I like scary movies at least as much as the next person, and like most people, I too get a little creeped out and unsettled when going to bed in the dark after watching a horror movie. One fly in the ointment of horror however is the logical fact that evil spirits simply cannot exist.
There are two basic, low-level scenarios:
- Ghosts do not exist at all (i.e., there is no after-life)
- Ghosts can/do exist (i.e., there is indeed an after-life)
If the first scenario is correct, then there is no reason to fear ghosts because they just don’t exist under any circumstances, period.
What if the second scenario is correct and ghosts can or do exist? If ghosts can or do in fact exist, then there is indeed an after-life. If there is an after-life, then we have to examine the kind of ghost in question.
If the ghost (or the person who died) is/was good, then either they have already already ascended to Heaven, or they are only sticking around to take care of some unfinished business like getting their killer caught or looking after their loved ones. Either way, there is no reason to fear them (unless you killed them).
If the ghost (or the person who died) is/was bad, then why would they be allowed to stick around Earth and harass people? Shouldn’t they be forcibly pulled into Hell? Why would reporting to Hell for punishment be optional? Go straight to Hell, do not pass Go, do not haunt people or collect $200.
The only scenario that lets evil ghosts work is if you believe that there is an after-life and ghosts, but not believe in Heaven or Hell. There are not many cultures that believe in an after-life that does not include some sort of Heaven/Hell concept, but if you are one of those kinds of people, then you can still fear evil ghosts haunting you; otherwise, there’s no need to fear them.