Ouijia board on television

[Veronica97]

A little bit ago there was a “short” documentary from the 1950s in between movies on Turner Classic Movies channel. Since it’s close to Halloween, the short was about superstitions and also things like ouijia boards and fortune tellers, etc. It showed less than a 10 second clip of some ladies playing a oujia board. Of course I know playing with a ouijia board is a mortal sin and very dangerous and would never do such a thing. But I worry that just in seeing this film clip that I’ve sinned or “opened myself up” to evil. I know the movie “The Exorcist”(which I’ve seen) shows the little girl playing with a ouijia board, and even priests have seen this movie. Surely seeing this on tv or in a movie is not the same as playing with it, is it? Can it be dangerous to watch these type of things?

 

[bardegaulois]

A ouija board is used to summon spirits. Have you tried to summon spirits? No. You only witnessed a very brief film clip of persons using a divination tool, and this was unintentional.

Cease your scruples; you’re fine.

 

[JamalChristophr]

BOO!

…seriously, you’re fine. You didn’t do anything wrong. But yes, playing with a Ouiji board can open up doors where some pretty nasty critters reside that you would want no part with.

I know from personal experience as a child, and I was too young too have any idea that it was even wrong back then.

God Bless You.

 

[Veronica97]

Okay, thanks guys. I think maybe I’ve watched a bit too much about evil this week…first a “Women of Grace” episode about letting evil in, and then a re-run of a Raymond Arroyo interview with an exorcist priest from the Archdiocese of New York. Maybe just too many Halloween heebie-jeebies.

 

[Beryllos]

Can it be dangerous to watch these type of things?

No, and here’s why I say that. Magic, voodoo, conjuring, necromancy, or whatever you call it is not procedural, like turning a crank on a machine. It’s not a just a matter of going through the correct motions, following the recipe, pronouncing the magic words, and poof, something supernatural happens. If such things really happen, which I doubt, I imagine it must require at least the intent to invoke evil. The Ouija board itself is not a source of evil. A movie scene depicting the use of an Ouija board is not evil in itself. It’s just a story, and actually a stories about good vs. evil can sometimes bring about good.

 

[JorduSpeaks]

Okay, thanks guys. I think maybe I’ve watched a bit too much about evil this week…first a “Women of Grace” episode about letting evil in, and then a re-run of a Raymond Arroyo interview with an exorcist priest from the Archdiocese of New York. Maybe just too many Halloween heebie-jeebies.

No worries. The human fascination with things that scare us is perfectly natural. In fact, in times when entertainment was scarce, many people would go to Church hoping to catch a horrifying sermon about what goes on in Hell, and clergy would happily oblige, as this was a way to couch moral teaching in something that would really hold the listeners’ attention. Medieval Christian art often depicted Hell for the same reasons. Even the Cistene Chapel has many, MANY depictions of Hell and demons.