by B Branin
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An excerpt from Dr. Spriggan’s newsletter, “The Good Book and a Bad Rap.”
When I begun my paranormal endeavors, I must admit that I attempted to prepare for the unexpected. When jumping from continent to continent looking for ghosts, specters, UFO’s, witches and monsters, you do your best to create a plethora of contingencies.
Yet I still find myself unprepared on occasion.
Never before have I been caught so flat footed then on a trip to a rural area in the southern United States. I had investigated a false report about ghost sightings at an old grave and was scheduled for an interview with a local radio host.
Upon arrival I found the radio station blockaded by protesters.
Quickly I discovered they were not protesting anything political but my actual presence in their town. Many religious signs and crude slogans had been made, declaring my visitation an unwanted one. Apparently, they had a problem with my work because it was not expressed in the Bible.
I could not and still cannot fathom why everything dealing with the unexplained or the hereafter must fall into religious jurisdiction. The infinite cosmos, the length of eternity, heaven and hell, why must such things be so clear cut? Why do we, as humans, shrink back from religious gray areas instead of demanding answers while searching for them?
Are all the answers found in religious texts? Perhaps the most important ones can be but should we stop there? Should we sate our fears of the unknown with salvation and damnation and throw curiosity to the wind? Should we ignore our naturally inquisitive nature?
I say no!
Religion does not need to overshadow or supplement the unknown. If anything, it should fuel our desires to learn more so we can fully appreciate and understand this divine gift we call life.
