To think Spiritualist Churches are just breeding grounds for emotional vampires?

[TheDevilWearsPrimark]

Yet again my mother has been to one of these places 'Oh but this one is really good' she claims, whilst sobbing to me on the phone that her dad 'spoke to her' last night.

It doesn't provide comfort it's bunch of charlatans with some perverse need to feed from others pain.

Bunchofcunts! I so hate this spiritualistic exploitation!

PS. YANBU.

my gran goes to these it annoys me as well. Its all very doing that sort of thing for a little entertainment (most haunted for example!) but my gran gives these people money, invites them (almost total strangers) into her home and really truely believes what they tell her, which is often vague and fluffy nonsense.

nothing you can say will persuade her to either leave it alone and she is a fully capable woman so what can we do!

Please guys, don't start a faith-hate thread. There's another one running which is doing my nut in.

I actually agree with you about these spiritualist churches. But let's just let it go - pretty please??

They always get out of hand.

YANBU. They and all mediums prey on the emotionally vulnerable. The best you can say is that some of them genuinely think they are communicating with the dead. The rest know that they aren't and are out-and-out charlatans.

Your poor mum TDWP.

I will start a thread about whatever I so wish, thanks.

I truly believe a group of (usually recently bereaved) adults 'talking to dead people' in a chilly village hall and paying a tenner a time for the privilege is insane behaviour.

And I am angry my mum has been dragged into it. Yes she gets comfort from it, but it's empty comfort.

I think they take advantage of vulnerable people often in the depths of grief.

YANBU

have always been tempted to go to one myself, just to see what they're all about.

As far as I am concerned, if they could talk to the dead they wouldn't be saying I have a man here with the initial J no, G yes that's right, G. He's saying he was ill, no? oh he was dear, he just didn't want to worry you, now I'm seeing a uniform. No? could be a costume. He was in an amateur dramatics company? Ah, that's right.

If they can talk to the dead I want their full name, date of birth and NI number.

Faith hate? It's not a faith, it's a fucking delusion proffered by a bunch of charlatans.

The OP INBU.

i'm writing from beyond the dead and love visiting Spiritualist churches!

I went along to one with my mum last year, my Dad is as concerned as I am but he couldn't face going.

I have never been so angry, honestly the woman was a joke, she pretended to be all sorts of 'characters' but they were painfully obvious.

One was a ballerina from 1920's Paris called Bella.
Hahhaaa

Sorry, I didn't realise you meant mediums. They are tossers, couldn't agree more, preying on the weak, vulnerable or stupid.

When I read your title I thought you were actually talking about a church, as in a body of people with a faith. Like those ones you see advertised on the backs of London buses all the time!

Oh it is a 'church', they meet together, have visiting mediums.

And a stand by the door selling healing crystals and such tat.

My mum has become a 'member' of four or five now, she even set up a direct debit to their 'funds'.

I saw a program revealing how they gain information for programs like 'crossing over' (think that's what it's called).

It made me feel sick. Obviously they have details of who will be in the audience. They then have people investigate members of the audience by researching local papers and death records etc.

They even have staff amongst the audience before the show is filmed, they act as if they are there as fellow audience members, strike up conversations and gain as much information as possible to be used in the show.

Disgusts me

Yes Derren Brown wrote a fab article about that before- made me feel so sad though.

I was brought up in the christian spiritualist church, It is a faith, and if you go to a spiritulaist church it is not at all as you describe.
And as far as collections for funds go, do catholic and anglican churches also have collections.
I agree that national spiritualist churches do seem to charge for entry, mediums to visit etc, and the odd spiritualist meetings held in church halls, where is costs the earth is awful when people are vunerable emotionally.

Please don't tar all spiritualist faiths with the same brush though

YANBU.

Blood suckers feeding on the vulnerable. I don't mean religious churches but ones where people pretend to talk to the dead and pretend they have some sort of higher than thou, ethereal knowledge.

Claptrap IMO.

YANBU

It was quite funny when Richard Dawkins met a medium who started getting messages from the other side RDs dad ... RD let the poor chap dig himself in before mildly letting him know that actually his dad was alive and well.

Sorry about your mum, Primark. Perhaps you should encourage her to talk to you about your dad (if she doesn't already) - he's still 'alive' in your memories, maybe that could help get her back to reality?

norksinmywaistband - Do you believe it?

Do you still attend such churches yourself?

I have faith yes if that is what you are asking?

I do not go to church as being a single parent with 2 small children makes it difficult to attend services. My sister still goes regularly and I miss going.

As far as I am concerned it is about belief that there is life for the spirit, beyond this world and I find that a very calming and healing over loss of loved ones.

I also feel this is very similar to other faiths where they believe in heaven, the only difference is that in spiritualism, messages and guidance is given via a medium, rather than in the form of a sermon from the priest/vicar.

If you are true believer in the spiritualist faith, it makes no difference whether you ever receive a message or not( my Dm died 18 years ago, and I have never received a message from her) The comfort of the belief that the spirit lives on is enough

I saw that Derek Acorah on TV claiming to be receiving guidance from his spirit guide 'Sam' - who was apparently a Native American Indian a few hundred years ago. Amazing how 'Sam' can speak English to Derek!

'Most Haunted' is good for a laugh too - the aforementioned Derek Acorah has a brilliant line, "Did you hear that?". He says it when there is absolutely nothing audible, but everyone else jumps a mile, oooohs and ahhhhs and agrees they did hear something.

It's tragic though that the bereaved and vulnerable are preyed on by these confidence tricksters.

Derek Acorah is a comedy genuis.

My favourite Derek Acorah moment - Derek while possessed bellows to Daniella Westerbrook - "Get away, slut!!!"

I nearly wet myself.

OP I'm sorry that your mother is in this vulnerable position. Would she be amenable to some bereavement counselling?

I think you are all confusing mediumship done in shows etc with actual spiritualist church. I used to go to the one in Belfast and I found it a great comfort. I know it is not everyone's cup of tea but I really liked going there and found them all very sincere. No one tried to sign me up or asked me for cash about from when the collection plate came round and I would imagine that collection plates are pretty standard in most churches. My uncle is a spiritualist healer and the most genuine honest guy you could meet. Not everyone is out to fuck you over, you know! TBH I think that some of these comments are a bit biggoted. Would you be so quick to call the C of E a bunch of charlatans?

Not about - APART. Sorry.