The existence (or not) of ghosts

Yesterday's humourous article about ghosts has raised a number of very serious comments on the subject. That's what I love about you, my readers. You are so unpredictable and often you make me think.

So I thought, let's look at this subject seriously.

Do ghosts exist?

Christians, (and other religions), believe that we have a soul which does not die when we do, but lives on into eternity in a spiritual world - in a spiritual form. Some people believe that we will be resurrected body AND soul. But let us not complicate matters further right now. Let us settle with the fact that we have a soul that lives on after our bodily death.

In fact, according to C S Lewis, "You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body".

So, we have a soul that lives on after our death and is either in Heaven or hell. Let us presume here that the decision is made immediately at our death. Hence the commonly held belief that our loved ones are in Heaven now, and not in some waiting-room somewhere reading out of date magazines that have been re-cycled from the dentist or doctor.

In fact, in the Bible, in Jesus' parable about the rich man and poor Lazarus at his gate, we learn that they are both in their final destination now; and not in a holding place somewhere.

So I thought I'd check what my (Catholic) church says on the matter. Surprisingly, they do not have an official policy or teaching on the existence, or otherwise of ghosts. But they do have a strict policy and ruling that thou shalt not communicate with the other side. So any séance, Luigi boards, or mediums trying to talk to the dead is strictly prohibited.

So the church believes, like all Christians do, that we have an ever living soul but you should not attempt to communicate with it.

Let us therefore look at evidence in the Bible. When Jesus was transfigured on the mountain, (Matthew 17:1-9), the disciples saw Moses and Elijah (who had not yet resurrected) with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. So, presumably they had seen the spirits/souls of Moses and Elijah. Can we call them their ghosts?

In Matthew 14:26, when the disciples saw Jesus walking on the lake towards their boat they thought Jesus himself was a ghost; indicating that they at least had an idea of ghosts. Jesus did not correct them by saying ghosts don't exist.

Appearing after His resurrection to the disciples, rather than correct the very idea of ghosts, Jesus simply says He isn’t one, "Look, I have a body. Ghosts don't. Look at my hands and side". (Luke 24:37-39).

Having said all this, the Catholic Church believes in apparitions of many Saints over the years. So presumably, these apparitions are the souls/spirits/ghosts of these people who at one time were alive and they are now dead. 

What the Catholic Church does affirm, however, is that God has from time to time permitted departed souls to commune with people on earth for their betterment — but the exact nature of that communication, (whether by an intellectual sharing or a physical manifestation), has not been defined theologically.

Some time ago I communicated by e-mail with one of my readers here on this blog. 

The reader asked: If God wanted to, can He allow a certain dead person to go back to earth to serve God's purpose? In my view, the answer is YES - God can do anything. 

The next question then is: Does God do that? Does He send people (souls) back to earth to serve His purpose? We don't know the answer, but I see no reason why He does not do so.

God sent Angels many times on earth to announce to Mary about Christ's birth, to announce to the shepherds the same thing, and to warn Joseph to go to Egypt. 

So why can He not send souls from Heaven to visit earth to serve His purpose - perhaps to protect us? 

In fact, this raises the question: Are Angels souls of those who have died and gone to Heaven? Do souls in Heaven somehow become Angels?

Whilst we have no answer to those questions, and they are not raised in the Bible, apart from the fact that Angels exist, we can assume that if God wanted to He could make souls in Heaven Angels, and He could send them to various missions on earth.

I once discussed this matter with a priest I know well. He said that every day he talks to his dead parents. He says, "Mum and dad, I love you. Please pray to God to look after me".

On a different, but related, matter. Catholics do NOT pray TO the dead or TO the Saints. They ask their dead relatives and the Saints to pray to God FOR them. To intercede on their behalf. To put in a good word for them. A bit like you giving me a good reference when I apply for a job, or writing a good review about my books.

This thing about praying to the dead and the Saints is often confused by many Catholics. But then, in my experience, a lot of Catholics are a confused lot.

So in summary, there you have it. Souls exist. They appear to (some) of us. They communicate with us when God allows them. We should not communicate with them.

Are they ghosts? Your guess is as good as mine.