Samuel was a very special instance. The other mentions of ghosts were by citizens, who had their cultural superstitions, but it doesn’t, mean they are real. As mentioned, when the soul departs the body, it either awaits hell, and “knows nothing” until that time, or is immediately in heaven. Can God cause a spirit to visit someone? Sure, he his able to do supernatural things like that, but I suspect it is very very rare, a d for very specific purposes. A humber of “ghost hunters’ note that they became possessed, or “haunted” as they call it, and that is indicative of demon possessikn/attacks, souls that depart would not have suoernatural power like that almost assuredly.
We are not told that, here or anywhere else in the Bible. As I said, the story is related matter of factly with the presumption that ghosts exist.
The other mentions of ghosts were by citizens, who had their cultural superstitions, but it doesn’t, mean they are real.
Again, if they were exercising cultural superstitions in these instances, it would have been a perfect time for Jesus (or the Gospel writer) to offer a correction, which they do not, instead responding with the assumption ghosts do exist.
Can God cause a spirit to visit someone? Sure, he his able to do supernatural things like that, but I suspect it is very very rare, a d for very specific purposes.
A humber of “ghost hunters’ note that they became possessed, or “haunted” as they call it, and that is indicative of demon possessikn/attacks, souls that depart would not have suoernatural power like that almost assuredly.
The fact that these people end up demonically afflicted does not disprove the existence of ghosts. Most "ghost hunters" are frauds and the ones might happen to stumble upon or expose themselves to supernatural phenomena are probably not the best persons to discern if that activity is from God or from Satan. I personally think anyone who deliberately goes looking after ghosts (especially for the sake of a TV show) is opening themselves up to demonic activity and is a fool.
We are not told that, here or anywhere else in the Bible. As I said, the story is related matter of factly with the presumption that ghosts exist.
The other mentions of ghosts were by citizens, who had their cultural superstitions, but it doesn’t, mean they are real.
Again, if they were exercising cultural superstitions in these instances, it would have been a perfect time for Jesus (or the Gospel writer) to offer a correction, which they do not, instead responding with the assumption ghosts do exist.
Can God cause a spirit to visit someone? Sure, he his able to do supernatural things like that, but I suspect it is very very rare, a d for very specific purposes.
A humber of “ghost hunters’ note that they became possessed, or “haunted” as they call it, and that is indicative of demon possessikn/attacks, souls that depart would not have suoernatural power like that almost assuredly.
The fact that these people end up demonically afflicted does not disprove the existence of ghosts. Most "ghost hunters" are frauds and the ones might happen to stumble upon or expose themselves to supernatural phenomena are probably not the best persons to discern if that activity is from God or from Satan. I personally think anyone who deliberately goes looking after ghosts (especially for the sake of a TV show) is opening themselves up to demonic activity and is a fool.
Sorry about the double posts, BTW. I think I need a new computer mouse!