Ghost Hunting

Im very interested in the paranormal, ghosts, cryptozoology, anything we don't know LOTS about.

Yesterday one of the investigators from Ghost Hunters asked this question on twitter : wonders why so many religions speak of God, the Devil, The Holy Ghost & spirits, yet they cast out those who speak of spirits and ghosts...

It made me think anyway, i was like yeah? why is the paranormal associated with "evil". I know there are some negative stuff to do with paranormal but not EVERYTHING is. Surely Jesus's miracles are classed as paranormal. As Christians the holy spirit can give us spiritual gifts like prophecy, discernment, healing etc. Surely those gifts are paranormal?

Some Christians think all ghosts are demons. I believe in Demons and ghosts (and Angels). I dont think they are all the same thing. For example what about residual hauntings?

Wikipedia describes residual hauntings as follows : A Residual haunting, AKA a restligeist (German loan word) from restlich (residual) and Geist (ghost), is thought by some to be a replayed haunting in which no intelligent ghost, spirit, or other entity is directly involved. Much like a video tape, residual hauntings are playbacks of auditory, visual, olfactory, and other sensory phenomenon which are attributed to a traumatic event, life-altering event, or a common event of a person or place, like anecho of past events.

Alleged residual hauntings often center on moments of intense emotion: someone's beheading, a great battle, a murder, or even a celebration.Paranormal researchers theorize that residual hauntings are the result of discharged personal energy of a person or group of people being imprinted on the surrounding environment, most commonly at or just after death.

I can see why people might think all intelligent hauntings are demonic but residual? nahhhh. Just because it can't be explained doesn't mean its evil. Now, onto intelligent hauntings. They would be a spirit or entity that can react with its environment, move objects and things like that. But where in the bible does it say all spirits are demons or are evil? It doesn't. There are verses that mention spirits, negative spirits but it doesn't say all spirits are evil.

In the bible it is said that demons can make themselves look human or take angelic form to trick humans.

"For Satan himself transforms himself into an ANGEL OF LIGHT. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works." (2 Corinthians 11:14)

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, BUT TEST THE SPIRITS, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world." (1 John 4:1-4)

So i definately believe that demons can mask themselves. But i can't believe that all ghosts are demonic. What about when Saul used a medium to call Samuel back from the dead and Samuel rebuked him? And when Peter sees Jesus walking on the water and thinks Jesus is a ghost. That verse about Samuel say to me, not to call people back from the dead. Thats fair enough, i think i'd be a bit pissed off too if someone dragged me back to earth :P

What happens to us after we die? Some Christians say there can't be any ghosts because we go to Heaven or Hell, no inbetween and I have no doubt we go to face judgement and that we either go to Heaven or Hell. But the bible says there is only one judgement? What happens to all the people that have died and haven't been judged yet? Or have we all already been judged because God is timeless? And where is heaven? Maybe heaven is around us and spirits can touch our world from there? Maybe when we're in Heaven we can still touch things in this earth. That enforces my faith in the Lord, it doesn't take me away from Him. So me being interested in the paranormal doesn't mean im leaving my faith it means im asking questions. Im not just taking everything at face value.

We should be questioning, trying to work out our own beliefs and faith. Its when we don't question that we become stagnant.

I'm not saying im right or wrong, im merely speaking my mind.

Disclaimer:

This is all me trying to work out my thoughts and feelings. Im not presenting this fact.