What is the Christian view on ghost stories?

Answer 1

The Bible explicitly forbids attempted contact with spirits that pretend to be spirits of the dead (Deuteronomy 18:11). The Bible states that the dead do not have contact with the living (Luke 16:19-31). The reason for this is because such spirits are not spirits of the dead but rather deceitful spirits under the command of Satan. The Bible calls such spirits "demons", "evil spirits", and "unclean spirits". These demonic spirits are familiar with the departed dead whom they seek to imitate. This is why they are able to supply people with intimate details of names, places, and facts. Indeed, Isaiah 29:4 calls such a spirit a "familiar spirit" (KJV).

The bigger plan of demonic spirits is to draw people to become interested in their activity and the signs and wonders they perform. In doing so, they successfully blind people and influence them further away from a relationship with God. It is no accident, or coincidence, that many people who become interested in ghosts and the paranormal will often be led to go on to experiment with other spiritualities such as: tarot cards, Astrology, fortune telling and so on. Even Derek Acorah's own website promotes some of these spiritualities. From these, some people continue their quest for spirituality by going on to deeper and darker forms of occultism. It is a slippery slope downwards (rather than upwards, as people seem to think). This was certainly my own experience prior to becoming a Christian myself, as it has been the experience of many others like me. It is a very subtle and gradual process. Before a person realises what is happening, they are immersed in occult practices and are influenced by the same sprits to become hostile or indifferent to Christ and Christianity. The Bible states that Satan has...

"...blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." (2 Cor. 4:4)."