Is it ok for a Catholic to believe in ghost?

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I love to watch ghost shows on tv like ‘‘Top 10 most haunted places’’ etc. My favorite is “Ghost Hunters” on The SCI-FI channle. I watch these shows for entertainment and don’t believe 99% of what they say, but I do believe there are places where strange things do happen.

So what I’m asking is, is it ok for a Catholic to watch these shows?
 
Hi Kermit,

I read somewhere that the Church doesn’t rule out that ghosts may exist. Like for example, for his own special reasons, God may allow someone to complete part of their purgatory on earth.

I agree we should take it with a big pinch of salt though, probably 99% of those stories are false or have a natural explanation. It wouldn’t be a good idea to get obsessed with the idea of ghosts but we needn’t rule out their existence, and there’s nothing necessarily wrong with watching the occasional program about them.

That’s my opinion anyway.
 
richardsgirl said:
Hi Kermit,

I read somewhere that the Church doesn’t rule out that ghosts may exist. Like for example, for his own special reasons, God may allow someone to complete part of their purgatory on earth.

I agree we should take it with a big pinch of salt though, probably 99% of those stories are false or have a natural explanation. It wouldn’t be a good idea to get obsessed with the idea of ghosts but we needn’t rule out their existence, and there’s nothing necessarily wrong with watching the occasional program about them.

That’s my opinion anyway.
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Thanks that’s how I feel too, but just wanted another opinion.
 
lifeisbeautiful said:
The Church does not say they cannot exist (depending on the definition of ghost of course) but it does say we cannot try to contact the dead/demons/etc.

Here are a few links that may help:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=68370
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=14715
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=78539
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=119764
jimmyakin.org/2005/07/ghosts.html
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Outstanding!!! Thanks for your help
 
Kermit said:
I love to watch ghost shows on tv like ‘‘Top 10 most haunted places’’ etc. My favorite is “Ghost Hunters” on The SCI-FI channle. I watch these shows for entertainment and don’t believe 99% of what they say, but I do believe there are places where strange things do happen.

So what I’m asking is, is it ok for a Catholic to watch these shows?
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I was doing a search on another topic and came across this article (Catholic) that may help answer your question:

saint-mike.org/spcdc/library/7ghosts.asp
 
I was thinking “holy ghost” too! 😃

I do believe in ghosts. In fact that very thing led me to this website. I lost a brother close to 10 years ago and I’ve experienced a few things that I couldn’t chalk up to natural happenings.

I agree with what a previous poster said. When I asked a similar question, I was told that its OK to believe in them but not to try to contact them or other occult stuff.

I also have watched those “Most Haunted” and shows like that for entertainment. I think most of it is just super bogus. The sound crew could easily do that tapping and those “orbs” they see??? Isn’t that just dust? I think I get most freaked out when they go into a dark part of the house or castle alone with the camera on themselves and just freak themselves out. That freaks ME out! I’m scared of the dark though.
 
I think the term “fiction” in the station’s name tells you all.
 
I think of the communion of saints myself. never think about ghosts.

🙂
 
lets recap every ghost show on TV…

researchers scout location

researchers set up equipment

researchers gather evidence

researchers find nothing, perhaps a flash of light or an electric spike. both completely normal phenomena.

the end.
 
thechrismyster said:
lets recap every ghost show on TV…

researchers scout location

researchers set up equipment

researchers gather evidence

researchers find nothing, perhaps a flash of light or an electric spike. both completely normal phenomena.

the end.
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Very true…but It’s fun to watch
 
Well things fly where I used to work…and I mean fly!..the last thing was a 100.00$ picture, came off the wall by itself, did not fall down straight down but was flown or thrown four feet away from the wall just seconds after I was there. Everything was shattered, including the frame.:eek:
 
Makes me wonder what went on in that office. I have a friend whose daughter worked as a temp at a place. Her cubby area had a bathroom near it where the water used to turn on over and over throughout the day. The toilet would flush. The cubby was always freezing so she had to wear a sweater. Things happened there. She finally found out that a guy who worked there a few years before had killed himself at his desk.

She quit soon after.

My father works somewhere I won’t name. Let’s just say it’s famous. And a horrible tragedy occurred there in the fairly recent past. And many people died. And they fixed the place up. And people working the night shift now walk down the corridors in that area and hear footsteps when they are alone. I’m sure stories are going to start coming out about it. That’s all I’ll say for now.

But I think there is a fine line between our world and our friends and relatives who have died. And I think we’d be shocked at how close they really are to us. And there is much that the human eye cannot see. I don’t see a contradiction. We know there is life after death. We just don’t know where it is. Maybe it’s closer than we know.

I’d love to hear a professional theologian’s take on this. I know exorcists deal with a different realm here with occurrences in houses. But I think mere ghosts, not the demonic, are a fact. I know too many people who have had unexplained occurrences.
 
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