This is a response a series of rebuttals to specific points found in my article "The Bible and the Paranormal - A New Perspective" by Dr. Stephen Yulish. I would like to state that I know and respect Dr. Yulish, although I obviously do not always agree with his opinions. I will present his points as they were presented, along with my responses.

Stephen Yulish states:

"Patrick Cooke was absolutely correct that the Bible is full of examples of various types of paranormal phenomena. It is also full of incest, murder, rape and homosexuality. Just because a person has the potential to do these things doesn't mean that they should."

My response:

I am at a loss to explain how the first statement is relevant to the points made concerning the anomalous human powers discussed in the first installment of the series. How do "incest, murder, rape and homosexuality" relate to levitation, psychokinesis, astral projection, telepathy, glossalia, etc.?

In the descriptions of these powers and the statements concerning them, there is no indication in the article that anyone "should" do them. And, it was Jesus or his apostles, who exhibited these powers, or stated that humans could accomplish these things. Whether "they" meant that anyone "should" do these things would seem to be the judgment of the one reading about them.

Stephen Yulish states:

"Saul knew this but went to the Witch at Endor anyway and died for it."

My response:

For clarification I will point out that the woman Saul contacted at Endor is not described as a "witch", but a woman that had a familiar spirit. There is no indication in scripture that a "witch" is one who has a "familiar spirit".

The statement that Saul "died for it." would seem to imply that the fate of Saul was determined solely on his visit to the woman at Endor and the act he asked her to perform. In other words, Stephen Yulish is implying that Saul fell on his sword, when he was defeated by the Philistines, as described in 1 Samuel 31:5, because he was being punished by God for contacting the dead spirit of Samuel. However, the spirit of Samuel told Saul the specific reason for his impending defeat, when he made that contact:

"Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? 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: 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. 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." (1 Samuel 28:16-19)

There is no indication in the prediction by Samuel in 1 Samuel 28 that the reason Saul would join him in the grave the next day was because he used the woman at Endor to contact him. The reason Samuel told Saul he was to die is very clearly stated as being: "Because thou (Saul) obeyedst not the voice of the Lord, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek,".