Ouija Boards

QUESTION: Ouija boards - Are they evil?

ANSWER:

Most practitioners believe that paranormal or supernatural forces are at work in spelling out Ouija Board answers. The Ouija board has the letters of the alphabet and "yes," "no," and sometimes maybe. The planchette is held and a question is asked. The pointer selects letters until an answer is selected. There are many variations to this. Most skeptics and scientists believe that participants are subconsciously making small involuntary physical movements. This is known as ideomotor effect. The same unnoticeable movement is at work in dowsing (using a pendulum, stick, or other means to locate water, minerals, oil, etc.)

Of the many experiments made by skeptics, the most recent and useful came from Penn and Teller of TV and Las Vegas NV fame. They blindfolded participants and they continued to move to the old positions when the board is secretly rotated. The only information conveyed by the Ouija Board was already known by them - even if it was wrong. Some people have used the Ouija Board to speak with ghosts of people they later found alive. Many people have had very bad experiences with Ouija Boards. The human mind is very fragile and many people who seek this kind of spiritually need other kind of help.

Let's define evil (It is characterized by people and behaviors that are hurtful, ruinous, or disastrous). When we try to communicate with the dead, we must go to the source of truth, the Bible. Isaiah 8:19-20 says, "'So why are you trying to find out the future by consulting mediums and psychics? Do not listen to their whisperings and mutterings. Can the living find out the future from the dead? Why not ask your God? Check their predictions against my testimony,' says the LORD. 'If their predictions are different from mine, it is because there is no light or truth in them.'"

Contacting the dead is called necromancy, and contacting spirits is spiritism, and both are condemned by God. Leviticus 19:31 says, "Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God."

Although Ouija boards are considered just plain fun by many people and paranormal researchers believe that it allows communication with evil demons, which is biblically forbidden as a form of divination. The evil demons can pretend to be willing partners until the Ouija player becomes hooked or even possessed. The Ouija board player would be better served by trusting in the Lord with all your heart and not depending on your own understanding. When you seek God in all you do, He will direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6). A personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the real answer.