So every time I visit Indonesia, I visit my adoptive grandparents from my dad's side. When my father was young, he ran away from a broken family. His parents were divorced and his father was abusive. For a short time, my dad stayed with his uncle until he ended up with my adoptive grandparents.

My adopted grandfather whom I call Opa, has a sixth sense. He can talk to and see spirits. All over his house, he has icons from various religions from Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, etc. He has a bunch of traditional swords and daggers, a petrified lobster (seriously), and rocks that are shaped like people. He has one rock hanging on the ceiling that's shaped like a Human head so he gave it fake hair, eyes, nose, mouth, and a mustache. Another rock is shaped like a person crouching so he gave it a dress and hair. On his table, he always has his Ouija board to contact spirits.

Even with all of that weird shit in the house and the spirits that often show up there, I have a weird sense of calmness there. In his house, I always feel so calm, relaxed, all worries were forgotten. Whenever my family has problems, we come to him for advice. Just today, my sister told him that she sees a ghost in our house. The ghost was like a skeleton, a very skinny person with brown skin. She said the ghost would sometimes turn on the lights when she's by herself in her room. He told her he doesn't mean anything harm and whenever he turns on the lights for her, just say thank you.

My house back in the US, ever since we built a new room as a piano room for my mom, whatever spirit was bothered by it seems to be attached to me. I don't know, every time I'm by myself in that room, I felt something watching me. The temperature would drop when I'm there alone. Even when I'm not in the room, something I always have the need to stare at the piano room. Well, I don't know what he told my parents, but every week, they go pick flowers from random places, and spread them in our backyard. Ever since then, activity mostly ceased.

Well today, after a lengthy conversation between my family and my Opa, he told us, God has many helpers. Each helper does something whether it's watching over the ocean or the sky. I told him, "So like the Greek or Egyptian Gods?" He answered with a yes. He believes, while most people are quick to dismiss the ancient Gods as myths, he believes they are real and are actually helpers of God. Opa used to say, don't be so quick to dismiss other religions. I failed to ask him, Satan has helpers too, could his helpers have also posed as some of the ancient Gods?

Well I'm gonna sleep over at his house tonight so I'd like to hear your thoughts about all this.

There's no wifi there so I won't be able to see any responses though.

Neat

6053060

The temperature would drop when I'm there alone.

A person can feel hot or cold regardless of the actual temperature. You should buy yourself a thermometer and measure the actual temperature. If the temperature objectively dropped without any outside causes, you'd be breaking ground with your research.

As for the part of the ghost, if there are really so many ghosts floating around, why has none of them agreed to an interview yet? Either they aren't there or they don't want to have anything to do with us. If one chooses to ignore me, I ignore them back. That's what my relationship with ghosts is.

Spirits are real, both good and evil. I don't like talking about the evil ones or what they can do, because that invites them and gives them power.

Sounds like Opa knows this. He can feel them and keep the bad ones out.

I think of it this way: there is one great Holy Spirit. This is the one who speaks in a still small voice, is part of the Godhead (or Trinity, depending on your religion). This is the one to always listen to.
Now, every living thing also has a spirit, or soul. Some people can learn to tap into their spirit, and to sense on a spiritual level. Just as people can be good or evil, so can spirits.

I don't think that chi, ki, aura, or any other name for that is inherently good or evil. Just remember this council from the bible:
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

6053060
Sounds like he sees and helps good spirits.

6053060
6053551
If your Opa can really speak to dead people, fly him to America and take him to the James Randi Education Foundation and win $1,000,000. What's more than likely really happening is that he is fooling himself (and the rest of you) with cognitive bias. I'm not saying ghosts and gods aren't real, just that they have NEVER been proven to be real and there is no rational reason to believe in them. It's just superstition and your mind playing tricks on itself.

Spirits are real, both good and evil.

I don't believe you. Can you demonstrate this?

This is about the JREF.

This is a guy explaining why people sometimes believe things like ghosts and psychic powers etc...

6054602
Can you prove that you have a brain? Can you prove that you are feeling happy? Many things exist that are impossible to measure on an instrument or scale.

6054897

Many things exist that are impossible to measure on an instrument or scale.

I disagree in principle. You can't measure a black hole on a scale, but we can measure its effects empirically. If there is a thing that is not demonstrable then there is no good reason to believe in it. If you insist on believing it anyway you can only do so by making yourself believe. It is therefore literally make believe.

I would argue that i do have a brain, why? I can prove it by getting a doctor to cut open my skull or performing an X-ray or cat scan.

When talking about the feeling of happiness, that's not a 'thing' that can be weighed or measured, like you pointed out. It is a label that we place upon an experience that we evidently share. People that are experiencing happiness act and react in ways that are observably different from other emotions.

I don't want to put words in your mouth. What do you mean when you say 'spirits' and why do you believe they exist?

6054897 We can prove people have brain. We have a definition of what feeling happy is. There actually physical symptoms that accompany happiness. They can be measured. Everything that interacts with reality can be measured.

6054926

6053060

Well today, after a lengthy conversation between my family and my Opa, he told us, God has many helpers. Each helper does something whether it's watching over the ocean or the sky. I told him, "So like the Greek or Egyptian Gods?" He answered with a yes. He believes, while most people are quick to dismiss the ancient Gods as myths, he believes they are real and are actually helpers of God. Opa used to say, don't be so quick to dismiss other religions. I failed to ask him, Satan has helpers too, could his helpers have also posed as some of the ancient Gods?

The Bible puts it clearly, there is no other god, but The Lord. But His name is not just God, but is Yahovah(Some translators say its Yahweh.), from the original Hebrew it was translated from. satan, too is called the god of this world, as in, our sin drenched world, that he currently resides over, and rules-until the Messiah returns. Yahovah's helpers, are the angels, whom are I suppose are godlike, only in that they are immortal, and exceedingly powerful, but are not really gods.

I don't believe these things are really gods, but either spirits, or fallen angels, since angels are capable of changing form. The Bible mentions briefly that satan disguises himself as an angel of light, so these so called spirits or "gods" are more than likely, without a shadow of a doubt, demons who are spirits, or the fallen angels who work under satan. So the idea that these "gods" are god's helpers...well, it's not wrong.

It just depends on what god you are talking about? The One true God, Yahovah, or the pretender, known as satan? Because I'm pretty sure it's satan, and not the Creator Himself. Not to mention, the Bible explicitly forbids witchcraft, magic, or any form of divination with spirits, so already, this throws up red flags.

6058750

My copy of the bibbel doesn't call God Yanovah, so clearly you are mistaken about the spelling of His most holy name because my bibbel is the correct one. A demon may have replaced your bibbel when you were busy watching Veggie Tales and you are currently in danger of going to hell. Please get a correct bibbel you heathen.

This is a Christian forum and we do not tolerate having the wrong bibbel.

6058753
I meant from the original hebrew, from the dead sea scrolls it was translated from.
Course, I don't expect you, or much anyone else to believe me, or take this seriously, since most atheists seem to act like anyone that believes the Bible is stupid, or primitive.

6058786

I'm not an atheist.

I have never claimed to be an atheist.

I have in fact argued against atheism on multiple occasions.

6058792
Okay, I'll concede with you here, I have wrongly assumed you were an atheist. (and here's to hoping you aren't being sarcastic, but actually serious.) But you'll have to forgive me, It's really hard to see a difference when atheists themselves, more often than not, either remark with similar mocking tones-or they get offended and slam you with the worst claims in existence.

Because apparently different opinions and beliefs are not allowed, and virtue signalling is awesome.
Said no one ever. No one sane that is.

The day I posted that reply, I wasn't exactly in an agreeable mood, so I apologize there. But seeing how this group handles "Conversations with differering views" you say one thing that someone doesn't agree with or like-whether christian or atheist, you will get shit on. I could care less if someone disagrees with me, but please-can we be civil?