Posted on 05/08/2005 3:56:34 PM PDT by NYer
The First Commandment is "I am the Lord Thy God. Thou shalt not have strange gods before Me." But, according to one local convert from the New Age, San Diego Catholics who aspire to know their God better are sometimes presented with information on strange gods instead.
Moira Noonan, a resident of Encinitas, authored Ransomed From Darkness which tells the story of her conversion from New Age spirituality to the Catholic faith. Noonan believes most Catholics are being insidiously exposed to New Age ideas in the Church.
How long have you been a Catholic?
I finished RCIA about 10 years ago. Actually, I was baptized Catholic and attended Catholic school as a little kid. New Agers are constantly searching, always looking for something new. The first true — I hate to say it — 'enlightenment' which dawned on me was that I didn't want to be reincarnated. And I thought, "How do I get off this wheel of reincarnation?" I remembered something from when I was a [Catholic] kid about 'eternal life.' Yet I was constantly being bombarded with reincarnation in the New Age. I just said, 'I don't want to come back. If there is eternal life, or if any of those Sacred Heart nuns who taught me as a kid are in eternal life now, won't you pray for me right now?' It triggered something.
Reincarnation is one of the biggest demonic heresies in the world. When you consider how much of the world's population believes in reincarnation, it's scary. All New Agers believe it. And most of the people I knew in the New Age were fallen-away Catholics.
What do people mean when they say, "I'm not religious, but I'm very spiritual?"?
"Spiritual" seems to be one of the trendy catch words coming out of the New Age movement, because New Agers never say, "I'm of this faith" or "that faith". What they say is, "I'm spiritual" because the New Age movement came from the spiritualist movement. The spiritualist movement was a big movement in America around the turn of the century, with people like Madam Blavatsky. This all came from the time when people started believing in Darwinism. We didn't need God anymore. Now people are saying that they are "spiritual." We don't need any religious truth or religious facts, because we can make up our own gods again.
Is their any link between homosexuality's ascendancy and the New Age movement?
I don't recall seeing homosexuals in the New Age movement, or at least I never met any. They seem to prefer to stay in their own community. But apparently now the lesbian movement is huge in the New Age. This is what's happened to some women's religious orders. Many of them were feminists who turned to Wicca or white witchcraft. It's much more pervasive on the East Coast and, thankfully, I was never a part of any of that. I agree with our Church['s position] that it [homosexuality] is gravely disordered.
I used to go to confession at the Cathedral downtown. One time, when I walked in, I saw a book on the Enneagram (a New Age personality type test) sitting on the priest's chair. What's wrong with the Enneagram?
First off, the Enneagram is being used in almost every Catholic spiritual direction and retreat house in America. It's now the main tool for teaching people how to do spiritual direction. Its origins are occult, not Christian. Now why is this different than using traditional Catholic spiritual direction and counseling, such as St. Ignatius of Loyola's exercises to discern God's will? The Enneagram isn't about working with God's will or understanding it, it's all about personality. It's a personality exercise, not spiritual, and it's not based on God's will. It relies on the human spirit, rather than something divine."
So where is this New Age infiltration happening in the Church in San Diego?
I really don't want to mention these sisters by name, because some of them were very helpful in my conversion a long time ago. I can tell you that they are in a beach community where they operate a retreat house. They also use the Celestine Prophecy for spiritual direction. The Celestine Prophecy was a popular New Age novel which, like the Da Vinci Code, was taken as fact but in reality slanders the Catholic Church. It enjoyed a brief vogue in the 1990s. It's all about developing psychic powers. I was a former New Ager and I sure didn't need these nuns teaching me New Age stuff after leaving the New Age movement. After that experience, thank goodness, a priest from out of state got me to go to Prince of Peace Abbey for spiritual direction. And that is the only place I would recommend anyone in San Diego to go."
For some time now, the La Providencia retreat center in Alpine has been offering Reiki. It's been said that Reiki is just a type of massage therapy. Is that correct?
I don't know anything about La Providencia, but I can tell you about Reiki. Reiki is psychic healing. It is not reconcilable in any way, shape, or form with the Catholic Church, because it uses spirit guides. Spirit guides are fallen angels — not guardian angels but deceivers. It's not Swedish massage. It's occult massage. In order to do Reiki, you have to follow a master. It's like being consecrated to a guru or master. I can say that, because I was an advanced Reiki master healer.
Some photos posted on the internet from Cardinal Mahony's latest religious education congress, show people walking around through labyrinths.
They're using labyrinths in Christian churches and New Age churches. The big difference is that in the New Age churches, they are doing it to a mantra. If it's done in a Christian setting and with a Christian mindset, then I wouldn't have any objection to it.
Does the San Diego diocese contribute to this New Age contamination?
I can tell you that here in North County, there is a coastal parish where I just finished a basic catechist course — I really don't want to mention it by name -- that is so bad you cannot believe it. This is where they are training people to be religious education teachers in parishes. I was told by this instructor not to mention Mary, the rosary, statues, novenas or "any of that superstitious stuff." This is the director of religious education for that parish who teaches the class. It was so unbelievably awful. And, just as in the New Age, he told us that no stories in the Bible were literal events." He said that the Bible is, "nothing but stories, not an accurate account."
"That's a young girl dancing at a youth conference."
Know what? I don't believe that.
There are four people processing behind her in what passes today for altar-thing gowns, one of them carrying what appears to be a modern-art, non-representational cross and others with candles. It's clearly a procession of some sort, and it is taking place in the vicinity of what appears to be a Novus Ordo altar-table.
Looks to me like they're starting Mass.
Ah, but the Church does.
This was an event with over 35,000 people, mostly kids.
"It's a world conference and a beautiful linen over a well hand made basket might be like wealth in some of the Catholic Church's in third world nations."
It doesn't matter how "beautiful" a basket may be; the Church is quite clear on the requirements.
"This was an event with over 35,000 people, mostly kids."
1. What is the point of something like that? Why do it?
2. Who says they all have to take communion at the same time?
I say knock that materialistic silliness off altogether.
It's for tens of thousands of people.
ROTFLMAO!!! I just about choked on what I was drinking when I read that.
It's a world education conference. 35,000 people had to be accomodated and I'm sure what they did was OK with the Vatican.
I bet JJP2 did the same many times on his trips being he was at events where he had to give communion to tens of thousands as well.
Make that JP2
Guess I missed that. It kind of blended into the scenery. Well, didn't Jesus use those for the loaves and fishes miracle?
I'm being sarcastic. Rules again. Baskets then, ciboriums now.
I'm getting random disconnects so may not be able to stay with this discussion for a bit. Will see if this will fly.
And there's no way that she is "a young girl". Take a closer look.
Go to the site. It was a gathering of the worlds children from all parts of the globe under one roof for educational purposes.
I believe the lesson plans were also given there, so the idea would be that all the world got the same consistent education throughout the world.
More than likely people were sponsored to attend.
I suppose it's more pragmatic to entertain them. Give them a good show.
Go to the site which I linked earlier.
The dancing was an exhibition of different Catholic culturs from around the world.
It was more about education than dancing.
Check out the site.
"And there's no way that she is "a young girl". Take a closer look."
Well, at my age the concept of "young" is fairly elastic.
"The dancing was an exhibition of different Catholic culturs from around the world."
That "different Catholic cultures" are thought to exist is a serious problem.
"If Mahoney wants to be humble let him give up his dancing girls and obey the rubrics of the mass, including what is prescribed for sacred vessels."
How come that wasn't the end of this thread?
As a consolation, here's a happier ending for a similar church boarded up 40 years ago. Our Maronite Catholic pastor was looking for a new church for his growing congregation. Despite the fact that the local RC diocese had closed several local area churches, none of these was made available for purchase.
The Maronite Catholic pastor found a 150 year old Methodist/Episcopal (when they were still joined) Church. The owners had been offered good money over the years by commercial developers seeking to tear down the church and replace it with a business. They refused to budge.
When the pastor contacted them, they happily sold him the property which includes a small residence, for a fraction of its value. Their primary concern was to ensure the church remained a place of worship, regardless of denomination.
The interior remained untouched since its construction. It includes a wood buttressed ceiling and several magnificent stained glass windows. It needed serious repairs, though. Recently, after filing appropriate paperwork, both buildings were accorded Landmark status thus entitling them to matching state grants for restoration work.
It's a costly process to restore the buildings and make the necessary adjustments to convert it from a protestant to catholic worship space but the project is moving ahead. Our parish will celebrate its centennial this year. While the new church will not be completed in time, with God's grace (and some hefty donations), the aspirations of a protestant group to save its church and those of a Catholic priest for a new church, will soon come to fruition when the bishop comes to dedicate the church.
Ironically, since acquiring this property, the RC diocese closed 5 area churches! Those congregations will benefit from our presence once this project is completed.
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