The paranormal

Alcott,

Im sorry, Im sure its not a reflection of what we truly believe is important, but if I started posting and telling people what my ideal service would be, it would start a whole big thing and Id rather not see my pastor and my church criticized anymore than Ive already seen it here on this board.

SO, that being said, the paranormal discussion is one where I can sort of relax and not be overreacted to and not be nit-picked at......at least pretty much.

 

If sentient lifeforms existed on other planets, the chances of them looking remotely like is (a head, two hands, two legs, two eyes, etc) are slim to none. Therefore, the likeliest explanation for alien "sightings" is mistaken identity, the power of suggestion, or hysteria. Note that not one sighting claim has ever been substantiated, nor has there ever been even a photograph of such a being, except, perhaps, for the movie "Signs". </font>[/QUOTE]Now then, your assumption here is that life on another planet would have "evolved" in a different manner. And (at the risk of starting the E vs. C debate) you would be right if evolution were true.
BUT, if God created all things....both on earth and elsewhere, than wouldn't they have some similarities that we can comprehend?

OTOH, angels can APPEAR as men, but that does not mean that their true form looks like humans. And like I said before, cherubim are described in Ezekiel as being very odd-looking indeed!

They've got to live somewhere, don't they?

Oh! And Ive got THE best picture of a spaceship that you ever did see. Took it myself, and in the picture you cannot even tell that it was a cloud floating overhead. I can't wait for someone to find it after Ive passed away and have it start a whole big controversy over "what did Grandma see in the sky that day"!

 

Well, this area is part of my background for many years and in now part of my ministry. I think when there are reports of ghosts or aliens, it's due to one or more of the following:
1. Imagination or delusion
2. Hoax
3. Demonic beings

I have an article on spirit contact on my site at http://cana.userworld.com/cana_spiritcontact1.htm (I have also lectured on this topic at conferences and churches). Before I was a believer, I attended some Spiritualist churches (where they claim to contact the dead) and seances.

I think that God brought up Samuel, not the witch/medium. It was Samuel because he rebuked Saul for disobeying God and gave an accurate prediction of what would happen to Saul. But this was God's doing and does not mean we can contact the dead. It's forbidden anyway.

For those interested, I was asked last year by Cook to write a book on the paranormal for parents. They told me there was no such book for Christian parents. So it's due out this fall sometime: SpellBound: The Paranormal Seduction of Today's Youth

It may sound sensational but it's not. It's an attempt to go through all the paranormal stuff in our culture and how it is presented to youth -- from astrology to Wicca. In fact, it's been edited and I'm going over the edited copy right now.

 

Marcia, that's great to hear it's close to being done. I definitely plan on buying a copy.

 

I think you misunderstand. I certainly believe they exist, I'm just not certain that they are spirits of dead people.

I have interacted with them at two different times. One was a "ghost" that kept running into a wall (once per night, over the course of many nights) where a door used to be.

The other was a woman that both my wife and I saw at different times. Neither of us told the other for a long time. When we did, we had been seeing the same thing. You could also hear it from downstairs (but not upstairs where it appeared), and my cousin spent the night and encountered her as well. This ghost (or apparition, or whatever you want to call it) was in a house in which a murder took place many years earlier, and it appeared quite regularly until our house burned to the ground.

What was she? I don't know. But, I do know that something was there.

So, I answered that they exist, despite the fact that I don't know that they are spirits of deceased people.

 

Marcia,

Im so glad you're writing that! I'll be looking forward to its release as well.

 

One thing Ive always wondered is, how did OT people always seem to know that they were talking with angels? Even the lost King Nebuchadnezzar knew that the fourth figure in the furnace had the appearance of a "son of God."

 

bapmon and Rachel, thanks for your encouragement!

 

The link to my article in my post above is missing the "l" at the end. Here it is again:
http://cana.userworld.com/cana_spiritcontact1.html

At the end of that article is a link to a longer article by me that was published on the same topic.

 

Looks very good Marcia!

Im glad you are out there doing this. I don't want to be misconstrued in this thread as someone who thinks we ought to be seeking the "advice" of angels or trying to get in touch with spirits.

 

Ditto Rachel and bapmom!

 

And why would that be?

 

Marcia, your always so knowledgeable on this topic I am glad you are writing a book. I'll be sure to read it also.

 

Elnora and donnA, thanks to you two as well for your kind words! It's due out in September though I suppose it could be later. My sister, who used to be a book editor, told me delays are common, but keep your eyes open. If I'm still posting here when it comes out, I'll let you know.

 

Well, my personal opinion is that these are demonic beings trying to influence people. One way to influence them is to appear to be a deceased family member. I had never seen this woman (my inlaws), but the other people who had seen this "woman" knew her, and showed me a photo, and that's who she appeared to be. This took place in the early 80's, so before it would have been easy to fake.

The other one, my wife and I experienced separately, but we both saw the same "person". If you are doubting that, then you are simply calling me a liar. It offends me greatly when someone calls my wife a liar.

 

Then what would you call that?

Talking to a doubter is one thing. Talking to someone who calls you a liar is something else. "No way" is pretty emphatically stating that you do not believe what I am saying. When I do not believe what someone is saying, I am calling them a liar.

I don't really care what you think, overall. I was just stating something that I find interesting.

I knew nothing about the woman until the next day when I asked who the woman was. There was a house full of people (reunion) and I thought I had met everyone, but I did not recognize her. Apparently her appearance was fairly common.

As to the other, why would anyone try to fake a ghost on just my wife and me, and later my cousin? Projectors, etc., are fairly expensive, and take a bit of time to set up. I guess you can accuse me of tricking my cousin as well, but who are you going to blame for tricking my wife and me at different times?