Is it wrong for a Christian to write ghost stories?

1. 86

   Joel Diffendarferposted 9 years ago

   Is it wrong for a Christian to write ghost stories?
   
   I have always loved to read and write ghost stories (not gore).  I consider my self a born again Christian.  Do you think, as a Christian, it is "wrong"?  I personally do not. In all of my stories, "good" wins over "evil".  What do you think?
   
   

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2. 55

   DannoManposted 9 years ago

   I believe it is no more wrong than it would be for a woman to write about male emotions, for a soldier to write about the Peace Corps, or for a coal miner to write about a trapeze act. If you can't take an objective viewpoint about something, then, yes, it could be a problem for you in some way. And if as a sort of moral theme you are injecting religion into the stories as it seems from what you said, then the only conflict would be if you, yourself, were internally conflicted about your religion.
   
   Those who are insecure about what they believe, to the extent that they feel they must press religious issues onto every facet of their lives (and everyone else's, too), are the people most susceptible to pangs of conscience if they wander any distance from religious promotion. Those who are secure in what they believe are more comfortable reacting to the different influences of life without fear of feeling negative about their religion, their knowledge, or their self control.
   
   So, I do anticipate some interesting answers appearing here.

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3. 86

   Joel Diffendarferposted 9 years ago

   Wow, DannoMan, great response!  Most of my ghost stories do have a "religious" side to them but usually revolve around misguided beliefs.  Thanks for your comment; much appreciated!

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      DannoManposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      You're very welcome. Thank you for the compliment.

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4. 60

   motherbeastlyposted 9 years ago

   As a Christian you have beliefs which are important to you.  As long as you are not having a conflict with those beliefs when you write then I don't see the problem.  Ghosts are part of our history, real or imagined.  They don't have to be good or bad they can be. like living people, a mixture of both.  I should think you could have as much fun with them as you can with living people and I hope you do.  Enjoy your writing and keep your Christianity intact. Good luck.

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5. 72

   Brain Baldwinposted 9 years ago

   The only thing wrong with Christians writing within the horror genre is to keep in mind that there is no scripture support for any ghost other than the holy ghost. This is not to say that people do not have ghost stories but rather that any ghost story that seems to have supportable evidence is most likely the product of demonic activity of which there is ample scriptural support. All of this is only based on the available information from a Christian stance.

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      alancaster149posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      The Roman Catholic Church - after much soul-searching and debate at 'directorial' level - will still sanction exorcisms. Their official line is 'No! - but...,'

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      John Crawfordposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      There is plenty of scripture that talks about ghosts, although divination is seen as evil, such as in the case where King Saul sought a diviner. The key is that we should trust in God and His plan for our lives.

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6. 75

   alancaster149posted 9 years ago

   Belief in ghosts pre-dates Christianity, Joel. In more than one Icelandic or Norse saga ghosts play their part in warning of danger or in curses. When Harald Sigurdsson was in a prison cell in Constantinople - he had been accused by the empress Zoe of theft from the emperor in revenge for spurnin her advances - he saw his half-brother Olaf, who aided his timely escape. King Olaf and he had fought at Stiklestad in Norway and the wounded Harald was spirited away by well-meaning friends. In Iceland one odious character had been buried standing up at the threshhold of his house. After a nasty haunting he was dug up and buried head down. No more hauntings!
   All cultures have spirits of some sort or another, whether drug-induced or in being receptive. Christianity has its own ghosts, regarded as 'visions' of saints and so on. In the Middle Ages persistent belief in visions could get you a burning for heresy, as with Joan of Arc (although political skulduggery had a hand in her fate).

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      John Crawfordposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I would agree that with Joan of Arc, it was more the politics. She is revered in the Church today as a Saint. The real Saint Nicholas was visited by both Jesus and Mary when he was defrocked for hitting the heretic Arius over the head during council.

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7. 56

   Edwin Brownposted 9 years ago

   Nah, just so you don't make them believable. Harmless fun.  It is true that
   "ghosts" may exist (the souls of the dead) but I don't believe God is likely in
   most cases to let them reveal themselves to those living on earth.

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   1. 0

      John Crawfordposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      If that were so, then explain the transfiguration (see Matthew 17:1–9, Mark 9:2-8, Luke 9:28–36, and 2 Peter 1:16–18). Or  where the angel Gabriel announces the birth of John the Baptist and of  our Lord Christ Jesus in the first chapter of Luke.

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8. 95

   Phyllis Doyleposted 9 years ago

   I do not believe it is morally wrong for a Christian to write ghost stories. You have the gift of writing and that is a divine thing.

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9. 66

   Dr. Arthur Ideposted 9 years ago

   Zombies, ghosts, and various other "creatures of the night" are represented in the bible making both books: the New and Old Testaments more legendary than historical. read more

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   1. 86

      Joel Diffendarferposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Dr. Arthur Ide, your article Zombies and Ghost in the Bible, is a great source of historic reference on the topic.  Thanks for your comment and follow up article.

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      John Crawfordposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Heresies were dealt with by both St. Peter and St. Paul in the earliest days of the Church (see Acts 8:9–24, Galatians 5:16-21).
      
      "Flee from devious desecrators' empty voices and contrary false knowledge." (1 Tim. 6:20)

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10. 68

    connorjposted 9 years ago

    Oh My Holy Ghost (OMHG), is it wrong to write about ghost stories? I would text, absolutely not. Literally why in God's name would it?

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11. 82

    peachpurpleposted 9 years ago

    nope, every catholic and christian know that ghost do not exist, just a fictional stories, nothing wrong with writing for passion

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       John Crawfordposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       Catholics do believe in souls and spirits. Angels are spiritual creatures. Demons are as well - they are the fallen angels. Humans are spiritual creatures due to God's breath of life breathed into us. Christians recieve the Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost.

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12. 87

    Jodahposted 9 years ago

    No way Joel, just write about whatever you enjoy ..that said and being a Christian, pornography may not be a good idea
    I love a good ghost or horror story. If you can't write about thing you can't be objective. I love books by Frank Peretti, a Christian author but some of his books seem to be subjects far from Christian however they all teach a lesson or have a good moral outcome.

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    1. 86

       Joel Diffendarferposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       Yes, Jodah, I too enjoy Peretti's works.  And yes, he is a great example of how to do both.  Thanks for both the encouragement and comments!  "Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead!"

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13. 60

    FreakFranposted 9 years ago

    Well, in Brazil, people often practice both spiritism and catholicism... even though the church probably doesn't recognize the existence of ghosts, there is a belief in manifestations of sacred spirits, so I don't think it's wrong for you to write ghost stories. What is more, writing is art and it doesn't necessarily should be limited by religious beliefs

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       John Crawfordposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       The Church recognizes the Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost. The Church also recognizes the souls of the dead in Heaven, Purgatory, and in Hell. She also recognizes the angels and demons/fallen angels as creatures of spirit, and thus 'ghosts'.

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14. 90

    Cardisaposted 9 years ago

    I'm a Christian. My mom is a Reverend and she doesn't believe that any story genre I write is wrong, except for erotic stories. I write dark fiction, paranormal and romance.

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15. 83

    M. T. Dremerposted 9 years ago

    So long as that writing doesn't interfere with the beliefs you value, then I don't see anything wrong with it. One of the great things about fiction writing is that people of all different beliefs and ideologies can relate through the craft.

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16. 67

    Lady Guinevereposted 9 years ago

    Whatever comes to you through the muses or the holy ghosts is good, no?  You are creative and you spread that creativity all around to others and inspire them and share your world of writing.  The muses and or the Holy Ghost has been around since the first writer wrote a simple letter on a rock.  Christianity does not own your creativity or your words or your thoughts.  Though they are trying to really hard now.

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17. 0

    John Crawfordposted 9 years ago

    'Ghost' is the more traditional English translation of the Latin word 'spiritus', coming from the more Nordic/Germanic word 'geist'. It's dependent on which English translation of the Bible on whether, for instance, in Acts 2:38 it will have St. Peter say either, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost," as the King James does; or, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit," as the NIV does. The Greek calls the Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost Ἁγίου Πνεύματος (Hagiou Pneumatos). The illness pneumonia gets its name from this Greek word for spirit, which also means breath. This should hearken back to when Jesus breaths on the Apostles and says to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit." (John 20:22) This should further hearken back to the very beginning where God breaths upon Adam for Adam to be given the breath of life (Genesis 2:7).
    
    With that said, the whole Bible, in a sense, is a ghost story - that is, God's story of how He had sought from the beginning to give us life through His Holy Spirit. Our struggle, even from the beginning has been with the evil spirits and demons that seek to prevent us from remaining on God's good path for our lives. Certainly, ghost stories reflect this, and can be both entertaining and a way to express the spiritual realities of what we believe as Christians about God, good and evil, and the way we believe the good spiritual creatures of the angels aid us on the path of our Lord's salvation, and how the evil spiritual creatures of the demons try to prevent us from remaining on it.

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       Edwin Brownposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       John, I think you have done a fine job laying out the particulars regarded ghosts and spirits.  You obviously iknow your Bible and have a solid understanding of Christian theology.  Kudos

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       John Crawfordposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks Edwin. I would add the traditions of the Church, such as the apparitions of Mary, but will leave that for talk with those willing to accept Catholic orthodoxy.

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18. 61

    LELAND MICHAELposted 9 years ago

    FIRST OF ALL IT SEEMS THAT THE CHURCH OR RELIGION HAS TAKEN CONTROL OF MANY OF THE WORLDS POPULATION...AS ONE REPLY SAID GHOSTS OR SPIRITS HAVE BEEN THE TOPIC OF MANY CONVERSATIONS SINCE THE TIME OF JESUS I BELIEVE...I TO CLAIM TO BE CHRISTIAN AND I TO WAS TOLD THAT GHOST STORIES AND BELIEVING WAS DEMONIC AS IS ASTROLOGY WHICH TO BE HONEST I FEEL THAT THERE IS ALSO SOMETHING TO THAT...IN FACT I HAVE WITNESSED FOR MYSELF GHOSTS MORE THAN ONCE..AT THE TIME OF ONE SITUATION I THOUGHT "NO WAY" I'M IMAGINING THIS...THANK THE LORD I WAS WALKING MY DOG...BECAUSE AS I PASSED THIS ENTITY I NOTICED MY DOG NOT RESPONDING UNTIL SHE WAS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THIS SPIRIT....AND I EVEN SUBMITTED TWO STORIES TO A SITE FOR JUST THIS KIND OF THING AND I READ OTHERS WHO HAVE ALSO WITNESSED SPIRITS OR GHOST'S..ANYWAY YOU CARRY ON AND WRITE TELL OR WHATEVER IT IS YOU WANT TO DO AND DO NOT WORRY ABOUT WHAT THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION SAYS...JESUS SUPPOSED TO HAVE RISEN FROM THE DEAD...WHAT'S THAT ABOUT?..I FIND THOSE PEOPLE TO BE HYPOCRITES...MOST SO CALLED CHRISTIANS EXCEPT JOEL OLSTEEN...LOL

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19. 0

    GalaxyRatposted 7 years ago

    If you've been given the talent, use the talent, just in a way you think God wants you to. I haven't written books a little... let's say... wrong in a sense of evil sometimes winning. In the end, its depressing, but the good narrowly wins and is driven out of their home.

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20. 0

    GalaxyRatposted 7 years ago

    Is it? Depends how you look at it. read more

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21. 59

    Lea^posted 7 years ago

    In a word No. I am a Christian and do not believe that writing ghost stories is wrong. People like a good ghost story, and I for one believe in spirits.
    I have seen them, felt them, and even been comforted by their presence. My American Eskimo stuck around for a year after he passed away. His "presence" left when my female came along. I had another dog show herself after death as well. I have also seen human spirits; some peaceful, some not.
    As with any written subject, they can be perceived as evil or good. I think how you write and conclude the story is most important.

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    George Gormleyposted 7 years ago

    Ghost stories are usually about strange happenings in peoples lives or in the past. They not only tell a story of a ghost but normally describe a certain situation or culture, surly Christians believe in all saints day: When people who have lost a love one or some one close to them,  leaves a cigarette or a treat on the kitchen table in-respect of acknowledging their spiritual presents. This is usually carried out on the eve of all saints day, and to my knowledge this would be classed as an act of Christianity.

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       Ewentposted 7 years agoin reply to this

       I think writers all know that behind the essence of the word "ghost" becoming strange happenings and eerie wraithlike visions is more "human" imaging than fact.
       
       Catholics believe in "life everlasting" and immortality of their souls.

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23. 84

    Guckenbergerposted 7 years ago

    I am Christian of the Mormon variety. Many of us believe in angels (aka ghosts). There is a teaching that the veil between our world and the spirit world (where our spirits are said to go before the final judgment and it is also said to be all around us) is thin at times. I would state that writing stories about "ghosts" could only be an ethical  dilemma for you if you did it a certain way. I am having trouble imaging what that way might be, but - if it helps - I am a Christian who loves bone chilling stories in the dark!

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24. 51

    Thoiposted 7 years ago

    Yes, I think the same, "Good" wins over "evil"

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