Yes//No Way//Maybe

[blossom]

Scenario: Your young child got lost. The police have done all humanly possible to find him/her with no results. They recommend one final option to you that had some success in the past.....a psychic!! And you say.......

[Little Shepherd]

I say that I may be desperate, but I'm not stupid. And that while they are free to do what they want, I'm not going to endorse pagan nonsense like that. The situation is incredibly serious, and going to a psychic is essentially treating the situation as a joke. I wouldn't be pleased that they'd even bring it up.

[blossom]

One big.."No Way"
Thanks for your input bro.
Anyone else care to comment?

[Thespia]

I can project myself saying yes, because I know at that point I would be crazed with desperation and wanting the child back. The police usually don't ask you first, anyway.

I'm not saying that psychics are right.

[Soyeong]

No way! It's like asking if you wanted something really, really badly, would you be willing to place your trust in something other than God in order to get it? Or just in case God doesn't come through for me, I need to have all my bases covered. By looking to others, you are not trusting God completely.

[blossom]

I can project myself saying yes, because I know at that point I would be crazed with desperation and wanting the child back. The police usually don't ask you first, anyway.

I'm not saying that psychics are right.

Interesting....You may be right. The police might do it without asking.

[blossom]

No way! It's like asking if you wanted something really, really badly, would you be willing to place your trust in something other than God in order to get it? Or just in case God doesn't come through for me, I need to have all my bases covered. By looking to others, you are not trusting God completely.

well...yes and no....we go to medical doctors for illness...do you believe that is not completely trusting God?

[Soyeong]

We trust God to guide the doctors and give them wisdom, but if those doctors go to other spiritual forces besides God, then you are going to the wrong doctor.

[Thespia]

We trust God to guide the doctors and give them wisdom, but if those doctors go to other spiritual forces besides God, then you are going to the wrong doctor.

So do you research a doctor's beliefs before you go see him?

[shunyadragon]

We trust God to guide the doctors and give them wisdom, but if those doctors go to other spiritual forces besides God, then you are going to the wrong doctor.

Could it be possible that the psychic relying on God for his/her guide?

[Little Shepherd]

Could it be possible that the psychic relying on God for his/her guide?No. They may appeal to their deities, but those deities are fake. They are not relying on the one true God.

[Storico]

I'd say no, not very likely. In the time it took to arrange a psychic, sit down with them, etc etc, I could be and would sooner be out pounding the streets, knocking on doors, and actually looking or seeking out those who could help me look.... or I'd be by the phone, waiting for someone or for my child to call. One way or the other, psychics generally aren't much help when it comes to getting missing children back. James Randi has a good bit to say on the matter, and in some of it, I agree with him. I HAVE heard of psychics who say they're Christian, that they were born with these gifts of intuition, that they ask God to help them hone these gifts. I find it hard to believe that God would give special, specific knowledge to someone like that (especially if this person was making a living out of these guesses). If that were in fact the case, however, and if someone were to call me at a time like that and they were to say "I believe your child is in X location", someone taking a drive to X location in police presence wouldn't exactly hurt. (Mind you, I'd be just as suspicious that the caller was the person holding my child at X location, but that's another story.)

[blossom]

Interesting take. Have you got a link for James Randi?

[Abelard]

No. They may appeal to their deities, but those deities are fake. They are not relying on the one true God.

Do not stifle the Spirit or despise the gift of prophecy with contempt1Th. 5:19-20

I've been to many spiritualist church services, and they are pretty new-age-ish, but don't throw out the baby with the bathwater. They do pray in the name of Jesus Christ.

According to Paul, prophecy and the distinguishing of spirits are valid gifts. Prophecy was a regular part of early Christian meetings, and we see in Rev 19:10 The witness of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
So I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss a practice which has has produced some good fruits just because there are an abundance of scamsters. They may be in touch with a vestigial remnant of what was once an essential part of everyday Christian worship.

[shunyadragon]

No. They may appeal to their deities, but those deities are fake. They are not relying on the one true God.

How would you determine this? would this be true generalization for all psychics?

[Soyeong]

So do you research a doctor's beliefs before you go see him?

I respect the religious freedom and I believe that they have the same right to pray to their god(s) about my child as I do to pray to God about them. If they want to pray to their god(s) about my child, then I'm not going to stop them since it is their time to waste. However, if they asked me whether I wanted them to pray to their god(s), I would tell them no to save their effort. It would be prefered to have a Christian doctor, whose prayers are heard, but it is often times impractical to reseach their beliefs and switch doctors accordingly. It would be actions taken as part of their religion that go beyong prayer, such as a ritual, that would be increasingly disturbing to me.

Could it be possible that the psychic relying on God for his/her guide?
I believe God gives some the gift of prophesy, but I do not think said person would advertise themselves as a psychic or even wish to be associated with them. If it was the case where they were claiming to be a psychic and a Christian, I would first look into what church they were a member of and then consult my pastor and other church members in prayer before I made a decision.

[Storico]

Interesting take. Have you got a link for James Randi?

Sure! Just so you know, Randi's a secular rationalist, but what he has to say about psychics is critical enough to get people thinking about whether or not they're actually legit. By and large, I don't think they are -- and her certainly doesn't think they are. His main site is http://www.randi.org, and he has specific articles on psychics all through it. The search feature in the top right is great.

On police psychics: http://www.randi.org/jr/07-02-2000.html

An amusing comment on famous 'psychic' Sylvia Browne: http://www.randi.org/jr/2007-03/030907bomb.html#i1

Randi's a bit snarky and I don't like everything he says, but he's smart and worth a good read.

[blossom]

Sure! Just so you know, Randi's a secular rationalist, but what he has to say about psychics is critical enough to get people thinking about whether or not they're actually legit. By and large, I don't think they are -- and her certainly doesn't think they are. His main site is http://www.randi.org, and he has specific articles on psychics all through it. The search feature in the top right is great.

On police psychics: http://www.randi.org/jr/07-02-2000.html

An amusing comment on famous 'psychic' Sylvia Browne: http://www.randi.org/jr/2007-03/030907bomb.html#i1

Randi's a bit snarky and I don't like everything he says, but he's smart and worth a good read.


Thanks a bunch for all the links. I am pretty much in the dark about psychics, never heard of Randi and I think I saw Sylvia on a talk show once. She has a nice personality but I have no clue about the pros and cons of all this stuff (except the Bible seems to put a very negative connotation on it and thus I am not eager to step outside His word)
BUT...This thread is for ALL folks to speak their minds and become informed.
Thanks again.

[Abelard]

Here are some links to Christian Spiritualist churches. I didn't have time to research this when I posted earlier.

The churches I have visited don't have web pages, but these are similar.

One of my life goals is to experience as many different types of Christian worship service as I can. Spiritualism is one of the most fascinating and unique denominations there is , and I'd recommend visiting a service if you can find one.

http://christianspiritualism.org/

http://www.greaterworld.com/Main/christmission.htm

http://dmoz.org/Society/Religion_and_Spirituality/Spiritualism/Spiritualist_Churches/

http://www.lighthousespiritualcentre.ca/churches.html

[Pilgrim]

The unspoken assumption among most here is that any psychic ability is always and only a spiritual event. That is hardly a given.

[blossom]

One of my life goals is to experience as many different types of Christian worship service as I can. Spiritualism is one of the most fascinating and unique denominations there is

Actually, it seems a bit scary to me. I don't like dealing with "outer limits". lol
I need to get staff to change the topic of this thread to "Pyschic Phenomena"

[staylor2233]

I say that I would do it . I believe most people would if that most terrible decision should need be made . I can say for sure that I would not pass that test .