Ouija Believe It?

Catholic Answers ^ | October 29, 2014 | Hector Molina

[NYer]

“Keep telling yourself it’s just a game”

This is the promotional tagline for Ouija, the latest low-budget horror movie to be released in time for Halloween. The story centers around a group of friends who use a Ouija board to try to make contact with a recently deceased friend, but end up awakening a dark and malevolent presence. The only redeeming quality of this movie might just be the fear that it instills in moviegoers who just might think twice before engaging in the very sinful and dangerous practice of divination.

Divination (from the Latin divinatio: the power of foreseeing, prediction) is the practice of seeking knowledge of future events or hidden (occult) things from supernatural sources. Divination differs from prayer in that it goes outside the established ways through which God reveals His divine truth and will to us. It seeks to circumvent God's plan and obtain answers to our questions by consulting spirits, which are in fact demonic and sinister spirits hell-bent on deceiving and harming us.

The practice of divination can be traced back to ancient times, yet there are many popular methods still in use today: ouija boards, séances, palm reading, numerology, tarot card reading, fortune telling, psychics, palm reading, tea leaf reading, crystal gazing, witchcraft, magical incantations, sorcery, and astrological horoscopes. Each of these activities seeks to acquire either information about the future, knowledge beyond a person's natural abilities or power outside of God's providence.

The sinful practice of divination is roundly condemned in the Bible:

“There shall not be found among you any one who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, any one who practices divination, a soothsayer, or an augur, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or a medium, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord” (Deut. 18:10-12).

The Bible strictly forbids divination because it involves lusting for secret knowledge that God has not chosen to reveal. Moses made an important distinction when he declared to the people of Israel, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law” (Deut. 29:29).

This desire for forbidden knowledge has it roots in man’s first sin. The serpent seduced our first parents with these words: “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Gen. 3:5). He tempted Eve with a desire to know what God had not chosen to reveal and thus transgress the boundary clearly established by Him: "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, 'You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.'" (Gen. 2:16-17). Tragically, Eve succumbed to this diabolical temptation and her husband after her (Gen. 3:6).

In essence, divination is a sin against the first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Ex. 20:3). When we seek to gain forbidden knowledge or power through the use of ouija boards or any other form of divination, we are essentially engaging in idolatry. The Catechism explains:

All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to "unveil" the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone (CCC 2116).

As the movie tagline suggests, we should not delude ourselves into thinking the ouija board to be a mere game or form of harmless entertainment. It is rather dangerous portal and gateway to the demonic, which should be avoided at all costs.

[NYer]

“Keep telling yourself it’s just a game”

Did I fall for that!! Back in HS, a group of young catholic girls gathered at the home of a friend to play with the OUIJA board .. just a game, we thought.

It was a hot summer day in an home without air conditioning. The friend's mother went outside to hang laundry. The family cat lounged on the patio. We giggled as we unpacked the game and placed it on the laps of two in the group.

One of these girls already had experience playing with the game and had a "spirit guide" named EOT (ha, ha ... what a ridiculous name, but then, this was just a game, right?) The questions began: "Is anyone there?" The spindle shot up to "Oui" (Yes). "Who are you"? It was Eot ... yeah, right. In typical teen fashion, questions were posed about the future and especially about boys :-) Suddenly, the spindle stopped moving. Perplexed, the girls continued to pose questions. To each one, it spelled out the word W-A-R-N-I-N-G. Huh? The questioning shifted to what this meant. No response.

The girls decided to give it one last try ... "Is anyone there?" The spindle shot to Oui. "Who are you?" The spindle moved rapidly over the letters as I wrote them down on a pad of paper. I repeated each letter back and when I missed one, it returned to that letter so we would not miss the message. After announcing his name (one I had never heard), he said "my preferred call me B-E-E-L-Z-E-B-U-B". As this exchange continued, the temperature in the house began to drop. The sleepy cat made its way back inside only to stop short, arch its back and swiftly depart. My friend's mother also returned to the house to pick up some additional laundry and wondered why it was so chilly.

The exchange continued with this "spirit". He wanted to meet the girl who had experience with the OUIJA. He told her he would give her anything she wanted includinged. At that last word, I laughed thinking this truly was a game. Then, as the word sank in, I gasped. NO ONE in that room except for the girl and myself knew that she had a serious crush on a particular guy and would do anything to finally meet him. His name was Ed!

It was time to "test" the situation. I shouted out: "Who are the most evil people in this house?" The response spelled out the name of two young and innocent children. That made sense because satan hates innocence. I sent one of the children upstairs with instruction to bring down a rosary (a sacramental that had been blessed). After handing it to me, I placed it on the planchet. The device, with no hands on it, flew off the board and into the fireplace.

As the movie tagline suggests, we should not delude ourselves into thinking the ouija board to be a mere game or form of harmless entertainment. It is rather dangerous portal and gateway to the demonic, which should be avoided at all costs.

The above is a personal testimonial. Believe what you wish. It has been many decades since that day but the memory is as fresh as if it were yesterday. This film will be a powerful attraction for another generation of youth. Feel free to share my story with your children and grandchildren.

[NYer]

Ping to my first hand, personal testimonial above!

[GraceG]

I think I may get a Ouija Board and start using it...

Hey I need to test out my Proton pack somehow....

I wonder if one could use an Ouija Board to summon a demon and then smite the crap out of it using Prayer, Holy Water and Excorcism techniques.

You know declare an out and out spiritual war against the demons and take the offensive for once instead of constantly playing defense....

[Oberon]

Bad idea, I think.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

When I was a kid, Oouija boards were as common as Monopoly and Magic Eight balls. Thankfully, my gut told me to stay away.

My wife played once with her sister and still swears that the planchette moved on its own.

Check out the reviews on Amazon. Some are very disturbing, especially because they're written by kids who have been seduced by the "game."

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

And thanks for posting your personal testimony. It’s a word to the wise.

[cantfindagoodscreenname]

I had a similar experience when I was in 7th or 8th grade. I was a skeptic even at that age, so I didn’t expect anything to really happen. We started off pushing the “thing” around ourselves, pretending that it was actually moving on its own. Then all of a sudden, it started moving on its own. And it said a lot of very scary things to us. I don’t go near those things and I warn anyone I know not to go near them.

[Fai Mao]

Ouiji boards have been proven to be fraudulent. If, for example you blind fold the people placing their hands on the slider and give them a board with the letters mixed up they can’t spell anything. They are simply a subconscious wish fulfillment.

Notice, most occult activity falls into this category after all Satan is a liar but he is also a tyrant who doesn’t want to share power with anyone

[Focault's Pendulum]

[stanne]

Oh, turn to God, the Rosary, daily Mass...you’ll find them. Just remember what they say...demons don’t harass those they’ve already got on the dark side.

The Church actually advises against deliberately picking fights with the enemy. WE can’t win, God is necessary in such an altercation.

There is much written about spiritual warfare, honestly.

They are much smarter and able than we are by far, and there are angels and the Communion of Saints to handle such things.

It’s kind of the basis of why we are to avoid sin.

[rfreedom4u]

I don’t believe in the Ouija but my wife will not allow one in the house.

[Ditter]

I have had only one experience with a Ouija board and it was many many years ago. My sister in law, myself and a friend of hers played with one. the only question I can remember was would we remain married to our husbands. It said yes for me and we will celebrate 57 years together in Dec. It said No for my sister in law and her marriage only lasted about 25 years.

[RIghtwardHo]

Like many things in life everyone has different experiences. These were ubiquitous when I was a kid. We’d play with them. Nothing. Just a piece of board with letters on it. I believe that is all they are.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

Read NYers account. No hands on the planchette. Room temperature drops. Same with my wife’s experience.

Besides, it’s impossible to falsify every case because every case would have to be tested.

[Arthur McGowan]

I have two sisters who attended Wheeling College (now Wheeling Jesuit University, which had Janet Reno as their Commencement speaker in 2000) in the 1960s. Some girls were playing with a Ouija board in the dorm, and got a cold spot in the room. They called the Jesuits’ residence, and one of the priests came, sprinkled the room with Holy Water, and read them the riot act.

[NYer]

Ouiji boards have been proven to be fraudulent.

Such a claim entails substantiating proof. Please post some links to support your statement.

[catnipman]

I wanna get one if you think it would give good stock market tips. I always thought it was just a toy.

[Lurking Libertarian]

Check out the reviews on Amazon. Some are very disturbing

Yes, especially this one:

"I just recently got this product, and so I sat down to use it and asked it "who am I speaking with". Slowly the key moved to spell out "Billy Mays Here". Immediately after that there was a burst of cold air, and now he won't leave my house. He throws away all of the products I own that he didn't endorse, for example, all of my paper towels. I have to clean all my messes with Zorbeez, as he will not allow me to keep anything else. Its not all bad, I came home on my birthday and he had gotten me a Big City Slider Station, which actually works pretty good."

[miss marmelstein]

Guess Janet brought the devil with her!

[cantfindagoodscreenname]

Besides, it’s impossible to falsify every case because every case would have to be tested.

And not only that, but if demons really are involved, they may choose not to "participate" in these kinds of studies.