Is using ghost stories for entertainment a sin?

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JesuXPIPassio

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I like reading or watching about ghosts. Is it a sin?

I ask this because we know that using spirits (like through mediums and psychics) is wrong. Is entertainment through ghost stories also wrong?

I should note that I’m not someone who’s obsessed with this stuff. I’m very Catholic; I don’t have a lot of ghost stuff around me, I don’t invest much time in it and I think it’s a little silly to waste my time with it. But for the purposes of ghost stories to get a little thrill every now and then (like through those documentaries they have on TV or books with ghost stories), is that wrong?
 
JesuXPIPassio said:
I like reading or watching about ghosts. Is it a sin?

I ask this because we know that using spirits (like through mediums and psychics) is wrong. Is entertainment through ghost stories also wrong?

I should note that I’m not someone who’s obsessed with this stuff. I’m very Catholic; I don’t have a lot of ghost stuff around me, I don’t invest much time in it and I think it’s a little silly to waste my time with it. But for the purposes of ghost stories to get a little thrill every now and then (like through those documentaries they have on TV or books with ghost stories), is that wrong?
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Why would you think that’s a sin?
 
thistle said:
Why would you think that’s a sin?
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Well, God tells us not to practise in conjuring up spirits. Though I’m not doing that, I still feel like I’m participating in it by watching stuff about it, you know?

Or maybe this is just scruples.
 
There shouldn’t be anything wrong about ghost stories as long as you always keep in mind God’s sovereignty. Ghosts are nothing more than souls that God has permitted to come to earth. I am no expert, but I would think that would be very rare. Saul consults the ghost of the prophet Samuel (illicitly - don’t try to conjure spirits), I’ve read holy Franciscan tales (which for all I know may be true) where one brother who had died visited another still living to help him with his faith.

As I said, as long as you realize that no ghost can visit earth without God’s explicit permission, then if people want to fictionalize the concept, then I am reasonably sure there is no sin involved.
 
I like stories about vampires. I don’t think that is sinful, either. It is just fiction, like ghost stories.
 
bbentrup said:
As I said, as long as you realize that no ghost can visit earth without God’s explicit permission, then if people want to fictionalize the concept, then I am reasonably sure there is no sin involved.
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There’s the rub: real ghosts who haunt places might just be demons. It would be as if I’m using demons for entertainment.
 
What about the shows like Medium or the Jennifer Hewiit show? Would that be wrong to watch since they conjure or speak to Ghosts?
 
JesuXPIPassio said:
I like reading or watching about ghosts. Is it a sin?

I ask this because we know that using spirits (like through mediums and psychics) is wrong. Is entertainment through ghost stories also wrong?

I should note that I’m not someone who’s obsessed with this stuff. I’m very Catholic; I don’t have a lot of ghost stuff around me, I don’t invest much time in it and I think it’s a little silly to waste my time with it. But for the purposes of ghost stories to get a little thrill every now and then (like through those documentaries they have on TV or books with ghost stories), is that wrong?
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I don’t think its a sin. It is a fascinating topic and it can be fun to make yourself or someone scared, innocently. You aren’t walking around conjuring up things yourself.
 
JesuXPIPassio said:
There’s the rub: real ghosts who haunt places might just be demons. It would be as if I’m using demons for entertainment.
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I have two good spirits/souls in my home and I had one bad one. I had the house blessed and the badness went away.
 
As a firm Catholic, who is not tempted to use mediums or otherwise participate in divination or raising spirits, I read fictional ghost stories with enjoyment, and watch movies with ghosts in them, too.

I don’t watch the “reality” shows about ghost hunters and such for two reasons. One is that I don’t want to support such dangerous nonsense. The other is that I don’t enjoy them. Frankly, I don’t know which reason is more important to me!

That’s my opinion, for what it’s worth!

Ruthie
 
I watch Ghost Hunters. The main reason I do is that they go in trying to disprove what people are seeing, and go about it scientifically, not with a psychic or a Ouija Board or anything kooky that could conjure up something evil. They just sit there, and record.
 
Many of the saints encountered ghosts…sometimes souls in purgatory asking for prayers. Padre Pio encountered ghosts as I recall…

As far as fantasy goes, it can be very healthy and enjoyable if used properly. Tolkien’s famous essay “On Fairy Stories” defends and explains the concept of “sub-creation”, that is creating fantasy universes, creatures, and concepts (alluded to by Michelle Arnold in his answer to this question: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthrea…ghlight=ghosts) as a gift given to humans by God. See tolkien-online.com/on-fairy-stories.html
 
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