Do Daleks Have Souls? Star Wars Catholicism & More Weird Questions

Dom Bettinelli (0:00)

Jimmy Akin's Mysterious World is brought to you by the StarQuest Production Network, and is made possible by our many generous patrons. If you'd like to support the podcast, please visit givemysterious.fm.

You're listening to episode 439 of Jimmy Akin's Mysterious World, where we look at mysteries from the twin perspectives of faith and reason. In this episode, Jimmy will be answering more listeners' weird questions. I'm Dom Bettinelli, and joining me today, as always, is Jimmy Akin. Hey, Jimmy.

Jimmy Akin (0:31)

Howdy, Dom.

Dom Bettinelli (0:32)

Now, folks, be sure to stick around for the end of the episode. We'll have your feedback on our recent episode number 428, The Devil's Bible, Jesus Was an Alien, Psychic Powers in Heaven, and more weird questions.

But first, Jimmy, I just wanted to remind the listeners and viewers that we're having Weird Questions Month while we work on future scripts and shows, so please enjoy these Weird Questions episodes that we're doing. What topics are you going to be answering questions about today?

Jimmy Akin (1:04)

We're going to be talking about things like, why don't all ghosts ask for masses to be said for them, if ghosts are souls from purgatory? Why would God allow non-interactive hauntings that just repeat rather than unique apparitions of the dead?

What are the moral implications of using AI or automation that could put coworkers out of a job?

Does bodily corruption, incorruptibility happen only to saints or to non-Catholics as well? Are there Catholic themes in the Star Wars universe? Are a couple's guardian angels friends with each other and their children's angels? Could a guardian angel have been allowed to console Christ in the Garden of Eden? Is prayer like telepathy and do the saints in heaven communicate telepathically and more?

Dom Bettinelli (1:54)

Very good. So let's listen to your answers to these great questions.

Cy Kellett (1:59)

Hello, and welcome to Catholic Answers Live. I am Cy Kellett, your host. Happy Halloween to you. Thanks so much for being here with us on Halloween. And I will say this because I know we have young listeners who might need to be reminded. There's little tiny little people out today and they're going to trip over their costumes. So drive extra slow and extra carefully please those of you who are on the road.

The number here is 888-318-7884 and a perfect opportunity to do weird questions with Jimmy Akin. Therefore, I don't know why I just gave out the phone number. I just looked and noticed I have all the questions. Jimmy Akin is our guest senior apologist here at Catholic Answers, the podcaster behind Jimmy Akin's Mysterious World and the Jimmy Akin podcast. Hi Jimmy, happy Halloween.

Jimmy Akin (2:44)

Howdy, how's it going? Happy Halloween to you too.

Cy Kellett (2:47)

It's going very well. For a moment there, I forgot we have the questions. It's a weird questions show and I've got a ton of weird questions for you. I had a thought though that it's Halloween, it's a Friday.

There must be something spooky on Jimmy Akin's Mysterious World. Was I right or not?

Jimmy Akin (3:07)

Well, there's usually something spooky on Jimmy Akin's Mysterious World.

Cy Kellett (3:11)

Well, that's true. Yeah.

Jimmy Akin (3:13)

But today, today it's also a fifth Friday. So today it's weird questions. So that's spooky. And the lead weird question for Jimmy Akin's Mysterious World is, did Jesus have extraterrestrial sheep?

Cy Kellett (3:27)

I have forgotten that question. I did that question with you. I have forgotten. Did Jesus have extraterrestrials? I'm not going to go back and listen.

That does not seem like one that I would forget. Check it out on Mysterious.fm or wherever you get your podcast. Or go to the Jimmy Akin YouTube channel. There's a ton of stuff on the Jimmy Akin YouTube channel. Jimmy, off we go. And I'm very grateful. We're starting with a ghost question. This is the perfect day to start with a ghost question. Philip325 wanted to know this.

If ghosts may be souls from purgatory, whom God has permitted for a particular reason to appear and interact with the living, why don't all ghosts ask for masses to be said for them?

Jimmy Akin (4:16)

Okay, so there's several parts to this question. Now, Philip says if ghosts may be souls from purgatory, and that's an if. And he's left open another possibility, which is that some ghosts might not be souls from purgatory. There also could be ghosts from heaven or hell.

Now, we commonly interpret the appearances of souls from heaven as something other than ghosts, but fundamentally, it goes in the same category of an appearance of a departed human spirit.