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."
The mass was for thousands, so instead of pitchers, I'm surprised it wasn't barrels being blessed.
Being a large event where all people couldn't see or hear, I'm sure to have the thousands participate, they broadcast the sound and maybe even a picture for those farthest away.
I think B16 is going to be putting the smackdown on this type of abuse. You shouldn't feel that it is "arrogant" to demand an orthodox liturgy. The Mass is not about "multiculturalism". It's not about us. It's about Jesus Christ and His sacrifice. It is ancient. It transcends cultures. We are meant to enter into it as if we were entering into a divine mystery. It is not meant to be a vehicle for us to represent our "culture". It's not the Opening Ceremony for the Olympics! It's the Lord's Supper.
Been there, done that. These events are offered at Catholic retreat centers, under the control of the diocese and the bishop. Trust me, letters have been written, for years letters have been written. Nothing is done to change it.
You and I both know that Mahoney is walking the wire on the edge of the cliff. He WILL fall off.
Could very well be that the hosts were put into that giant basket to bless them all at once and pass them out.
It is a humble way of doing it, I wouldn't get upset at that.
Remember, this was an event with thousands in attendance.
They are from the Religious Educator's conference in L. A. I have associates who attended it. I did not.
I've spent some time on the website looking for strange things in that church in your area just now, and all I can say is the website is a great deal more conventional than what you reported from your paper, at least so far.
If it were me, I'd complain and get others to do so regularly.
"Sorry, but this lady looks like a freak to me."
Well, I for one am very offended that you would refer to a whacked-out, nutbar attention-whore as a freak.
Yes, Mahoney is left of center and I think at one point the Vatican did reel him in a bit.
That's a young girl dancing at a youth conference.
Isn't your description of her precious.
I really have no idea what to say to that, except that the King of the Universe deserves better. 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. Our Lord should be given the proper reverence and glory His Majesty commands.
Who is your bishop? Why isn't something being done about all the stuff going on?
"It is a humble way of doing it, I wouldn't get upset at that."
The Catholic Church requires that all such vessels be of suitable materials. Glass and wicker are not suitable. It is an abuse, and Mahoney knows it.
He was born in a manger and had nothing here on earth.
If they use a hand woven basket with a special linen to contain the hosts, I have no problem with that.
Again, consider the context. This was a world conference and in poorer nations, they may use baskets in every church.
I don't know exactly how I should feel, but after all these years of crazy (to me) experimentation, it is in the spirit of the gospel. Early on they started making compromises to make a more inclusive church as gentiles began to convert. Circumcision is one example.
I'm just more comfortable at an orthodox liturgy and am hoping that Benedict will lower the boom on all of it (not likely in the US), but won't hold my breath over it.
It's the rules. Some say they are just man made rules. I say if you place yourself under the authority of the church and her legitimate, ordained leaders, you are bound to follow the rules, whether high or low.
**Who is your bishop? Why isn't something being done about all the stuff going on?**
I guess the next step is to go to the Vatican. Was it Pope John Paul II that put your bishop in?
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.
This was not the Los Angeles Cathedral. It was handling some 35,000 at a youth educational conference.
Bishop William Murphy, no relation ;-)
Why isn't something being done about all the stuff going on?
Surely you must know by now why I think nothing is being done.
yes.
Or stone pots maybe? Whatever the rules say is my main concern..
Being a large event where all people couldn't see or hear, I'm sure to have the thousands participate, they broadcast the sound and maybe even a picture for those farthest away.
I understand that, it's pragmatic and makes sense, but I wonder if the old rule was rescinded. Actually, I believe it only applied to inside the church. Overflow crowds and outdoor masses could be considered exempt.
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