Ghosts

In our local weekly paper dated March 4th, 2009 an article appeared entitled, "Paranormal researcher claims state has many haunted places." The researchers name is Chad Lewis and it seems that he is well educated. According to the article, "Lewis is not a wild-eyed ghost buster obsessed with the hereafter. (Lewis has a master's degree in applied psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Stout.)

The line form the article that I am interested in came a bit before his credentials when it was time for audience q&a. "Another woman said her religion equated ghosts and spirits with demons and satanic possession. Lewis acknowledged some religions take that view. "I leave it up to the person. Make up your own mind," he said.""

First, I want to give the woman who said this credit for taking a stand. I wasn't there so all I have to go on is the way the paper reported her comments. Whether or not the dialogue was longer and more Biblically involved I do not know. In any case at least she made a stand.

My interest in engaging the comments of Lewis with respect to the ladies comment. Once again all I have is what the paper reported and so I am willing to give Mr. Lewis the benefit of the doubt. That being said, I find his trivialization of the woman faith typical and sad.

I will be doing a follow up article on the Biblical understanding of "ghosts" but for now I simply want to point out Mr. Lewis' dismissal of the religion of the woman. He shows his own illogical bias in his statement as quoted in the paper. At first glance it looks logical and I am sure that many people would agree with his statement but if it is looked at a bit closer you can see it's flaw.

To start with he acknowledges that some religions take that view. That is true and a logically consistent statement with respect to the woman's comment. In the direct quote, however, he makes a judgement that he does not apply consistently. He is quoted as saying that it is up to the person and that they should make up there own minds. There are two glaring flaws with his quote.

First, his statement makes the assumption that the woman has not used her own mind. How we know this is by saying that he leaves it up to the individual. The unstated premise is that she is not using her own mind but rather excepting what her religion tells her. Second, his statement also betrays his bias in that he believes that her religion or any religion that holds this view cannot possibly be right. How we know this is the same as before. He gives ultimate authority and judgement on such matter to the individual. Making up one's own mind is the ultimate autonomy. And for believing Christians who follow Christ might I remind you what happened when Adam and Eve "used their own minds" and ignore the Word of God?

So if I apply Mr. Lewis' own standards of judgement to his claims of haunting and the "technology" he uses. Sir with all due respect you are at the very least a scam artist and at the very worst you are of your father who was a liar from the beginning. You see I have used my own mind to come to that conclusion based upon what my own mind's understanding of Scripture is, which, by the way, acknowledges and yields to a spirit on such matters as authority and right and wrong and especially Truth...His Spirit. So I guess we do agree that Spirit exists.