Posted on 07/14/2008 5:39:34 AM PDT by NYer
that website is nonsense. It is condemning even spiritual monastic practices used by many great Christians of the past. It seems to be saying that meditation is “occult” and “unbiblical”.
what a bunch of reformed garbage!
direct quote:
“Those who use these methods put themselves into a trance state outside of God’s sanction or protection and thus engage in an extremely dangerous approach. Besides, nowhere in the Bible are such mystical practices prescribed.”
Now admit it, NYer. You don’t seriously wonder why we Orthodox aren’t just thrilled at the prospect of reunion with the Church of Rome, do you!
www.progressivecatholicvoice.org
Many of the spiritual practices of proclaiming Christians ARE dangerous. What do you find objectionable in the quote you cited? Many of the methods currently embraced by people within the RCC and all stripes of Protestant churches line up with the occult - these are dangerous.
BTW, I think the people that run http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/index.html are dispensationalists, not reformed.
This page http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/desertfathers.htm examines several mystic teachers without regard to whether they be RC or Protestant.
It is strange-—the Orthodox Communion is far less hierarchial than the Catholic one, and far more horizontally figured than the Catholic vertical model, but the Orthodox have a far more uniform practice and the laity are much more in full agreement with the basic doctrines. In the Catholic Church, almost all doctrine is officially pronounced in the catcheism, but huge numbers of Catholics, even those in authority, make up their own doctrine.
but that website is saying that meditation and other spiritual practices are bad. It is trying to tar all Christian mystics with either paganism or heresy. It is like saying jogging is bad because many people who jog are into new age religions, or become gnostic.
sorry, that is just nonsense. There is nothing wrong with contemplative prayer.
my verdict still stands-—that website is hyper-evangelical nonsense.
That is what happens when you try to confine God to a book-—you lose all spirituality. And that is what many of the more militant extreme protestants do-—they make God to be just a character in the Bible.
Puhlease!
Frank question time: have you been praying that the crisis in the Latin Church ends?
I wouldn't argue with these guys. They are afraid of that which they don't understand...and that's just about everything.
Yep, they lost me when they tried to compare the likes of St. John of the Cross, St. Ignatius Loyola and Thomas Merton with these nutjobs of today. I did notice the St. Thomas Aquinas and Thomas à Kempis were both left off of the list, they must be considered above reproach even though they were both given to mysticism.
“Frank question time: have you been praying that the crisis in the Latin Church ends?”
Sort of. I pray that the Latin Church cleans these matters up on its own and soon. There are just too many bad ways for the crisis to simply “end”.
That web site specifically - and accurately - states that mediation which focuses on emptying one’s mind, rather than focusing it on Scripture, is dangerous. Regarding contemplative prayer, it also (as does everything) hinges on what meaning one associates with the phrase. Please review this before accepting contemplative prayer without caveats.
http://brogdensmuse.menofhonorministry.org/Apologetics/Contemplative%20Prayer.ppt
Esta bien. :-)
“It is strange-—the Orthodox Communion is far less hierarchial than the Catholic one, and far more horizontally figured than the Catholic vertical model, but the Orthodox have a far more uniform practice and the laity are much more in full agreement with the basic doctrines.”
Well, we are thoroughly hierarchial, CD, but beyond that, because the laity are the ultimate defenders of Orthodoxy, we have to know what the doctrine is and be on constant guard to protect it.
Although I have only been Orthodox for three years I have observed that as well - and what a relief it has been after the Episcopal Church to be a member of a church where I am joyously and completely loyal.
As to why this uniformity of belief and practice exists there are probably several reasons.
One is that the laity are truly engaged in deciding what is "Orthodox." There have been several examples in history where (almost) all bishops proposed a heretical direction and the laity refused to give their amen.
Second, our very lack of an earthly, central authority, ironically strengthens our shared heritage of the truth. That is not to say we are not taught the necessity of obedience. Much of Orthodoxy seems paradoxical; it can only be understood by living it.
Finally, I believe that Orthodoxy is divinely protected. To be clear, I am not asserting it is perfect. Humans will screw up everything.
Not quite. Look at the number of Communist Orthodox in Eastern Europe. Look at the more or less Communist Orthodox in the US: Dukakis, Blagoyevich, Tsongas, Sarbanes, etc.
she looks like a typical washed out lezzie.
What she does is occultish and unbiblical. Projection is a funny thing, eh? I hope they stop this nonsense. It hurts the church.
You think highly of Thomas Merton? A couple of quotes from this mystic:
“It is a glorious destiny to be a member of the human race, ... now I realize what we all are .... If only they [people] could all see themselves as they really are ...I suppose the big problem would be that we would fall down and worship each other ... At the center of our being is a point of nothingness which is untouched by sin and by illusions, a point of pure truth ... This little point ...is the pure glory of God in us. It is in everybody.”
“I see no contradiction between Buddhism and Christianity ... I intend to become as good a Buddhist as I can.”
(David Steindl-Rast, “Recollection of Thomas Merton’s Last Days in the West” (Monastic Studies, 7:10, 1969)
A Christian ought to care more for what is taught than the man who may have been useful at one time.
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