Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2008
BARROW JOURNAL
PAGE 5A
Says paranormal findings of group should be dismissed
Dear Editor:
I thoroughly enjoyed my
stroll through your inaugu
ral edition of the Barrow
Journal. The article on page
2A, “Ghosthunters” search
for the supernatural is the
reason for my submission.
Another related article about
haunted places in Barrow
County needs no rebuttal -
it should be read through a
“legend-only” lens.
Although I certainly have
an appreciation for those who
show a general, or should
I say “generic,” interest in
supernatural, paranormal,
or spiritual matters, I would
caution anyone with a “scien
tific" background and even a
cursory exposure to logic, and
anyone who would otherwise
be ignorant on both accounts,
to dismiss the so-called find
ings of the data collected by
the BCPS.
When engaging in the scien
tific process, one must recall
that raw data may or may
not be interpreted as clear
evidence that the hypothesis
is true.
Results from purely subjec
tive experimentation without
proper controls will certainly
not confirm the hypothesis
that paranormal activity is
real or measurable (in this
case, the hypothesis follows
the question: Ghosts, to boo
or not to boo?).
One can not read his sus
picions (or should I say,
superstitions) into the results
where the results can not be
measured objectively. In the
scientific process, one must
resist the temptation to make
a fore-drawn conclusion
without continually testing
and retesting the hypothesis,
and one must resist the temp
tation to adjust or skew all
of the metrics in order to
achieve the desired outcome.
If one's presupposition that
ghosts are real and among
us is proven in repeated con
trolled experiments in which
full sensory observations can
be clearly made, then those
findings should be reported
to the scientific community
at large. I doubt the BCPS
will readily collect, much less
submit such findings.
Any student of freshman-
level psychology can also
present a compelling and
cogent argument on how
the human mind may work
against itself when fear is
experienced.
Fear has a way of magnify
ing the stimulus and causing
physiological reactions such
as increased levels of per
spiration, adrenaline in the
bloodstream, etc.
This puts the individual in
somewhat of an altered state,
at which time he is capable
of performing physical acts
beyond normal capabilities
(for example, lifting larger,
heavier objects to free a
crushed victim). In this state,
mental perceptions are also
strained or altered.
Allow me to insert here
that I am not a profession
al scientist or psychologist
(I'm sure that is evident).
I am a concerned citizen.
While many pursue the truth
through necromancy, spirit
contact through mediums,
ghost hunting, divination,
and other forms of contacting
the deceased (all of which
fall under a larger umbrella of
witchcraft), I wonder why we
aren't more attentive to mat
ters of the living. This article
has given me further cause
for alarm as more evidence
that we are truly a culture
obsessed with death.
The first and ancient king
of Israel, Saul, violated God’s
law against similar practices
and paid for it with his life (I
Chronicles 10:13). He want
ed to know the outcome of
the battle with the Philistines
- I'd say he learned the truth
about that event, but he
missed the greater truth that
God loved him and chose him
for a specific, more glorious
purpose.
God wasn’t speaking to
Saul, so Saul sought to cir
cumvent that channel and
gain a glimpse into the future
apart from God. Pursuing
the truth about the deceased,
employing the services of
psychics, recording voices -
none of that will lead any
one to the greater truth about
life, and it really won't help
anyone understand death in
greater detail or depth than
scripture has already made
known to us.
If you want to read a
really awesome account at
Halloween (or any time),
read what happened when
Jesus died and rose again.
Earthquake, large rocks split
ting, and many who were
dead were brought back to
life and they were seen walk
ing around Jerusalem follow
ing his resurrection (Matthew
27:51-53). This event was
verified by a larger body of
witnesses than just the dis
ciples - these verses would
have been eliminated from
the text long ago had they not
found acceptance by a larger
group who could validate the
claims.
It is not my aim to spoil
anyone’s fun or even ulti
mately to disprove paranor
mal activity (as if the asser
tion were needed). I think
the greater question is: Does
it even matter? What if there
were solid scientific evi
dences and objective, con
crete facts, that bumps in the
night were ghosts or haunts
or other such things?
Is there any cause to be
afraid? For those readers
who fear such things, I coun
sel you to take comfort and
refuge in the truth of the
living God who tenaciously
guards his own.
You have no reason to be
afraid, unless you, like Saul,
are determined to bypass God
in hopes to get at the truth.
There is also the mandate
to ‘fear not" or ‘do not be
afraid’ which occurs more
than 60 times in scripture
(not the 365 times that some
have erroneously noted after
viewing the movie, “Facing
the Giants").
Mr. Colley of BCPS stated,
“I know that there is some
thing else out there going on
and it’s not just angels and
demons . . . There are people
that are still here in spirit.
Are they waiting for the end
of the world, the return of
Christ? Who knows?” This
logic in this statement self-
destructs. Mr. Colley and
his team have apparently not
been introduced to logic, but
I digress.
Took carefully at three
specific claims imbedded in
his statement. He claims to
know: 1) something else is
out there (though undefined);
2) [it is] not just angels and
demons (another issue alto
gether); and 3) there are peo
ple still here in spirit (but
unidentifiable).
He attempts to anchor his
assumptions with an appeal to
Biblical Christianity (angels,
demons, and the return of
Christ), but his last question
assumes the previous state
ments are true - statements
which have no Biblical basis
whatsoever (are ‘they’ wait
ing?).
The “who” (“people that
are still here in spirit") has
not been established, at least
not by any scientific evidence.
But, these are spiritual mat
ters, and getting material data
from immaterial sources is
always tricky (trick or treat?)
His last and lingering ques
tion is probably the most
qualified remark of the whole
article: Who knows? God,
and God alone.
Personally, I think the
members of the BCPS have
too much free time. If they
can not produce any other
viable or feasible explana
tions for the phenomena they
encounter, why not leave it at
that? These phenomena are
simply unexplainable!
Creating local hysteria over
open-ended and ill-estab
lished science will only lead
to serious problems in their
personal and professional
relationships and life.
I have some wonderful
suggestions for them and
society in general. Cease
all recreational forms of
horror, gore, violence, and
other paranormal interests or
activities aimed at magnify
ing fear stimuli - cut out the
repackaged horror B-movies
churned out by Hollywood
would-bes, and start reading
to fire your imagination.
Employ the services of
psychics for selecting lottery
numbers, but you’ll still be
wasting time and money. You
want truth? I hope you can
handle it, and take a lesson
from the life of Saul.
I think I’ll establish my own
BCPS: the Barrow Christian
Polemicist Society!
Sincerely,
Chris Poole
Winder
Obama
continued
from 3A
focuses on at-risk youths, said
Obama’s victory gives new
hope to children.
“What this does is it gives
every parent like myself an
opportunity to sit down with
their children and say, ‘You
can do that,”’ he said.
Lumpkin noted that Obama’s
Jan. 20 inauguration will fall
one day after the national
holiday commemorating the
birthday of slain Civil Rights
leader Martin Luther King Jr.
“I think there will be
formed a contingency of peo
ple who will make the trip to
Washington to be part of that
event,” Lumpkin said.
Winder City Councilman
Charlie Eberthart said he
believes Obama was destined
for greatness.
“I think he was born, just
like Martin Luther King was
born, to break the racial bar
rier,” Eberthart said. “Barack
Obama was born to become
the first African-American
president. I think it was God’s
calling.
“I hope we can move this
country forward in a right way
and that all races will accept
him for who he is, not for
the color of his skin. When
he made his victory speech
last night, he said this is not a
black America, it’s not a white
America - it’s an America.”
Obama received 6,651
votes in Barrow County on
Tuesday. That was 62 percent
more local votes Democratic
nominee John Kerry received
in the 2004 general election
(4,095) and 82 percent more
votes than A1 Gore received in
2000 (3,657).
Still, that number fell far
short of McCain’s heavy draw
of 17,613 votes in Barrow
County.
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This won’t hurt a bit..
Really!
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Flu shots are now available...
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will provide FREE flu shots at
Beans, Bears & Band-Aids
Thursday, Nov 6, 4pm-7pm
Winder Community Center
YMCA Health Fair
Saturday, Nov 15, 10am-4pm
Winder YMCA
All flu shots will be adult only (15+ yrs, or if received adult flu
shot before). Pediatric flu shots must be administered at a
physician’s office.
Why get a flu shot?
THE best way to protect against the flu is to get
vaccinated each year.
How the flu shot works:
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antibodies that provide protection against influenza
virus infection develop in the body.
** Information provided by the Centers for Disease Control
www.barrowregional.com 316 N. Broad Street 770-867-3400
BARROW
Regional Medical Center