Monday, January 08, 2007

Catholics and the New Age Movement

Some Catholics I know do not see anything wrong with Reiki, yoga, the centering prayer, etc. However, according to the following ARTICLE, Catholics must be careful of these Eastern practices:

As a traditional Catholic, an important question I have often asked myself is why do some Catholics turn away from their faith and turn to New Age spirituality? I have concluded that the answer can be found in one word-- PRIDE. The pride comes from the desire to be like God; the same temptation that took place with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The temptation that says: “You are equal to God. You are the Creator.” These are some of the promises of the New Age Movement.

So what has the Church done to respond to this temptation? In 2003 the Vatican released a major document entitled: “Jesus Christ, the Bearer of the Water of Life.(JCBWL)” I would recommend that not only Catholic Christians read this worthwhile document, but all Christians because new age philosophies have migrated in all cultures and in all walks of life. In presenting this lengthy, 88-page document, Cardinal Paul Poupard, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, said, “the New Age phenomenon is one of the most urgent challenges for the Christian faith...”

The document specifically identifies the following as new age: Zen, Buddhism, Yoga, Enneagram, Wicca, the Higher Self, the True Self, ALC’s (altered level of consciousness), the “god” within and TM (transcendental Meditation), but yet I am shocked that if you pick up almost any diocesan newspaper, you are likely to see many of these un-Christian practices advertised.


Just wondering what the findings are in Catholics listening to New Age music like Enya.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was under the impression that the Centering Prayer was something Thomas Aquinas began (something like that). A nun (in a habit) taught a class in it at a Catholic Life Congress in Philadelphia a few years ago that I went to.

I sometimes listen to ambient, soundscape kinds of music when I'm writing, just to have background noise but not get caught up in the words of the song.

I know a few Christians (not Catholic) who see nothing wrong with Reiki but that one bothers me a lot.

FloridaWife said...

I LOVE Enya's music!!!! It's just music, which is really great!

There's nothing there taking me away from the Holy Trinity.

EC Gefroh said...

Nancy, I don't know about that. If so, that is interesting.

Elizabeth, my DH is the one who introduced me to her music. I really like it too.