As an example, take Izaak Amelo, a 70-year-old merchant in Suriname. For seven years he was a respected church-council member and a well-known spirit medium at the same time. He recalls: “Every Saturday our entire church council gathered outside the village to consult the spirits. We continued the whole night. When the next morning came, the deacon kept an eye on his watch, and about five o’clock, he signaled us to stop. We then took a bath, changed clothes, and headed for church​—just in time for Sunday morning worship. All those years the pastor never said one disapproving word.”

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Izaak Amelo recalls participation of an entire church council in spiritistic séances

‘Spirits encouraging sexual immorality? That is farfetched!’ you may exclaim. Are those spirits really that debased?

“It’s even worse!” says Izaak, mentioned earlier. “One night we were called to help a sick woman troubled by a spirit. The leader of the group​—the medium of a stronger spirit—​tried to chase the spirit away. For a whole day we pleaded for his spirit’s help. We danced and played the drums, and gradually the woman improved. He ordered her spirit out, and this worked. ‘We gained the victory,’ beamed the leader. Then we sat down and relaxed.”

Izaak’s gesticulating arms rest for a moment while he pauses meaningfully. Then he continues: “For a while all looked well, but then a scream broke the silence. We rushed to the house where it came from and saw the leader’s wife. She was crying hysterically. Inside the house, we found her little daughter​—her head facing backward! Some force had wrung and broken her neck, killing her like a chicken​—apparently, the revenge of that ousted spirit. Sickening! Those spirits are sadistic murderers.”

Then we should remove all objects connected with spiritism. Izaak did so. He says: “One day I gathered all my spiritistic belongings in front of my house, grabbed an ax, and chopped them to pieces. My neighbor screamed that I would regret what I had done. While she was screaming, I poured gasoline over the pieces and burned every single item. Nothing was left.”

That was 28 years ago. Did Izaak regret his action? On the contrary. Today, he is serving Jehovah happily as a Christian minister in one of the congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses.