Sometimes we make a value judgment between what is entertainment and that which God does not approve. A case in point, is when Christians watch such television shows as Ghost Hunters. Other members of your church may not have a problem with this and think it is simply a means of enjoyment. Even so, there are people who really do believe that ghosts can haunt a house. We must allow the Lord to lay on our hearts if we should watch such shows even if it is called entertainment. This is not to suggest we become legalistic. We don’t want to support things of the devil, either.
Our first concern is for the good of our families. We must allow God to influence our decision in the matter of what we watch on TV whether it be about ghosts or other things that are likely inappropriate. It really doesn’t matter what other people believe. If the Bible says something is wrong, it is wrong! There are older people from various parts of the country that in their young lives were taught to believe in ghosts and carry that on into their adulthood. The word ghost in the Bible most likely reflects the Shakespearean influence in the translation of the King James version in 1611. That is why the Holy Spirit is called a ghost in that translation. The fact is the third person of the Godhead is not a ghost. He is the Holy Spirit of God.
It is true that strange things can happen in our lives. We could hear sounds or see fleeting sights with no explanation. The first illogical idea about ghosts is that they can move matter such as closing doors, moving tables, or throwing things. There is always an explanation even if we don’t realize it. One day I heard a crashing sound in my basement. I was all alone. At that point there was no explanation. I investigated and found that a shovel fell over. No one was there. No animal was there. Was it a ghost? It was not. There’s always an explanation even if we don’t realize it. In my case, it was a shovel that was not staged upright enough. Gravity eventually pulled it onto the floor. I did need a ghost to knock it over.
Television actors only report hearing or seeing something that is probably consistent with the script. It is them being theatrically compliant. There never is a ghost because they don’t exist. We can’t blame spooky things on demons, either. They’re not interested in moving a chair. Their motives are to encourage sin. The devil always packs temptation attractively and in the case of this discussion in an intriguing manner. Satan uses entertainment to dishonor God and pull people away from a proper relationship with him. Hunting a house would not benefit or suit the purpose of the demon. They would rather possess people that reject God.
There are so-called ministers on the Internet that misinterpret the Bible to get people to believe ghost hunting is religiously acceptable. They are definitely wrong. A person’s soul goes to heaven or hell immediately after the point of death. Their spirits do not wonder about seeking revenge or to resolve an issue or to gain permission by the living to enter the next world. Were this possible, it would give humans divine power. There is no interaction between the living and the dead. Also, the dead do not watch over us or have some power to help us. They are still humans, only they are somewhere else. That power to help belongs to God alone. God’s Word says to have nothing to do with these evil beliefs. Notice that God is never mentioned by Ghost Hunters except for mystical purposes. Salvation through Christ is missing in their agenda. If God is absent in ghost hunting or anything else, so should we be absent from them.
Christian Writer 