MLD, you said the idea of demons bothered you. If you consult a ouija board, isn't that kind of... asking for your fear to come true? I can't tell you what to do and what not to do. But my advice would be to avoid it at all costs.

~Riella

I simply don't understand why demons would pose as ghosts. So when people believe they are talking to the spirit of their deceased grandmother, they are really talking to a demon? One of my friends claims she talks to the spirit of her ex boyfriend who died in a tragic accident. Why would a demon pretend to be her ex boyfriend? Also, why are oouiji (sp) boards so bad? My friends and I might try one out a few weeks from now.

Speaking of those boards, my brother has an interesting story regarding them. He was at a friend's house, and his friend's father was a pastor who frequently engaged in the purging of demons or "foul spirits" as some would like to call them, I suppose.

Anyways, my brother, his friend, and his father all went over to someone's house who had been "messing" with one of these boards. The father said for everyone to hold hands, which they did, and they then prayed over the house. They remained there for an hour or so to see if anything spooky was going to happen afterwards. They decided it was time to leave after the hour had passed, and just at that moment in which they were about to leave, the board levitated itself and smashed itself repeatedly against a wall.

Let's see a materialist explain that!

MLD, you said the idea of demons bothered you. If you consult a ouija board, isn't that kind of... asking for your fear to come true?

People overcome their fears through action. I used to be scared of rollercoasters but then I went on a few and now I love them. I'm trying to eliminate fears from my life by tackling them head on.

MLD, you said the idea of demons bothered you. If you consult a ouija board, isn't that kind of... asking for your fear to come true?

People overcome their fears through action. I used to be scared of rollercoasters but then I went on a few and now I love them. I'm trying to eliminate fears from my life by tackling them head on.

That makes sense for unreasonable fears... But in this case, you might really have something to reasonably be afraid of. If demons are real, and you contact them, you're putting yourself in one of the most dangerous situations in existence. And on the other hand, if demons do not exist, why try to contact them? So, really, there is no good reason to use a ouija board. But plenty of reasons not to.

~Riella

I don't know whether demons exist or not...that's why I'd like to find out.

But would you be willing to put your life in danger to find out MLD? Like I said there are some experiments better left untested. Lets say hypothetically you weren't sure if you believed that a king cobra could kill you, would you really make one bite you, just to find out?

Enough with pleasantries. Messing with demons is a very stupid idea. Don't do it. Inviting them into your life for fun or to get proof of their existence, is just asking for trouble; trouble of the worst kind. Sometimes I really wonder why you even contemplate these things.

As for why demons might sometimes pretend to be loved ones, that would be because they love to mess with people, they're all about deception and preying on people's weaknesses to distract them from Jesus who is Truth. Same goes for aliens and ancient religions involving gods and goddesses.

In my own experience, the best way to overcome my fears of demons is to focus on God's strength.

I have heard stories about times when good has overcome considerable odds against evil. My pastor was in Rwanda during the genocide and he saved hundreds of potential victims through peaceful resistance measures. He was once unarmed with a bus of children. The children were from the tribe that was being murdered. My pastor got them through multiple check points- all with heavily armed guards at each who were instructed to kill any of this tribe trying to flee the country. My pastor with no weapons of his own and no identification for the children just told the truth, "I'm trying to take these orphans to Chad" and somehow he got through with alll of the children alive to a waiting orphanage in Chad.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21 NIV

I'm prone to agree with Warrior4Jesus a lot of stuff with demons is to distract us from how amazing God is and how much better our lives can be when we seek God.

Conina, I'm sure there was a lot of praying involved too. Great story of God's provision! Thanks for sharing.

Ok, MLD, I have a better analogy! Time travel. Who knows if it exists or not, but should we attempt it? What if try to go back in time? If we fail... no big deal guess it doesn't work, but if we succeed our very presence could change the past, and by changing the past we'd change the present and the future as well... what if we caused a nuclear war to break out, what if we caused our grandparents to never meet and therefore cast ourselves out of existence. Is that worth the risk? I personally think not

Hmm... No. I don't think that analogy works well at all. Your cobra analogy was better.

Just a quick jump in with my "two-cents-worth" so to speak.
I have a relative who was involved in witchcraft for many years. I guess she thought it was "cool'. Anyway, right now she is suffering for it. physically, and emotionally. I see someone who was literally used, and drained by the demonic spirits who used her.
I can tell you that it is both painful, and disturbing to see this in a loved one. MLD, Please, curiosity is the last reason anyone should risk so much. Heed the advice given here. If you desire some sort of spiritual knowledge, seek it from God's Word, not from some "toy".

I would love to time travel!!!!

I've been thinking about something. I had ankle surgery in February and while I was in convalescence I spent a lot of time reading Newsweek and World magazine. I have a hypothesis that the world is ending soon. Just with the smattering of civil uprisings all over the middle east and north Africa. Then there are the earth quakes and nuclear reactor debacle in Japan. Also, there are more Christian conversions going on in China than have ever happened at once anywhere in the world ever. What do you guys think, just coincidence or is the world coming to an end?

And you would be willing to break the space-time continuum to do it? Lets say you go back in time but you cause your grandparents to have never met? You wouldn't be able to enjoy it for very long would you? You wouldn't be able to fix it because you would no longer exist. It's the same as the cobra analogy. You'd risk your own life... except worse, you'd risk the fate of the world as well... That's the amount of danger involved in playing with the spirit world, MLD. Sure it may sound fun, but in truth it isn't if you won't be there to enjoy it.

Edit @Warrior, it was pointed out by others that it's "not the same because we know cobras exist and are dangerous," while I dissagree with that point, I am attempting to get to the same conclusion by ruling out these factors... After all two roads can lead to the same place (something you may want to consider MLD, think about it. Isn't there a safer way to learn, maybe you should just believe that someday you'll stumble across the answer without putting yourself at risk)

Edit 2: @Conina... I'm not sure. I mean on one hand we are always approaching the end, but on the other I don't think it will necesarrily happen on 12/21/12, after all only the Father knows when that day is... I have a few other beliefs that lead me to think its not happenning immediately as well. My own existence and job/destiny for one