrected to, He can provide a body. Not a big deal to Him. But the bible states that the dead know not anything so how can thy interact with us? There is no living in hell forever. Eternal life is for the saved not lost. There has to be a judgment before there is a reward or punishment. After the judgment the lost are NOT given eternal life, they then get the 2nd death--permanent death, eternal death, not eternal dying.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dormition_of_the_Mother_of_GodThe Orthodox Church specifically holds one of two Roman Catholic alternative beliefs, teaching that Mary died a natural death, like any human being; that her soul was received by Christ upon death; and that her body was resurrected on the third day after her repose, at which time she was taken up, bodily only, into heaven when the apostles, miraculously transported from the ends of the earth, found her tomb to be empty.[14]
While some Roman Catholics agree with the Orthodox that this happened after Mary's death, others hold that she did not experience death and she was "assumed" into heaven in bodily form, just as her son Jesus ascended. However, Pope Pius XII alludes to the fact of her death at least five times, but left open the question of whether or not Mary actually underwent death in connection with her departure, in his Apostolic constitution, Munificentissimus Deus (1950), which dogmatically defined ex cathedra (i.e., infallibly) the Assumption.
I'm a bit confused by your quote of "(Mat 22:32) I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living." I had always understood this to mean than Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob must be living not dead. This is why I thought you disagreed with "soul sleep". Apparently you do agree with "soul sleep" unless I misunderstand. So obviously you have a different understanding of Mat 22:32.
Some of those stories might well be true, not just Saints, all other sort of stories too. However my take on this is, once someone went to heaven, his thinking process will be much different than us, all the stuff we care about (money/power/loved ones etc) means little to them since they now has the love and knowledge of God, sort of like what we think about what we care above in kindergarten, that one legged bear is no longer of our concern now.I used to be Eastern Orthodox, and there were stories of saints appearing and aiding people. Whether or not the stories are true, many believe these stories. It seems that if you believe a saint can walk the earth then you should believe that deceased loved ones can too. Saints are just deceased Christians that the church decided to honor. All deceased Christians are saints, so they should all be able to help people if this is possible for the official saints.
Hopefully some of the denominations with saints will give an opinion?
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