Should Christian Counselors Give Credence to Ghost Stories?
As Christian Counselors, it is the duty to not only help people mentally but also spiritually. With this in mind, what if a client speaks of ghost stories or things that go bump in the night?
In answer to the heading, as Christians, we all believe in ghosts or spirits. We should also take credence in most ghost stories. Of course subjective elements of the person’s mental health should guide us in whether or not it is a legitimate story or not.
Since Christianity accepts the reality of a spiritual world and the tearing of the soul from the body due to death, one must accept ghosts and their interaction with the physical world as a metaphysical reality. Our faith dictates it. All to many times, we separate ghosts from the soul when in reality the soul is basically a ghost!
The biggest metaphysical question is where does the soul go after death. Christianity universally proclaims the soul goes to Heaven or Hell, but many within Christianity also believe in a temporary middle ground. Some would call this Purgatory. While primarily a Catholic doctrine and rejected by most Protestants, the idea of Purgatory as a state of further purification before entry into Heaven could explain the existence of ghosts who serve their time on Earth?
Other explanations include attachments or unfinished business of the soul, while other explanations are the souls of the damned who haunt the living as they suffer their separation from God in a permanent state of Hell.
With so many ghost stories, I am sure some are legend, but also since it is such a universal human experience, I would be less than inclined to deny it as science attempts to do. The reality is, we are all ghosts, just some of us still have our bodies!
If you are interested a Christian Counseling Certification, then please review the program. The Christian Counseling Training Program consists of core courses that the qualified professional must complete to become certified in the Christian Counseling Training Program.
Happy Halloween!
Mark Moran, MA