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To: Love Wisdom Truth
Well, you asked . . .

First, this is an old, old heresy called Gnosticism, which basically administers to gullible people's vanity -- 'hidden (occult) knowledge (gnosis)' is available only to the adepts. Of course, as St. Irenaeus pointed out back in the 2nd century, you wind up simply worshipping yourself. C.S. Lewis covered this appeal to vanity and its destructive results in an essay on "The Inner Ring", and also in That Hideous Strength, if you prefer fiction.

Second, you can't hijack Jesus for this as some sort of adept or advanced being. As C.S. Lewis also said, if you read what Jesus actually said, he is either the Son of God, the Devil of Hell, or insane. You can't hail him as some sort of advanced teacher or enlightened being -- as Lewis also said, He didn't intend to leave us that option.

Third, there most certainly are spiritual beings other than men and angels. The vast majority of them do not have your best interest at heart, and if you mess with them you will get burned. The whole New Age movement has opened the door to a lot of ignorant monkeying around with the unseen world. It's very dangerous and wrong, and serious people have always known that. That's why both the Bible and the Catholic Church are very strict about forbidding attempts to divine the future, work magic, contact the dead, etc.

Finally, all the occultists I have ever known are to varying degrees nutty as squirrel poop. I was around the fringes of the movement for years, I can even read Tarot cards and weave a pretty good patter while I'm doing it. But I don't do that any more because it's wrong, and dangerous.

14 posted on 11/11/2011 3:13:47 PM PST by AnAmericanMother (Ministrix of ye Chasse, TTGC Ladies' Auxiliary (recess appointment))
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To: AnAmericanMother
nutty as squirrel poop

LOLOL! I'll have to remember that one.

40 posted on 11/11/2011 7:59:33 PM PST by boatbums ( Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us. Titus 3:5)
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