Mankind has always been interested — even fascinated — with the possibility of speaking with the dead, even by occult means. This interest is not tolerated in scripture: In fact, the practices of sorcery and witchcraft are condemned because they traffic in the forces of spiritual evil, turning people away from God. But two Biblical stories, found in Luke 16:19-31 and Genesis 4:1-12, show that God wants us to learn lessons about our relationship with him, even if those lessons come from people long deceased.