With the help of this subreddit, as well as my faith and lots of research, I’ve become more convinced of an afterlife. But grief still hits like a freight train. Does it ever disappear because you are so happy about what comes next?
Are our loved ones in the afterlife longing to be reunited with us? Do they grieve the time spent apart - either sorrow for having left early or impatience for us to join them? Or are they at peace with a wisdom about time that perhaps we don’t have during earthly life?
I love chocolate and pens, so I asked for this much appreciated Kaweco Sport for my birthday. It’s sold by Fontoplumo in the Netherlands in milk chocolate color, with silver or gold accents. I got a broad nib. 🍫
Through my Bible readings and also from trying to learn from many sources, I have come to understand that communications with deceased loved ones are contrary to the Bible. I understand that witchcraft and divination are forbidden. That makes sense: no one can predict the future, and efforts to manipulate the physical laws of nature through magic are not God’s will (nor does anyone have this power).
But what about deceased relatives that people see before they pass, or near-death experiences (in which deceased relatives are sometimes seen)? Is there anything in Catholicism that would require us to disbelieve or discredit these experiences? For instance, could pre-death visions be another example of God’s grace and deep love for us?
Does anyone have any views on how to distinguish these (or not) from prohibited communications with the deceased?
All opinions and perspectives are welcome.
The Old Testament contains clear warnings against trying to communicate with the dead (e.g., prohibitions against mediums, necromancy, and spiritists in passages like Deuteronomy 18:10-12 and Leviticus 19:31). Yet in the New Testament, Jesus actively brings the dead back to life (raising Lazarus, the widow’s son, Jairus’ daughter, etc.).
New Testament prohibitions: Can someone please list any direct or indirect New Testament passages that prohibit communicating with the dead? (I haven’t found any explicit ones like in the Old Testament, but I may be missing something.)
Induced After-Death Communication (IADC) in grief counseling: From what I understand, it’s a therapeutic technique (often using a modified form of EMDR therapy) that helps grieving people experience a spontaneous, internal sense of communication or reassurance from their deceased loved one. It’s done in a clinical setting by a trained counselor, not through a medium or séance, and the goal is simply to process deep grief and find peace.
Would a reasonable biblical interpretation permit a grieving person to prayerfully request (or be open to) a reassuring communication from a deceased loved one in this therapeutic context?
In other words: Does the New Testament in any way modify the Old Testament condemned practice of actively seeking communication with those who have passed? In therapy, no external spirit is being summoned and the person could simply be asking God, in prayer, for comfort from their profound grief that might come through a sensed presence of, or communication from, their loved one? Or does the Bible still view any form of post-death contact as off-limits?
All opinions appreciated.
How can I deepen my faith that God is a personal God? By that I mean a God who knows and loves each of us individually and eternally. As a Christian, I read the Bible, but grief and difficult times have given me periods of doubt. I was wondering if there were other theological or philosophical reasons for believing this to be true. Perspectives from any religious backgrounds and references to podcasts or books would be helpful.