Seriously...

Just looking for some information, thought someone might be able to help. Not looking to start a religious or political war, and at the moment I would be rather pissed if anyone is immature enough to do so...

Does anyone know of any place in the Bible where it mentions talking to the dead? In any way shape or form?

The fiance and I were at a good friend's house last night when the show Ghost Whisperer came on. His wife is quite finicky about what she will and won't watch, and what she will and won't let anyone else watch. So, the fiance asked her if anyone minded watching the show. They both said no problem... Well, a little ways into the show his wife left to answer the phone, then kept busy till the show was over. He and I weren't paying much attention to the show...

About the time the show was over she walked past me and said something along the lines of "The bible says it's evil to try to talk to the dead". and she seemed rather pissed the rest of the evening.

Well, this morning my friend was supposed to come over and help me move some stuff in the garage. He never called, or showed up. So, I just called him. Said his wife was pissed, and didn't want him to come over here. She didn't approve of the show last night, and apparently has a problem with my fiance. He said she told him I needed to come talk to her about it. That's where I started to get pissed. I told him if she's got a problem SHE needs to come to me, not act all childish and tell her husband he can't come over here. It's her problem, SHE needs to address it.

I don't want to start anything. They BOTH are good friends of mine, and have been for many years. Longer than I've known my fiance, but I'm not about to leave my fiance over something as petty as this or much of anything...

So, I want to know what the Bible says. I've read it before, and I consider myself a Christian, buy I don't remember ever reading or hearing anything about talking to the dead being evil and satanic, especially a TV show about girl visited by people on their way to Heaven. I personally have no problem with the show or any like it...

help?

 

Didn't Jesus himself speak to Lazarus when the stone was pulled back?



It doesn't matter what you find in the Bible to support your argument. You know your friend better than I do though; but, from my experience with hardcore Christians, she's probably not going to listen anyway.

 

Don't get any tattoos either-


Leviticus 19:28
28 " 'Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.
**************************************

The truth is; I can't find what she's talking about- but there are peopel I've heard say that the bible said you should steer clear of people who try to be fortune tellers or psychics (sp). Maybe that includes people who talk to the dead.

A lot of what's in the Old Testament is very strict; but to be "Christian" means to be "Christ-like" which means the New Testament supercedes the Old Testament. Not saying the Old Testament is irrelevant, I'm just saying that through Christ much is forgiven; if you believe and accept Him.

Anytime I encouter a "zealot" like that, I always ask- "Is your faith so weak that it cannot stand up to a TV show?"

It's not like you or your girl are trying to talk to the dead; its a TV show. Nothing, to me is crazier than one person who tries to comdemn you for what you do; and they aren't living clean themselves.

Better yet; if she thinks that- ask her to show you in the Bible where it says you shouldn't watch TV shows that are make believe, about a girl that can speak to the dead...

 

Yes, Jesus did speak to Lazarus when the stone was rolled back, but Lazarus had already been resurrected, and Jesus simply told him to get up.

Something tells me that, given my Christian upbringing, that somewhere in the bible contacting dead people through use of a seance or other means is most likely, likened to the sin of witchcraft. I don't know for sure though. I would call my mom and ask her, since she is a "hard core Christian" but I'd probably end up getting a huge lecture, so I wont go there. Hope this helps...

 

If he was ever dead in the first place.

He was raised from the dead not resurrected. A person that is resurrected cannot die again. That was one of Jesus' main reasons for appearing after His Resurrection -- to show us what awaits us after death. Supposedly.

 

Witchcraft and sorcery are from the translation of the bible. In the original text, it most likely refers to poisoning. Either murderous (poisoning the body) or seditious (poisoning the mind).

 

In my opinion this topic is touchy. First, in the old testament talking with the dead is considered witchcraft and Saul had all the witches and mediums God gave all Christians to guide, teach, and todirect us in the ways of the Lord. Third, if she has a problem with you the Bible also says that is you have a problem with you brother you need to confront him immediately. I'll have to do more research into ghosts in reference in the BIBLE.

 

I don't think it's evil to talk to the dead. I don't exactly know what the bible says about it but I don't think it says it's evil (I'm guessing)

If it's so bad to talk to the dead, then I must be going to hell when I die. We moved from a house that was haunted that I lived in for 22 years. We found ourselfs talking to "them" most every week trying to get them to leave the house. We moved after enough was enough and couldn't take what there idea of fun was.

 

WOW. That may be the most insightful revelation yet....

We used to have some friends who thought that there were ghosts livung in their house. They even went so far as to set the ghosts out dinner plates( complete with food (They never caught on that at the end of every meal, the plates still had food on them )) and make them pallets on the couch. The weird thing was, they lived in a Navy housing duplex that was only four years old. I don't believe in ghosts personally, but if I was looking for one, I would start with a house that has a little more history.

 

According to the Bible it is evil but it was just a movie...half the movies you watch are considred evil.

I'd never participate in anything of that type but watching a movie about it aint gonna flip me out either
Here are some scripters for you:



1. Spiritism in every form is strictly forbidden in the Holy Scriptures. Sorcerers were found in Egypt, Assyria (Nahum 3:4), Babylonia (Isaiah 47:9, Daniel 2:2) and other heathen lands, but were forbidden in Israel.
(Leviticus 17:7, Leviticus 19:31, Deuteronomy 18:9-12)

2. Wilful disobedience of Yahweh's commandments is a grievous sin and is punishable with DEATH! People grow bold because the Most High appears to be withholding His judgements; but He will punish evildoers just as surely as night follows day. This is specified in His law and amplified by His prophets.
(Exodus 22:18-20, Micah 5:12, Malachi 3:5, 1 Chronicles 10:13-14, Revelation 21:8)

3. The dead are unable to communicate with the living and are in fact asleep in their graves awaiting the resurrection (Lesson 16). The beings who speak in the seance (spiritualist meeting) are, therefore, not the dead, but are evil angels posing as departed loved ones. The dead, according to the Scriptures, are 'asleep in their graves' and are unable to communicate with the living.
(Job 7:9-10, Ecclesiastes 9:10, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17)

4. Evil spirits invariably rely on miracles and supernatural demonstrations to carry through their deceptions. The Saviour warned that this would be the case in the last days. How true his words have proved to be. Miracle-workers are to be found in all the world's religions. There is no shortage of them. But a miracle is not a reliable sign of truth. The only reliable sign of truth is:
Isaiah 8:20 "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."

 

Deuteronomy 18:9-11 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)

Detestable Practices
9 When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. 10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in [a] the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.

1. You friend is not behaving very Christ like.

You were watching a show(story) not consulting the dead.

The Bible is full of stories of every kind of wickedness and depavity and sin. So she would assume, because you read them or learn from them, there is something wrong. Her self rightousness is wrong.

 

Honestly I can't find anything on it either.
I'm not saying she's wrong, if that's something she has been convicted on then it is definatly a sin for her. If she has been convicted that strongly about it that she doesn't feel that she can discuss it or be educated on it. Then she will never be able to witness to anyone who does particapte in it about her convictions. She will only be lecturing and barfing senseless blunder up on deaf ears. Becasue she will not posess the ability to give them a reason to care. Convicted by the spirit and witnessing often get scrambled. For the young in Christ the ability to witness often gets lost once conviction is introduced. To no fault of the person, becasue it is a standard reaction to thier unsure spiritual state. Just for the record, a person can be a Christian all thier life and still be young in Christ.



As a man with christian back ground I need help with this part though... Where in the Bible does it say to ostracize anyone? I don't understand how anyone can achive a status of such self righteousness that they feel they have earned the priveledge in the eyes of God to send anyone in to coventry.
Even Jesus talked to the sinners. No one at any time, any where in history, any where in the world, has ever been saved by not being talked to, period. Amen

My reaction would be.
Talking vs Witnessing vs Exclusion....
Ask her, which she is doing and why.
Ask her, how is it that she feels her action/reaction could be considered as witnessing.



If intersted here is a pretty good book about the subject.



Invisible Beings that Inhabit the Spiritual worldClick on the image.

There is a good chance this book might be in your church's library. Check there or check your local public library. I choose to include it in my personal library too.

 

Well, I'm still not sure what's going on, but I worked in the garage most of the day today, and just left the phone on the charger in the house.

I went in to check for messages, and there was one from my "her" (my friend's wife). She wanted my fiance's phone number, so she could talk to her. Said she had some problems with her, and decided she needed to talk to her, but she didn't think my fiance was even aware of the things she was doing that were so bothersome. So, I'm a little confused. I know the TV show was part of it, but it's not like she wasn't asked before the show started, but then maybe she didn't know what it was about...

I don't know. I didn't call either of them back, and haven't even mentioned any of this to my fiance, who left for her parents house early this morning...

Thanks for the verses. I'll take a look at them later, and may look them up myself...

 

The only passage I found is the one SAXNBBQ posted, however I continued on with the 12th verse because I thought it was relevant to your situation. I posted it in both the NIV and the Reader's version to try and clarify the text. Hope it helps some. If you want to do some searching of your own here is an excellent site http://www.biblegateway.com/

Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (New International Version)
10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you.

Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (New International Reader's Version)
10 Here are things you must not do. Don't sacrifice your children in the fire to other gods. Don't practice any kind of evil magic at all. Don't use magic to try to explain the meaning of warnings in the sky or of any other signs. Don't take part in worshiping evil powers. 11 Don't put a spell on anyone. Don't get messages from those who have died. Don't talk to the spirits of the dead. Don't get advice from the dead. 12 The Lord your God hates it when anyone does those things. The nations that are in the land he's giving you practice the things he hates. So he will drive out those nations to make room for you.

I think your friends wife is being very childish and decidedly un-Christianlike. You were guests in her home and I personally wouldn't dream of treating a guest like that. To tell you it was OK to watch the show and then pout about it when it turns out to be something she doesn't care for. She should have been happy that she found something to do to keep busy, she didn't have to watch it and she has no right to prevent your friend from seeing you. And if she is basing her opinion of you fiancé on this one incident she is a very shallow person.

 

Well the whole situation saddens me.
Please keep us updated.
Just talk to her and try not to get emotional. It will be really hard and undoubtadly a true test of charecter for anyone. If anyone else besides her starts getting emotional then nothing good can come of the situation. Be aware that prayers have been sent for Gods strength and guidance to be with you. That he might shine thru you.