Question: CHRISTIAN Paranormal Investigators?

Aquila · #1 03-13-2013, 10:26 AM

While considering some of the experiences I've had recently I was surfing looking for advice and answers. Then I stumbled across this website:

Dayton Paranormal Investigators
http://www.daytonparanormalinvestigators.com/

Here is a portion of what they say about themselves on their website:

D.P.I. believes that a small team of highly trained, mature and experienced investigators is better suited for a thorough home or business investigation and best serves the client by being less invasive and more respectful of their homes and property. We do not use occult, pagan, wiccan, satanic, or any other alternative ritualistic methods. We do not use spirit communication devices like ouija boards, séances or table tipping. We do not use psychics, mediums, or sensitives. We only use proven investigative techniques and methods used by the church for thousands of years.

You will never see D.P.I. sneaking through graveyards or abandon buildings in the middle of the night. We don't go "ghost hunting" to get our kicks. We are not looking to be famous. We do what we do to help those in need. We help people who feel they have no where else to turn. We are respected in our field and offer over 15 years of experience.

Please use our contact form to tell us about your case.

The founder, Brenton Buckner, has a Pentecostal background. Here's an interview with him:

Paranormal Activity - Interview with Paranormal Investigator Brenton Buckner
http://voices.yahoo.com/paranormal-a...436.html?cat=7

Here is an exerpt from the interview:

While the church I was affiliated with was completely open to talking about angels and demons, ghosts were a different story. In most churches, the subject of ghosts is very taboo. To this day, most churches in America will not openly discuss the subject and anyone who does is usually admonished. Many churches teach that ghosts do not exist, but as a student of the Bible myself, I couldn't see that the Scripture was so clear cut on the subject. Much of what the church teaches on the subject is based on traditional translation of Scripture. In searching the Scripture for my own answers, I could not draw the same conclusions that many of my peers did. I saw a Bible full of the supernatural. I saw people able to communicate with the dead. I saw the ghost of a prophet speaking from the grave. I saw that the disciples themselves believed in ghosts.

Once I left the ministry, I was able to talk with other Christians about their belief in the supernatural and I found that many of them felt the same way as I did. Studies show that even though they are taught the contrary, more than one third of Christians believed in ghosts. I found that many of these same people were having experiences that they could not explain. They felt that they could not turn to the church for fear of being ridiculed or labeled as "possessed".

This generated some questions in my mind:

Can a "Christian" be a Paranormal Investigator?

What are ghosts?

Is this a worthy endevour/ministry?

Could it advance the Kingdom of God?

Please share your thoughts.

Aquila · #2 03-13-2013, 10:32 AM

A supplimental link:

The Christian Paranormal Network
http://www.christianparanormalnetwork.com/

Aquila · #3 03-13-2013, 11:06 AM

Paranormal investigations (and assumedly eliminations?):

Can a "Christian" be a Paranormal Investigator?

What are ghosts?

Is this a worthy endevour/ministry?

Could it advance the Kingdom of God?

Aquila · #4 03-13-2013, 11:23 AM

Ghosts...

Traditionally "ghosts" are believed to be demonic spirits. The basis of this logic is primarily based on the following Scripture:

Hebrews 9:27 (KJV)
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Since "the judgment" hasn't taken place yet... there really isn't a lot said about what happens after death. Speaking about born again believers, Paul states that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Therefore, we can conclude that a born again believer is taken to Heaven where they reside in the presence of the Lord until judgment.

We see this in Christ's parable of beggar and the rich man:

Luke 16:22
And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

Regarding the rich man, all that is said is that he was buried. The next thing we read is...

Luke 16:23 (KJV)
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Now, we are not told how his soul was taken to Hell. Did he materialize there? Did angels of God take him there? Was he taken there by demons? The Bible doesn't exactly say what happens to a soul that is abandoned by God. I imagine that since angels carry the elect to Heaven, the souls of the damned are taken captive by demons and taken to Hell.

So, that leaves an open possibility. What if demons choose not to take a soul to Hell, but to leave them abandoned and wondering in the spirit? Or what if a lost soul has to reconcile that they are dead and accept God's authority and judgment before they can "pass on" and be judged by God?

Just some questions on my mind.

God bless.

RandyWayne · #5 03-13-2013, 07:04 PM

Interesting.

I have not been online all day so only skimmed through the posts. I do believe that someone can bring a Christian outlook to paranormal investigating, and most definitely do not believe that every supernatural event or haunting is demon trying to deceive someone. There would be certain things I would NOT do that all your TV investigators do every episode (the Ghost Adventure guys being the most moronic), such as taunting spirits in order to get some recordable activity.