Christians and the Paranormal
We are living in a paranormal, spirit-filled world. Today, secular thought and reductionist philosophies abound in the modern age within our educational systems. The real world is, however, a mysterious place. Those who claim to live in the mundane and predictable do not have eyes to see. Jesus often says, “having eyes to see, and ears to hear.” This means that not everyone can understand the deep meanings of the spiritual realm.
Some, and perhaps a growing number, experience spiritual phenomena of one type or another but are reluctant to speak about it, fearing criticism.
Some studies support that many face odd occurrences without causal explanations but feel isolated from sharing their experiences and suffer silently. Some seek out others with similar experiences, forming cults, psychiatric care, or new religions that help them understand what they are experiencing. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6250805/)
Even within Evangelical churches, some still cling to the supernatural from a particular perspective. The following was taken from a recent article where an Evangelical leader claims witchcraft created the poor debate performance of former President Trump:
The “witchcraft” theory drew mockery. Pundits of all political persuasions slammed Trump’s poor performance. Wallnau was an early supporter of Trump and has previously alleged “mind control and witchcraft” tactics from the media to take down the GOP nominee; claimed Harris represents “the spirit of Jezebel in a way that will be even more ominous than Hillary [Clinton] because she’ll bring a racial component and she’s younger,” likened Trump to biblical King Cyrus and has promoted Trump’s 2020 election lies.
Earlier this year, NBC News reported that Wallnau said the deadly Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters “was not an insurrection” but instead “an election fraud intervention.”[1]
While many Christians have deserted claims of the supernatural, some look to the paranormal to explain occurrences that either move in their preferred direction or against their preference. The trouble is discerning if God is really for or against our desires and what spirit is giving the information.
Because an occurrence or series of occurrences move in one direction or another is not a rubber stamp of God’s approval or His direct influence. Is the movement for our good or not? We know all things work for good for those who love the Lord — but not necessarily in the short term or how we think.
I mentioned earlier that most modern churches abandoned those facing odd and abnormal phenomena as merely psychological illnesses, illusions, fantasies, delusions, or other imaginary episodes. The desire to minimize the impact of the unseen in the modern world has, in effect, stifled spiritual experiences and moved toward crippling the gospel’s power. Few want to live in a demon-haunted or angel-infested world as our ancestors did, so it is easy to turn to science and reductionist thinking to take the fear out of life.
As a side note, that is why the Book of Enoch was omitted from the canon of scripture. It is a scary story of spiritual warfare and non-human and human interactions that make many uncomfortable.
The idea that there is an invisible realm and that as Christians, we must act and believe as if it exists for it to exist is mind-boggling. However, that is precisely what the Bible requires, as they walk by faith. There is no way to please God if we do not believe He exists. If we think He exists, we must believe what he reveals as part of that existence.
The only source we have about God in Christianity is the Bible — and the Bible is a supernatural story. It makes absolutely no sense at all without that component. Anything else is making things up with our own imagination and thoughts — baseless without any foundation.
We humans have an enormous capacity for imagination. We can create in our minds the world we desire to envision. How do we know the difference between an illusion (or delusion) and evidence of the supernatural? I admit, this frightens me. I am challenged to step out on the assumption that the unseen exists.
My natural tendency is to seek the comforts of the known as proposed by scientific fact, yet I realize there are few scientific facts. Most are theories and still need to be heavily built on reproducible facts. Strong opinions and scientific clout sustain many popular theories. I’m reminded that Albert Einstein was humble enough to claim that it only takes one exception to disprove his theories. Attempting to prove that all crows are black isn’t the primary assumption in the scientific method; all you need to do is show one white crow and the assumption fails.
Today, we experience multiple changes in the assumptions of science. Many theories come and go, and many fade away after years of support. The reach of science is limited as many assumptions cannot be tested. So, much of science is based on faith — a faith that reality is indeed predictable reality. Science is constantly in flux; there are no absolute facts. Each slight increase in knowledge generates more questions. It’s complicated and unwise to place complete confidence in the findings of science.
The message of the gospel in Christianity can be uncomfortable for some. The Bible is a story that portrays the relationship between humans and the supernatural. However, some view it as a collection of ridiculous tales and myths. While I do not accept this theory, the modern age of scientism and materialism has made such doubts possible. Today’s Christians are caught between two realities: the kingdom to come and the kingdom is already here. Better said, the kingdom now extends from the invisible realm into our hearts by the presence of the Holy Spirit.
[1] Pastor Claims ‘Witchcraft’ To Blame For Donald Trump’s Bad Debate (msn.com)
