Question: Atheists: how do you explain ghosts and demons? unexplained phenomena?

(Posted by: Ronny on 2009-07-28 09:45:23)

WellTrav: I guess diagnosing someone with a mental illness is the easy way out, huh? Demons are very complicated. You can't subject them to a test and expect an answer. Like you said, if it's unexplained...it can be anything from a ghost to a leaking pipe. Unexplained does not rule ANYTHING out. See what I mean? :D Andonai: Demons/ ghosts don't validate the bible? Than why are they mentioned in it? It's true by the way.

Posted by: Truth Chick on 2009-07-28, 09:49:51

Ummm you already did: "Unexplained phenomena " And I know plenty of atheists that claim to have seen ghosts. Even Atheists can be in the crazy bin.

Posted by: Grand Poobah on 2009-07-28, 09:50:05

No evidence = nothing to explain

Posted by: skeptik on 2009-07-28, 09:50:15

I would explain the phenomena that some people interpret as ghosts and demons by saying that they are currently unexplained. Calling them ghosts and 'demons is NOT 'unexplained.'

Posted by: Wild Sage on 2009-07-28, 09:50:54

I'm not an atheist, but most people who don't believe in ghosts think that ghost believers are either lying or delusional.

Posted by: Thunder and Lightning on 2009-07-28, 09:51:21

There's no evidence for ghosts or demons. Unexplained phenomena are... unexplained. That simply means the causes are unknown at this time.

Posted by: Timmy on 2009-07-28, 09:52:47

I'm Christian, but those types of things should never be messed with. It can mess you up. I think what you mean are ghosts and demons that you clearly encounter (actual spirits) and unexplained phenomena like doors closing, radio turning on...etc? It's easy to understand what you're saying....doesn't take a genious lol

Posted by: Oberon on 2009-07-28, 09:53:07

No such thing see, easily explained.

Posted by: BadTwitch on 2009-07-28, 09:53:13

Grand exaggerations of perfectly explainable situations.

Posted by: Allie Q on 2009-07-28, 09:53:23

Ghosts and demons don't exist. Unexplained phenomena would be a phenomena that has not yet been explained. Everything has a real and natural cause, even if we do not yet know what it is. The supernatural is nothing but our imaginations, superstitions, and lack of understanding.

Posted by: Zith on 2009-07-28, 09:54:01

Give me some evidence. Just because something is unexplainable doesn't mean god or spirituality is th answer. People used to think that stars in the sky were mythical beasts or gods, because they were "unexplained phenomena. " Guess what? Science demonstrated that they were actually gigantic balls of hydrogen and helium gas.

Posted by: lainiebsky on 2009-07-28, 09:54:02

I don't believe that either exists. How do Christians explain ghosts if they believe that all dead people go immediately to either heaven or hell?

Posted by: the passenger on 2009-07-28, 09:55:07

I don't. they're not real until i see evidence.

Posted by: misslabeled on 2009-07-28, 09:55:23

Unexplained phenomena is only that--unexplained. If you knew it was ghosts or demons, you'd have proof and wouldn't ask the question.

Posted by: JOExHIGASHI on 2009-07-28, 09:55:33

I can't explain the unexplained. OMG I just proved Thor is the reason dogs a bark and why Xbox is better than playstation.

Posted by: marryingak on 2009-07-28, 09:56:10

The same way we explain god...they aren't real

Posted by: starpenta on 2009-07-28, 09:58:01

If you're looking for explanations of neurological phenomena, you might want to study the subject...or take a look in the science section. I have learned so much already from years of reading psychology books and watching 'ghost' shows (which almost ALWAYS can easily be attributed to some kind of psychosis-same thing as many UFO sightings), I can't even begin to explain it all here.

Posted by: transgender on 2009-07-28, 09:58:05

Well i haven't witnessed any myself and seeing is believing but as for watching shows like the haunted or haunting ion the Discovery channel. being that i myself have written, directed, produced, edited, and acted in films know that you can make anything believable on screen even when its fake and make it look real so even on television and movies it is hard to separate fiction from reality so. can i explain it no i cant but only because i haven't experienced it

Posted by: WellTraveledProg on 2009-07-28, 09:59:45

Why do I have to explain "unexplained " things? Isn't saying they're unexplained enough, do we we need to *make up* explanations for them? Actually, there are a number of levels of things at work in the "ghosts and demons " categories. First, the overwhelming majority of so-called "sightings " of ghosts or demons (or whatever) are easily explained natural phenomena or easily proven issues with perception within your own mind. That's not "unexplained, " it's explained very well and all-naturally. Out of all the so-called "sightings " of such things, there are *perhaps* a dozen (out of millions and millions) that might fit in the "unexplained " category. Those very few are specific events for which there is at least a small amount of objective evidence, and for which we currently can't explain how things happened. Even these are problematic, since the issue with them is almost always a *lack of evidence,* not a lack of explanation. For those few, the simple answer is "unexplained. " That means "unexplained, " not "it's a ghost from another dimension sent by god to warm us of demons! " :) There's something else to consider: every time -- EVERY SINGLE TIME -- so-called ghosts or demons are put to fully objective tests under controlled circumstances, they fail the test. Every time. Either natural explanations are found for what appears to be a ghost or demon, or nothing happens out of the ordinary. That would seem to indicate that for the very few "unexplained " instances we have, that there are natural explanations, we just don't have enough data to say what they are. In other words: there are no ghosts or demons. It's usually tricks of the way our minds perceive things. There's no evidence to show they're real. Peace.

Posted by: Ishtar on 2009-07-28, 10:05:23

Hallucinations. Delusions. Mistaken identifications. Natural phenomena (like mental illness instead of demons). And yes, probably some things we can't explain yet.

Posted by: Adonai on 2009-07-28, 10:15:04

I'm not athiest, but... Not all personalities are physical. The physical "life " is an exception to,life and not a rule of life. Is all life spritual? No, we can see that in this world absent bothering to look in another. Was Saddam Hussien or Adolf Hitler spritual in nature? No, I doubt they were. Evidence that life need not be spritual. A ghost is a non-physical personality. Ghost as you say is a bad term as the implications are that the entity is not human, yet they are simply disembodied persoanilty's residing in what I call the border-lands between "here and there ". There meaning a stable existence of higher learning in a non-physical state. Ghost are personality's that elect to remain near dense materiel realms such as Earth. They are attracted to Earth rather strongly and have not yet fully shifted their mental-focus away from their former existence. It may surprise you to know Ghost most often are unaware of their physical passing and are confused by their surroundings; Ghost sometimes view the physcally "alive " as the ghost due to confusion. In such states "time " is not a factor as it is not often percieved as the Ghost state is not unlike a dream-state as it again is not "clear focus ". Demons: Demons are often interpreted as Validation of the "Devil " and further validations of the "bible " and "God " as described in the bible. What mankind has failed learn, again, is that all life is not spritual and all life is not physical. Demons as you say, are no more connected to the "bible and God " in true reality than Christ was connected to the Bibles interpretation of his truths. Many things occure and man simply sees what he wants to see and records it as same. In a good v evil sense there is some validity there, but not in a bible sense. As mankind creats by thought he is also responsible for many demons existence. Within this physical realm creation of mankinds environment is mankinds inside views being projected Outward. Man interprets such views as only he can, by what he feels it is Inside. A flood is a flood, yet to one whom sees God as a punisher, well, obviously God sent the flood for mans "wicked ways "; I tell you this is untrue. Within a non-physical realm things are reversed. Mankinds spritual self is projected inwards, or mankind experiences "life " from inside his spiritual self and his views change from outside viewing to inside veiwing. I tell you many pulpet pounders will wish they had not dremt of such wiked demons as they may face them head on only to find they can dispell such nonsense at will. Ghost and demons validate life, not religions. For the athiest whom believes in nothing they are often difficult to awaken "after death " as they slumber away, yet this is temporary and just as temporary as they internally wish it. They shall awaken to truths as well as fundementalist Christains will when they alone accept truths and set aside childish belief systems.