Is it wrong to read about "hauntings"?

[TamaraSieja]

I honestly didn’t know where to post this question so here I am. If I’m in the wrong foum I appologize!

I just wondered is it against Catholic teachings to read about hauntings and stuff if I personaly take it as just fiction? I’m really big into folk lore and learning local legends and stuff but along with your typical “back in the 1800’s” stories there is always something about someone seeing a ghost or beliving some place is haunted. Like I said 99% of the time I take it as exactly that-- folk lore and complete myth. But sometimes I come across something that always seems a little harder to explain away.

I firmly believe there are evil spirits in this world and I don’t want to let myself be lead astray but at the same time I like reading about “ghost stories” and laughing.

 

[Sierrah]

I honestly didn’t know where to post this question so here I am. If I’m in the wrong foum I appologize!

I just wondered is it against Catholic teachings to read about hauntings and stuff if I personaly take it as just fiction? I’m really big into folk lore and learning local legends and stuff but along with your typical “back in the 1800’s” stories there is always something about someone seeing a ghost or beliving some place is haunted. Like I said 99% of the time I take it as exactly that-- folk lore and complete myth. But sometimes I come across something that always seems a little harder to explain away.

I firmly believe there are evil spirits in this world and I don’t want to let myself be lead astray but at the same time I like reading about “ghost stories” and laughing.

My personal theory is that ghosts don’t exist. Not in the haunting sense. I regard them as demons playing around and trying to distract us from GOD. Ghost stories can be fun and I don’t see any real harm in them as long as you don’t take them too seriously. It’s all too easy to be drawn into something that can lead you down the wrong path too. Keep in mind that stuff tends to follow you once you’ve been involved with it too. There’s several accounts of haunting where when the people moved the so called ghosts did too. livescience.com/strangenews/090326-bad-haunting-movie.html

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

I honestly didn’t know where to post this question so here I am. If I’m in the wrong foum I appologize!

I just wondered is it against Catholic teachings to read about hauntings and stuff if I personaly take it as just fiction? I’m really big into folk lore and learning local legends and stuff but along with your typical “back in the 1800’s” stories there is always something about someone seeing a ghost or beliving some place is haunted. Like I said 99% of the time I take it as exactly that-- folk lore and complete myth. But sometimes I come across something that always seems a little harder to explain away.

I firmly believe there are evil spirits in this world and I don’t want to let myself be lead astray but at the same time I like reading about “ghost stories” and laughing.

I actually adore ghost stories… even though I’m actually the biggest chicken in the face of one. I guess it can reflect in just how much I believe in their existence.

Setting that aside, there is no harm in being fascinated by urban legends and creepy folklore. It’s tampering with the occult that the Church is warning against and unfortunately, things such seances and spirit channeling both fall under that at the same time, are often deployed by self-proclaimed ‘ghost hunters’.

My advice to you, simply enjoy the tales. Should you be hardy enough to actually try to see if they are true, just make sure you do it by mere investigation and not resort to spiritually questionable methods.

 

[cthulhubryan]

Ghost stories and such are generally harmless and good fun. You have to be careful about the ones more “out there” because stories about ghosts and the boogie man can lead to stories about demons and devils and then you have to be careful that you avoid any touch of Manichaeism. Just as long as you remember that God always wins, you’re okay.

 

[Gordon_Sims]

Does the Church have specific teachings on ghosts & hauntings? I’ve personally lived through several such experiences (only one of which I believe to have been demonic in nature) and later viewed them as affirmations of my faith (as in, how can someone say there’s not an afterlife, God, etc. after having experienced such things). I’d never read up on how the Church views these things simply because a fairly large number of people I know have experienced the same or similar things, and almost all of them grew to view them in much the same way I do.

 

[Beachcomber]

One of my favorite shows is “Ghost Hunters” on SyFy network. I don’t think there’s anything really wrong about enjoying the entertainment value in ghost stories, ect.

 

[churchsecretary]

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=68370

There is a question from a few years ago about whether ghosts exist…I believe as Michelle does, that ghosts can exist, and they very well could be the souls of those in purgatory.

I don’t let my kids watch too much of that kind stuff. It can weigh on their minds & cause nightmares! I have friends who have watched John Edward & believe that…well, the church tells us specifically that we are not to ever call on spirits. I believe there is good reason for that–that there are demons just waiting for a toe hold to jump into someone’s life & cause mayhem & torture. Padre Pio once said that if we could see the demons in our world, they would darken the sky! :bigyikes:

I do believe, also, that we don’t know everything–only God does, and someday we’ll know the answer to a lot of things we don’t know now!

 

[Sierrah]

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=68370

There is a question from a few years ago about whether ghosts exist…I believe as Michelle does, that ghosts can exist, and they very well could be the souls of those in purgatory.

I don’t let my kids watch too much of that kind stuff. It can weigh on their minds & cause nightmares! I have friends who have watched John Edward & believe that…well, the church tells us specifically that we are not to ever call on spirits. I believe there is good reason for that–that there are demons just waiting for a toe hold to jump into someone’s life & cause mayhem & torture. Padre Pio once said that if we could see the demons in our world, they would darken the sky! :bigyikes:

I do believe, also, that we don’t know everything–only God does, and someday we’ll know the answer to a lot of things we don’t know now!

When I was 5 years old I saw something on the roof of the house next door…don’t know what it was but it bothered me for many years and lead me to read everything I could get my hands on about ghosts, Big Foot, Nessie, phycics, excercisms, you name it if it was supernatural I read what I could on it till around my highschool years. There’s hardly a ghost story I don’t know but I never got involved in the occult, weegie boards or anything that might call something up. From what I read it’s something to avoid at all costs especially because once you bring that stuff to you it doesn’t always go away. I would just caution people not to take the supernatural lightly. In other word I have a deal with GOD I won’t pursue that stuff and he won’t let me see stuff I don’t want to see. :shrug:

 

[Liberanosamalo]

I’ve heard rooftop stories too, Sierrah. Wonder what it is about the rooftop.

Since the beginning of time ghost stories have been part of every culture and every literary tradition. Too much so for there to not be some legitimacy there.

I think we don’t know much at all about the reality around us. Enjoy the stories and listen to them with ears of faith about what they say about the eternity of the soul and the afterlife and the reality that Satan and other evil spirits do roam the world seeking the ruin of souls.

 

[Zundrah]

I like/love vampire manga;

**Vampire Doll **and Vampire Knight are great books!

xxx zundrah xxx

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

I like/love vampire manga;

**Vampire Doll **and Vampire Knight are great books!

xxx zundrah xxx

Forgive me for asking this but… is it really that or are you just after the bishies that load such manga?