They offer Reiki at my community hospital. And many of the nurses at that hospital are Catholic! Also, at least one of the 'messengers' promoted on the Countdown to the Kingdom website uses automatic writing. This comment is from the Exorcist Diary #94: A woman* came to us in a panic. She initially was involved with Reiki. Later, her beloved grandfather died, so she tried to contact him through automatic writing. She was left-handed so she put a pen in her right hand and invoked the spirit of her deceased grandfather. The pen started to move and over the course of several months, she received many loving and consoling messages from her deceased grandfather, or so she thought. Then the messages started to go "south." They became ugly and threatening. She started to realize that this entire time it was not her loving grandfather with whom she was in contact. Rather, it was an evil spirit. She was terrified! We had her immediately stop this necromancy (summoning the dead) and sacramentally confess this sin. She formally renounced this practice and we prayed deliverance prayers over her. Fortunately, the evil spirit receded and apparently did not return. People often ask me about many non-Christian spiritual practices: yoga, reiki, ancestor worship, ouija boards, Charlie Charlie, white witchcraft and the like. "What do you think?" they ask me. The answer is simple: if you are not calling on the one true God and Jesus his Son (or the BVM, saints or St. Michael and the good angels), then there is only one other spiritual option and that is Satan. If you are not invoking the powers of heaven, then you might find out that the powers of hell are answering your call. Calling upon pagan deities, vague spiritual life force energies, mother earth and other pagan practices are spiritually dangerous. Regardless of your intention, you are violating the First Commandment and this is not going to end well. . https://www.catholicexorcism.org/post/exorcist-diary-94-whom-are-you-dialing
and Brian before I leave HH I realize you were just trying to be helpful....I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and safe from COVID.... I will not be chastised by the likes of Brian who is an egomaniac.....Of course you are a forum administrator....right up your alley..... It was personal twice....and I don't come to Catholic forums to be beat down. I have free will. At 62, I refuse to allow men to speak to me like that....showed it to my husband, and he said "that guys got issues"......I agree..... then he said...."get off that site, don't let strangers talk to you like that"..... Bye everyone.
Brian is not a forum administrator. I hope you stay Donna. He is a forum member as you are. He used to be a Moderator but retired a while back.
Dear Donna, Would you take a week or so off before you decide to quit? Because I also read your posts, and enjoy them. .
Brian asked not to be a moderator a few months ago. I must have forgotten to change his status. I have changed it now.
I see I am not down as a Staff member. I don't think Brian will appear as a Staff Member in future if I ticked the right box.
Since my status continued to be as an active moderator I have tried to continue to fulfill those duties as I am able. But since I’m an “egomaniac” and a “sad sack” (but definitely NOT a chiropractor!) I should renew my request not to be a moderator. And in regards to acupuncture, there’s a good summary article here: https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=8758
Here's an observation and a question... how many times do we have a soreness whether its a headache or muscle pain or stomach ache and we rub it to make it feel better? Do we pray beforehand? I don't...I just do it.. instinctive. God created our bodies and with that every single cell, organ, blood vessel, hair and fiber of our being.. if we have pressure points, he put them there. There must have been a reason for them..Medicine is continually evolving and it does not know everything and not everything has been revealed.. my mom who I'd say is a very pious woman and has relied on God her entire life and will be 91 in February. She has always used plants for healing in one way or another and knows what works including what parts of the body to touch to alleviate pain in other parts of the body. For example, she tells me to rub the inside of my toe for a headache. Just an example.... my point being, God made us with the pressure points that when rubbed alleviate pain. Its his doing. Without any kind of calling of the spirits, but relying on everything He created for our use and for our well-being and health. Unless someone is actually praying to the "spirits" or saying some kind magical wording and praying over you, I don't believe anything strange is going on. Although there may be those who do call in spirits, it doesn't mean they all do. And why couldn't they be catholic or Christian? Donna I hope you haven't left..everyone has there own opinions. Offer it up to Jesus.
I get what you’re saying. My big concern is when someone else is working on you. Someone like a massage therapist may practice reiki as part of what they are doing without giving it a second thought.
From this article the claim is made that there are both a permissible form of acupuncture and a non-permissible form: ...The Western form of acupuncture, which is based on science and not Taoism, is acceptable for use by Christians. However, the traditional Chinese acupuncture belief system is not compatible with Christianity."The philosophical thinking behind acupuncture comes from Taoism and the concept of the yin and yang, and of being at one with the forces in the universe through meditation," the Irish Theological Commission wrote in 1994 in its document, "A Catholic Response to the New Age Phenomenon." Christians believe man is a union of body and soul, and that the soul is an essential form — not an energy force. The belief that one can meditate and be at one with the forces of the universe is based in pantheism, the belief that the universe, God and nature are all equivalent. At present, there are many unlicensed practitioners who may be practicing a blended version of Western and Chinese acupuncture."The New Age movement has no difficulty with acupuncture because it accepts the Eastern philosophy behind it," the theological commission said. "But what about Christians? Can they accept the help and not be affected by its religious content? Many believe they can. "The general principle in this matter is that these practices are not bad in themselves, and dissociated from their original context, can be practiced by Catholics with due discretion."Father Lawrence J. Gesy, the cult consultant for the Archdiocese of Baltimore and the lead author of "Today’s Destructive Cults and Movements," says those seeking an acupuncturist should "make sure the person who is doing the acupuncture is medically licensed." According to the Mayo Clinic Web site, there are about 3,000 medical doctors in the U.S. who use acupuncture as part of their clinical practice. No individual needs to resort to a New Age practitioner in order to enjoy the benefits of acupuncture. "Those who are into the Chinese-god concept of acupuncture usually have charts up, or will talk about gods and energy levels," Father Gesy said. "These people are 'channeling.' The needle becomes their channel from the source of the energy of the gods into that person." Acupuncture works without the religious component, and is a much better bargain for Christians because it comes all the benefits, but none of the spiritual risks. Safe in the Two Hearts!
Just chiming in to say that I also appreciate your posts Donna. Please reconsider your decision to leave. So many spiritual folks have left this forum over the years, and I wish we could get them to come back. This discussion has swerved from the original topic and perhaps someone could start a separate thread about new age healing or whatever to deepen the specific questions. Getting back to the original question, I wasn't going to participate because I find it an odd question. I mean, following this logic, would Noah not need to apologize to Cham for getting upset about what he did to him? What did Cham do that was so terrible anyway? All he did was tell his brothers that their father was naked and Noah was naked after all so what is the big deal of calling this out to his brothers? But we're told it is a big deal and the fruit of calling out the father's nakedness was a curse from Noah upon Cham's son Chanaan. (see the note relating to covering the nakedness of Noah: "[23] "Covered the nakedness": Thus, as St. Gregory takes notice L. 35; Moral. c. 22, we ought to cover the nakedness, that is, the sins, of our spiritual parents and superiors." The way I feel about Mark's work is that if anyone owes anything to anyone, it's me who owes him my gratitude for what he's done to help my faith over the years (I feel this way about a few others writers too.)
If you review and read your post again you might want to admit that it lacks charity. Disappointing to see this at Advent as we await to celebrate the birth of our saviour Jesus Christ.
Christ is the way the truth and the life. He is the healer of body and soul. Too many run to new age practices because they do not have faith in the one true God. Many cannot discern the evil that is New Age. Deeply, deeply evil - rooted in paganism and occult practises. Avoid New Age as if it is the plague. Because it is a spiritual plague upon the West.
I really recommend reading pontifical council for culture's document on New Age and esoteric practises -- what struck me was how deeply embedded New Age practises have become in Western Culture. As the west de-Christianised paganism takes hold in the vacuum -- JESUS CHRIST THE BEARER OF THE WATER OF LIFE A Christian reflection on the “New Age” http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/p...s/rc_pc_interelg_doc_20030203_new-age_en.html Here are some of the practices mentioned in the document -- Acupuncture, biofeedback chiropractic kinesiology homeopathy iridology, massage and various kinds of “bodywork” orgonomy, Feldenkrais, reflexology, Rolfing, polarity massage therapeutic touch visualisation therapies nutritional therapies psychic healing healing by crystals, metals, music or colours, reincarnation therapies women spirituality Wicca Cosmic energy Occult magic Bio-centrism Genetic engineering Meditation Body harmony Cosmic consciousness Yoga zen tantric exercises Peak-experiences (reliving one's birth, travelling to the gates of death, biofeedback, dance and even drugs – anything which can provoke an altered state of consciousness) Channelling Fertility cults Christic energy Cosmic mysticism extra-terrestrialism Cosmic christianity Rebirth, biofeedback sensory isolation holotropic breathing hypnosis mantras sleep deprivation transcendental meditation Vibration (therapy) Karma Deepak Chopra Silva method Crystal therapy astral travel enneagram Feng-shui Mediums shamanism
Irish Bishop warns against ‘evil spirits’ in reiki and other healing methods https://www.independent.ie/irish-ne...-he-warns-of-the-evils-of-reiki-37403224.html
Truth! It is NEVER innocent. Even if you don't know what you are getting into that ignorance does NOT PROTECT YOU. it is a portal. I speak forcefully because it is very very dangerous. Incalculable danger.
That is why I debated with myself if I should post anything about Jesus the Bearer of the Water of Life. I prayed over it, and then I posted. One of my friends, a Catholic who has since passed away, strayed and became a reiki practitioner. I am not sure how long she practiced, but she had a serious medical condition that was ready to take her life, and she went to Confession. She went to a good and holy priest. She asked me before she died to pray for her soul after she passed away. I do indeed pray for her.
The serious dangers of New Age and occult “health” practices is an issue I’ve written about in the past and feel very strongly about. Throwing around positive references without caveat to such practices on an orthodox Catholic forum is dangerous at best. Thus my knee jerk reaction. If my cautions/ warnings on this issue were uncharitable or wrongly interpreted, my sincere apologies. But this is an issue on which we cannot and may not equivocate.
