# Ouija Boards - I used to think it was bull until...... **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 19, 2009, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards-i-used-to-think-it-was-bull-until/486528 "2009-02-19T09:46:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![wsbenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b38774/32.png) [@wsbenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wsbenge)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards-i-used-to-think-it-was-bull-until/486528/181 "2009-02-20T01:18:28Z")
I know the boards are sold as toys, but I think they are more like telephones. Not everyone can use them. I have no idea why. I watched Freshmen in college dial up random numbers, and say some of the most outrageous things. I think these boards can be quite similar. Kids using them as toys don’t have any idea who is on the other side. How much should anyone trust the conversation from a randomly dialed number? It isn’t the Library of Congress on a laptop. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards-i-used-to-think-it-was-bull-until/486528/182 "2009-02-20T01:21:08Z")
> [@wsbenge](#): > > I watched Freshmen in college dial up random numbers, and say some of the most outrageous things. I think these boards can be quite similar. Kids using them as toys don’t have any idea who is on the other side. I know what’s on the other side: the table the board is sitting on. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards-i-used-to-think-it-was-bull-until/486528/183 "2009-02-20T01:26:15Z")
> [@lekatt](#): > > In the spirit world events happen simultaneously. So there is no past, future, time, and space, and no calendar. So they _can_ report to us what tomorrow’s lotto numbers are, then? ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards-i-used-to-think-it-was-bull-until/486528/184 "2009-02-20T01:35:34Z")
> [@lekatt](#): > > In the spirit world events happen simultaneously. So there is no past, future, time, and space, and no calendar. How do you know? > [@lekatt](#): > > They are interested in spiritual growth, and I am also interested in spiritual growth. Can’t say about others. How do you know? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards-i-used-to-think-it-was-bull-until/486528/185 "2009-02-20T01:41:14Z")
> [@lekatt](#): > > In the spirit world events happen simultaneously. So there is no past, future, time, and space, and no calendar. Is that you, Billy Pilgrim? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards-i-used-to-think-it-was-bull-until/486528/186 "2009-02-20T01:41:45Z")
> [@lekatt](#): > > In the spirit world events happen simultaneously. So there is no past, future, time, and space, and no calendar. Doesn’t it get kinda . . . crowded? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards-i-used-to-think-it-was-bull-until/486528/187 "2009-02-20T01:49:09Z")
> [@lekatt](#): > > In the spirit world events happen simultaneously. So there is no past, future, time, and space, and no calendar. Now wait a minute; only few hours ago you said: [QUOTE=lekatt] Now even the smartest spirit will not give you the lottery numbers because the numbers are not known until drawn. [/QUOTE] But if everything happens at the same time in the spirit world, the numbers have always been drawn, and the spirits have always known what they are. Congratulations **lekatt** , on running the longest, most successful whoosh in SDMB history! My hat is off to you Sir! ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards-i-used-to-think-it-was-bull-until/486528/188 "2009-02-20T01:50:38Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > So they _can_ report to us what tomorrow’s lotto numbers are, then? Yes, but not before the day after tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![imfloating](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bc79bd/32.png) [@imfloating](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imfloating)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards-i-used-to-think-it-was-bull-until/486528/189 "2009-02-20T01:55:31Z")
> [@pbbth](#): > > Do you _really_ think that tools used to contact the deceased could be mass produced Do rosary beads and crucifixes fall into this category. I don’t believe in anything supernatural…BUT…we used a board in 1969 and it predicted that we would have a son and also gave his exact birthday which was over a year later. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards-i-used-to-think-it-was-bull-until/486528/190 "2009-02-20T01:59:46Z")
Forget Ouija boards. We all know Satan really tempts us through really hot lapsed Catholics who still have their school uniforms. They offer to perform all kinds of deviant acts if we only denounce G-d. That’s why we must kill them with the axe G-d showed us in that Frailty trailer. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards-i-used-to-think-it-was-bull-until/486528/191 "2009-02-20T02:18:43Z")
> [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](#): > > (And you never, if even just for a minute, suspected that your knowing the answers of the ouija board might merely mean that in fact you’re the one giving them?) What are you, new? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards-i-used-to-think-it-was-bull-until/486528/192 "2009-02-20T02:19:21Z")
> [@lekatt](#): > > They are interested in spiritual growth, and I am also interested in spiritual growth. Can’t say about others. Okay, is there anything _factual_ that interests them that could also interest us? ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards-i-used-to-think-it-was-bull-until/486528/193 "2009-02-20T02:22:10Z")
> [@lekatt](#): > > In the spirit world events happen simultaneously. So there is no past, future, time, and space, and no calendar. I want to make sure I understand. There is no past, future, time, and space and no calendar, but there they do have the lottery? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards-i-used-to-think-it-was-bull-until/486528/194 "2009-02-20T02:28:04Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Forget Ouija boards. We all know Satan really tempts us through really hot lapsed Catholics who still have their school uniforms. They offer to perform all kinds of deviant acts if we only denounce G-d. That’s why we must kill them with the axe G-d showed us in that Frailty trailer. Could you hold off a bit on that axe thing until I have time to, ah, fully investigate? ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards-i-used-to-think-it-was-bull-until/486528/195 "2009-02-20T02:42:16Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Why doesn’t God snap his fingers and make Satan disappear? He creatred us and he gave us a free will. Satan made his choise. There will be a day where he will have to pay the price. And there will be a day when we will be divided. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards-i-used-to-think-it-was-bull-until/486528/196 "2009-02-20T02:47:09Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > **Snnipe 70E** , would you reply to post #63, please? Thanks. HUH ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards-i-used-to-think-it-was-bull-until/486528/197 "2009-02-20T02:47:55Z")
> [@Snnipe\_70E](#): > > Satan made his choise. That’s like a lace collar or something, right? Who knew the Devil was into tatting. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards-i-used-to-think-it-was-bull-until/486528/198 "2009-02-20T02:51:38Z")
Will there be beer? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards-i-used-to-think-it-was-bull-until/486528/199 "2009-02-20T02:58:33Z")
> [@Snnipe\_70E](#): > > He creatred us and he gave us a free will. Satan made his choise. There will be a day where he will have to pay the price. And there will be a day when we will be divided. You didn’t answer my question. Why someday, why not now? Why did God create Satan in the first place. “Free will” (aside from the fact that it’s conceptual nonsense and logically impossible) excuses nothing on God’s part because God already knew what the choice would be. Evil can’t exist unless God wants it to exist. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards-i-used-to-think-it-was-bull-until/486528/200 "2009-02-20T03:00:45Z")
> [@Snnipe\_70E](#): > > He creatred us and he gave us a free will. Satan made his choise. There will be a day where he will have to pay the price. And there will be a day when we will be divided. Given your assumptions, what if Lucifer wins? I mean, what is the big deal if it is predetermined that God will win? It seems to me that the reason to be worried - for supporters of God - is only if Lucifer might win. Otherwise, why care? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards-i-used-to-think-it-was-bull-until/486528.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards-i-used-to-think-it-was-bull-until/486528.md?page=11)