Talking to the dead.

Yeah, well, just giving us the ability to reason is no guarantee that we will use it--just browse through these forums for a bit and that will become painfully obvious. I have even been told here recently that reasoning is contrary to faith and should be avoided!

Just because we can't actually talk to the dead doesn't mean that people won't waste a lot of time and energy trying. Having a rule against it helps to prevent those who can't understand that it's impossible from wasting their time and energy trying to do the impossible--and perhaps even from putting themselves at risk of contacting malevolent supernatural entities in the process of trying.

In the field of psychology, this is called the Dunning-Kruger effect, "a cognitive bias in which people of low ability have illusory superiority and mistakenly assess their cognitive ability as greater than it is. The cognitive bias of illusory superiority comes from the inability of low-ability people to recognize their lack of ability. Without the self-awareness of metacognition, low-ability people cannot objectively evaluate their competence or incompetence." --Wikipedia

Know all about it.....you missed my meaning completely.

Since you are all up on psychology you should know that for the most part it is not the rule that inhibits the behaviour but the consequences.

That isn't the point @dcontroversal was making anyway, which I think you also missed.

Nah, for the most part, punishments, up to and including the death penalty, have not been shown to be particularly effective as deterrents to crime (although there are a variety of conflicting results out there, depending on what factors are manipulated). Most people behave morally because it is the right thing to do, rather than out of fear of the consequences.

When you see a sign that says, "Please do not touch the artwork," do you instinctively think, "Or what??" or do you just not touch the artwork?

And by the way, I do have a Master's degree in Psychology.

Hmm.... I wonder where these studies are from.

Let me tell you something, woman I know do not leave their house without their Hijab.....why because they know the consequences.

You still missed my original point, no matter.

We have one source of faith, as it is written .We communicate after one Spirit the Spirit of the father. He alone stands in the Holy Place of faith not seen . Not a legion or disembodied workers with familiar spirits . Catholicism today records more than 3500 patron saints and growing as willing participants picking up speed. The same manner as Rachel in the old testament using a teraphim (family idol) that she hid from her father needed to put a face on the legion who when comes up is always plural as many gods.

Again after one manner as a source of faith our father in heaven. We are not to venerate or hallow our brothers and sisters the whole clan .

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.Mathew6:9

Exactly and exactly why I will not play his foolish game.....If it is something that is beyond man's ability or is not a sin no commandment or law is given....

And to show how absurd it is to not understand my point above...

Thou shalt not move the earth out of it's orbit.

Why did God not write that....BECAUSE IT IS BEYOND THE ABILITY OF MAN TO DO IT.....

But he did say, Thou shalt NOT STEAL....why...because it is something MEN CAN DO

I was fortunate to have Grandparents born 1908/12 that told me some interesting things in dreams and as real as pinching yourself. And the theme I put together over time was family members that appear to be real in your dreams and want you to follow them are demonic.

I never put it together, until I had a dream involving a close family member. A member many of us hoped God looked past the surface and find that spot hidden deep within their heart revealing something connected to God. But the dream(s)(2), proved it did not appear to be positive. I actually remember waking up, while still engaged in what my mind was seeing, and the sense of alone, cold, creepy, evil, chilling come over you. And I just began rebuking the family member.

The following night the dream involved alive members of my family with this member I rebuked.

I ended up rebuking this member, in what felt like my alive members were just glaring at me in objection.

But, I have had dreams that also been a message that involved a loved one, and it was with someone you are unsure of, but they are being viewed as God and you just know it is God. Those dreams, I wake up very refreshed from.

Samuel rebuked Saul for having a witch in En-Dor conjure him up.

Why would anyone want to talk to the dead to begin with. Saul sought the Lord for advice, but he never got visited by a dream, Urim or the prophets. Of course, we know why, as he had been taken out of his throne by God(yet it took place later, but the sentence had already been rendered) and he wouldn't get help from Him.

That's not talking to the dead. The Lord is not dead; asking him is asking the living God. I'm very sure the Lord don't mind you asking him for comfort in such ways. We are supposed to ask him for what ever we have need of. I'm very sure that if you ask the Lord to say Goodbye to your beloved wife that he is amenable to that simple request. Tell the Lord how much you miss her and pour out your heart to him. He loves you and cares that you have loss and pain. He is our healing, our comfort, our hope. Cast your cares upon him for he care for you.
Do you have a group of believers around you to help you bear this burden? I hope so.

What would be wrong with having some compassion for those who suffer great loss, and rather than bludgeoning them in the head with the don't dos. We care for them and show them what can be done.

Guys and Gals, if you feel the need to speak to the dead loved ones you have not had time to or have not been able to grieve properly, and you need that opportunity. Such losses are very hard on person's heart, but we have a Lord who is filled with compassion for you.
I would recommend that you go to the Lord with all the things that you want to say to the ones who have passed on. Tell him everything on your heart about it. Speak to the Lord in honesty pour your pain out to him, pour your heart out to him. He lives you and cares about your suffering. I will pray for your peace and comfort as well.

Please don't spend anymore time at a grave site speaking to those who can not hear you, and can not respond. This isn't healthy for you, mind, body, or spirit. Spend that time speaking to The Lord does hear us and he will respond.

Truth - How can you tell who or what you are talking to and that they are not lying?

It is just plain and obvious. When you ask someone you know a question, you know if they lie
to you something is at stake, you relationship. You know something about them, the types of
things they say and do, and therefore the likely hood that the information provided is accurate.

So lets go through the list
1. How do you talk to the dead?
2. Which dead being are you talking to?
3. Does this entity have any knowledge of value?
4. Are you submitting to the authority by which this entity speaks?

You talk to the dead by talking to someone possessed by a spirit.
That spirit then talks to another spirit. So two lying spirits are involved, not good.
When you talk to the dead, do they say anything of value? It is is just nice day, it means nothing.
Supposing you have contact with an entity, does this entity know anything? You will never know
By trying to talk to the dead you are showing unbelief in Gods provision and protection of ones life.

So to summarise anything is this avenue is stupid, naive and spiritually suicidal.
God simply banned it, because nothing good comes out of it, only sin and confusion.

You guys watch too many movies!

True, the Bible condemns necromancy an mediumship. Beyone that, talking to the dead can be very faith inspiring as a way of reassurance that the dead are now alive again.
(1) Jesus talked to Moses and Elijah, both very dead.
(2) After His death and resurrection, Jesus talked to His disciples in His resurrection body.
(3) Long after their death, the prophet Jeremiah and the high priest Onias talked to Jewish rebel leader Judas Maccabaeus and assured them of divine help in their liberation war against the Syrian Greeks (read 2 Maccabees 15 in the Catholic OT.)
(4) Countless Christians have received profound comfort from conversations with their deceased loved ones in Near Death Experiences and visionary After Death Contact from loved ones. Many of these conversations have awesome verifications.

yeah, how stupid for a lady to want to say goodbye to a husband she had a family with and loved for a lifetime.
just curious, if someone looked inside you would there be a heart in there or just full of blackness?

Ecclesiastes 9 King James Version (KJV)
9 For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.

2 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

4 For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.

8 Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.

9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.

10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

12 For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

13 This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:

14 There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:

15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.

16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

17 The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.

18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

I think from the context, they do not have any further knowledge what is happening "under the sun". It is possible for them to learn about things happening on this side of life by talking with someone who recently died and by angels who make side trips in heaven.
They do have memories of their life on earth.

Revelation 6:9-11 Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
9 The Lamb opened the fifth seal. Then I saw some souls under the altar. They were the souls of those who had been killed because they were faithful to God’s message and to the truth they had received. 10 These souls shouted in a loud voice, “Holy and true Lord, how long until you judge the people of the earth and punish them for killing us?” 11 Then each one of them was given a white robe. They were told to wait a short time longer. There were still some of their brothers and sisters in the service of Christ who must be killed as they were. These souls were told to wait until all the killing was finished.

Also,

Isaiah 14 Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
Israel Will Return Home
14 The Lord will again show his love to Jacob. He will again choose the people of Israel. He will give them their land. Then the non-Israelites[a] will join the Israelites, and both will become one family—Jacob’s family. 2 Those nations will bring the Israelites back to their land. The men and women from the other nations will become slaves to Israel. In the past, those people forced the Israelites to become their slaves. But in the future the Israelites will defeat those nations, and Israel will then rule over them in the Lord’s land. 3 In the past, you were slaves. People forced you to work hard. But the Lord will take away the hard work you were forced to do.

A Song About the King of Babylon
4 At that time you will begin to sing this song about the king of Babylon:

The king was cruel when he ruled us,
but now his rule is finished.
5 The Lord breaks the scepter of evil rulers;
he takes away their power.
6 In anger, the king of Babylon beat the people.
He never stopped beating them.
He was an evil ruler who ruled in anger.
He never stopped hurting people.
7 But now, the whole country rests and is quiet.
Now the people begin to celebrate.
8 You were an evil king,
and now you are finished.
Even the pine trees are happy.
The cedar trees of Lebanon rejoice.
They say, “The king chopped us down,
but now the king has fallen,
and he will never stand again.”
9 The place of death is excited
that you are coming.
Sheol is waking the spirits
of all the leaders of the earth for you.
Sheol is making the kings stand up
from their thrones to meet you.
10 They will make fun of you, saying,
“Now you are as dead as we are.
Now you are just like us.”
11 Your pride has been sent down to Sheol.
The music from your harps announces the coming of your proud spirit.
Maggots will be the bed you lie on,
and other worms will cover your body like a blanket.
12 You were like the morning star,
but you have fallen from the sky.
In the past, all the nations on earth bowed down before you,
but now you have been cut down.
13 You always told yourself,
“I will go to the skies above.
I will put my throne above God’s stars.
I will sit on Zaphon, the holy mountain where the gods meet.
14 I will go up to the altar above the tops of the clouds.
I will be like God Most High.”

15 But that did not happen.
You were brought down to the deep pit—Sheol, the place of death.
16 People will come to look at your dead body.
They will think about you and say,
“Is this the same man
who caused great fear in all the kingdoms on earth,
17 who destroyed cities
and turned the land into a desert,
who captured people in war
and would not let them go home?”
18 The kings of other nations lie buried with honor,
each king with his own grave.
19 But you were thrown out of your grave
like a branch cut from a tree and thrown away.
You are like a dead man who fell in battle,
trampled under the feet of other soldiers.
Now you look like any other dead man
wrapped in burial clothes.
20 Other kings have their own graves,
but you will not join them,
because you ruined your own country
and killed your own people.
So your wicked descendants will be stopped.

21 Prepare to kill his children,
because their father is guilty.
His children will never take control of the land.
They will never fill the world with their cities.

22 The Lord All-Powerful said, “I will stand and fight against those people. I will destroy the famous city, Babylon. I will destroy all the people there. I will destroy their children, their grandchildren, and their great-grandchildren.” The Lord himself said this.

23 “I will change Babylon. It will be a place for animals,[c] not people. It will be a swamp. I will use the ‘broom of destruction’ to sweep Babylon away.” The Lord All-Powerful said this.

1 Samuel 28:7-25 King James Version (KJV)
7 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.

8 And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.

9 And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?

10 And Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.

11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.

12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.

13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.

14 And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.

15 And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.

16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?

17 And the Lord hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David:

18 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day.

19 Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.

20 Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.

21 And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, Behold, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me.

22 Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and eat, that thou mayest have strength, when thou goest on thy way.

23 But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, compelled him; and he hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed.

24 And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it, and took flour, and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof:

25 And she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat. Then they rose up, and went away that night.

2 Corinthians 5:8
We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Sleep is just an use of "“phenomenological” language: the language of outward description or appearance rather than complete metaphysical analysis. So to us the dead appear to be asleep. "

REVELATION 6:9-10 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

Isaiah 14:9-11 Good News Translation (GNT)
9 “The world of the dead is getting ready to welcome the king of Babylon. The ghosts of those who were powerful on earth are stirring about. The ghosts of kings are rising from their thrones. 10 They all call out to him, ‘Now you are as weak as we are! You are one of us! 11 You used to be honored with the music of harps, but now here you are in the world of the dead. You lie on a bed of maggots and are covered with a blanket of worms.’”

Ecclesiastes 9:5 . . . the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward . . .

If the first clause is understood in an absolute sense, then so must the second clause be interpreted. Thus, the dead would have no “reward” as well as no consciousness. This would deny the resurrection and the rewarding of the righteous (see Rev 20:11-13; 21:6-7; 22:12, 14). Obviously, then, a qualification of some sort has to be placed on Ecclesiastes 9:5. In the very next verse, we learn that:

. . . neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.
In other words, in relation to this world, the dead know nothing, but they are in a different realm, where they do know something. As further examples of this limited sense of “not knowing anything” in Scripture, see 1 Samuel 20:39 and 2 Samuel 15:11, where an interpretation of unconsciousness would be ridiculous.https://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2018/01/soul-sleep-thorough-biblical-refutation.html

There is a difference between man's breath and spirit http://www.letusreason.org/7thad22.htm

When Jesus died, He descended into the lower parts of the earth, and after preaching to spirits in prison (1 Peter 3:19), He led all Old Testament believers out of paradise (inside the earth) and up to heaven. " ... when He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive ... (now that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?)" (Ephesians 4:8-9)

By which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison. (1 Peter 3:19)https://www.gospeloutreach.net/soul_sleep_error.html

2 Samuel 12:21-23 Good News Translation (GNT)
21 “We don't understand this,” his officials said to him. “While the child was alive, you wept for him and would not eat; but as soon as he died, you got up and ate!”

22 “Yes,” David answered, “I did fast and weep while he was still alive. I thought that the Lord might be merciful to me and not let the child die. 23 But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Could I bring the child back to life? I will some day go to where he is, but he can never come back to me.”

Genesis 25:8 Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.

Genesis 25:8 Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.

Genesis 25:17 (This is the length of the life of Ishmael, one hundred and thirty-seven years; he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.)

Genesis 35:29 And Isaac breathed his last; he died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days; and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Genesis 49:33 When Jacob ended his charge to his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed, breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.

Numbers 20:24 ‘Let Aaron be gathered to his people. For he shall not enter the land that I have given to the Israelites, because you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah.

Numbers 20:26 strip Aaron of his vestments, and put them on his son Eleazar. But Aaron shall be gathered to his people, and shall die there.’

Judith 16:22 Many desired to marry her, but she gave herself to no man all the days of her life after her husband Manasseh died and was gathered to his people.