Do you believe in ghosts?

[Phoenix]

Everyone knows there is a Heaven and Hell right?

No.

[Phoenix]

Everyone knows there is a Heaven and Hell right?

No.

[_EX]

Originally Posted by ∞

If you want to believe in them, you'll see them. That's what I think holds true for most people.

Some people only believe in ghost because they see them. I also know of many people who want to see ghosts and when they see them they will admit they are most likely misinterperatations. They are a kind of skeptic-believer hybrid. Makes for good conversation.

[∞]

That's all well and good, but, uh...

Originally Posted by Phoenix

No.

(Posted December 20th 2008)

[_EX]

Originally Posted by ∞

That's all well and good, but, uh...

It was my goal for today to fill the religious section first page with threads where I posted last. So it would say _EX all the way down.

[Needle]

No, I don't believe in ghosts.

I believe people want to believe in ghosts, but they aren't real.

[_EX]

Originally Posted by Needle

No, I don't believe in ghosts.

I believe people want to believe in ghosts, but they aren't real.

Any basis on that conclusion or nah?

[animefreak!]

sometimes i do sometimes i don't.
it just seems like sometimes it does feel like they do exisist but at the same time i don't think so.

[Nevermore]

So . . . I guess we're just going along with this thread? Well, alright then!

Currently? I find it unlikely that "ghosts" are the souls of deceased humans (or "imprints" of said souls); however, I'm still not entirely sure about a particular aspect of my religion's doctrine. It basically depends on the exact timing of judgment. I'm not sure if it takes place right after you die (and then subsequently sent to your "final destination") or if it's collectively done at the End Times.

If it's the former (which I'm under the impression of, though not positive); then no. No souls, no ghosts. Then again, even with the latter that still means that souls simply don't really have to go anywhere until the End Times (which is also possible, I suppose).

Now, ghosts being demons (or angels) as opposed to human souls seems far more likely (with regards to Christianity, mind you).

[Mortar Grind]

lolno

Ghosts classify as part of the illusion we call "life after death", or an afterlife.

Ghosts are much like their equal and opposite, more peaceful counterparts, spirits. Spirits are often thought of as the angels who watch over us. However, we must group angels and ghosts into the one group we call spirits.

So what is a spirit? Most consider it, in the simplest of forms, a bodiless enigma that watches over/haunts us. Basically, we're looking at a soul without a body. It just exists because it's transcended above and left it physical form (it's body).

So what we have here is a bodiless creature, and I use this term because it is no longer considered human, who is unseen, unheard, and unfeeling. They cannot influence life around them for they lack a body, and so do they lack the elements necessary to create any such physical form. What I mean by this is that they cannot create a form that can physically be seen, heard, or touched, no matter what the circumstances may be.


Now I'll continue my rant with a little explanation on why spirits don't exist. As I started before, ghosts are directly related to the belief that "life (or presence is a better word, I suppose)" continues on after death. This, however, is a fallacy. The idea of life after death was primarily and originally created to allow humans to believe in another world where they are immortal and where they can exist after their life has passed and accomplish anything they weren't able to do in the real world.

Where is my logic for such a basis? It generally comes from the idea that apparently anything is accessible in heaven. If you are hungry (which you shouldn't be, seeing as you lack any body organs to feed), you can spawn any food that you want. Heaven is a place where nearly anything can come true as long as God allows it and it does not challenge His ways. Oh, how perfect. A place where I can do anything I wasn't able to in my physical life!

So why was the idea of an afterlife created? Why do we believe in spirits? I commonly tend to believe that religion originally spawned out of fear or understanding. It's easier to break religion up into these two categories separately. Let me elaborate.

I'll start with understanding. Why did the Mayans worship Gods? Why did they continually dedicate sacrifices to them? In order to appeal to them! Why? Because they believed that the Gods controlled EVERYTHING around them. Everything. From the sun to the harvests to the mud houses; everything could be explained by different Gods. This gave them answers that they needed. Of course they were too premature and underdeveloped to incorporate modern-day sciences into their normal lives, so how would they be expected to know exactly why things exists as they do? Gods helped them understand.

God also helps us understand questions that are actually unanswerable at this time. For example, how was the universe created? Of course there's the scientific answer and then there's the religious answer. We, as human beings, fear the unknown. This is why we strive so hard to gain knowledge; we are far too curious for our own good. Yet God and organized religion provides a reason to not have to belief in steady evolution. God created us in his own image, and thus we are all his children. There's no other understanding necessary.

And now for fear. This actually really depends on my original idea that the thought that an afterlife exists is only to serve to quell the fears of the people. If they cannot complete their life goal in their living form, they can do it in their spiritual form, of course! Anything is possibly in Heaven, after all.

But fear also exists when we speak about death of the physical form. I'm going to be frank: Nobody likes the thought of dying. Some people state that they are not afraid to die, but in reality, I believe unless you'd be willing to end your life at any time, you aren't exactly embracing death's cold grip with open arms. But that's okay, right? With a Heaven, you can always continue to exist. You never truly stop existing. You die, but you don't die.

And so I believe I've answered as much as I can that could somewhat relate to the topic, except where ghosts stem from. Ghosts are commonly thought of as the negative type of spirits. In a way, they can be related to anti-angels, or demons. But that's a totally different discussion debate, so...

Anyway, why was Hell created? Well, I personally believe that Hell was created perhaps to illustrate the negatives to committing a crime. Again we stem back to the earlier times where no true organized crime combatant force was established. How do you stop people from committing terrible acts? You give them a reason not to. Their punishment for stealing, pillaging, beating, raping? Eternal damnation. Sounds like a pretty easy way to persuade me out of doing anything horrible.


So in closing, ghosts don't exist because spirits don't exist because an afterlife doesn't exist because religion is heavily based off of fear and a want to understand things.


Phew.

[Candy Man]

Here's how I look at ghosts from a religious standpoint:

Heaven is good enough that no one would leave. and Hell is unescapable. I'm not saying stuff isn't haunting people, just that it isn't your dead relatives tiffed about you moving their headstone. In my opinion, no one who's crossed over has any reason to give a crap about your life.

[Phoenix]

I, too, believe that when I die, I'll become a translucent version of myself. It only makes sense.

[Alaude Drenxta]

The soul is a non-physical, invisible thing.

Why would a ghost be someone's soul?

Ectoplasm? What the hell is that? Science fiction.


No, ghosts aren't real.

[Mythological Omega]

I don't, but the people I work with sure as hell do. Ghosts have never made sense to me.

[Seraph]

Yes, but things such as earth spirits? NO.