Your Opinions On The Occult Wanted.

[Christina]

I would recommend a book written by Michael H. Brown called [url="http://www.marianland.com/brown.html"]Prayer of the Warrior.[/url]


[quote]Spiritual warfare is at an all time high!  In whose army are you a member? A riveting account of front line action in the eternal battle between good and evil as experienced by best-selling author Michael Brown Parapsychology, a brush with the Mafia, and fascinating encounters with the supernatural make Michael's story something you will not want to miss and inspires all to join in this spiritual war. [/quote]


This book really opened my eyes.

[crusader1234]

To say a certain type of sin doesn't exist, thats dangerous. Leaving yourself open to something that the Bible aknowledges, the Church aknoledges, and something that has entered pop culture repeatedly since the beginning of time is leaving a big welcome mat for Satan to come in and say well if this doesn't exist...

[Mr. Cube]

[i]"He proposed another parable to them. 'The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off...'"[/i]

This is my opinion (more of a late-night brain-dump), with the disclaimer that I've never read a Harry Potter book, only seen 2 of the movies: Harry Potter books are spiiritually damaging, because they plant the seeds of witchcraft, much like [u]The Lord of the RIngs[/u] plants the seeds of Catholicism, by discussing religious ideas with fantasy literature.

A couple of "disturbing religious elements" caught my eye. One is the Hand of Glory, which is mentioned in non-fiction books on witchcraft and demonology. The Hand of Glory was supposedly used to put the residents of a house to sleep, expediating theft. The other disturbiing thing is the sacrifice of the unicorn:
[quote]
Rowling then presents a perversion of Catholic theology when a unicorn is killed just before the climax of the first book. "The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price," writes Rowling on page 258. Drinking blood will keep us alive?

When I first read this, I wondered if we were about to see a Catholic metaphor that might redeem the entire book. The next phrase kept my hope alive, "You have slain something pure and senseless to save yourself . . ." Yes, I thought, we are about to see a Eucharistic analogy, but then my eyes traveled to the next line on the page: "You will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips."
[/quote]
What this says to me is that if you are miserable, or on the brink of death, "...a half-life, a cursed life" is all the salvation you can expect. And that despair and hopelessness is expressed with a (maybe unintentional) anology to the Eucharist.

Do you want your children reading a book that glorifies real occult practices (as well as fake ones), and associates the Eucharist with hopelessness? Maybe you don't think it'll affect your kids, because they know it's fiction. But re-reading my old Tolkien books, I can see the Catholic symbolism, and I know it planted the seeds of faith. What kind of seeds will Harry Potter plant in your children's souls?

Good night, sleep tight,

Mr. Cube

[MorphRC]

Witchcraft has no affect. Its just a punch of depressed weirdos, trying to get a ego-boost.

[BeenaBobba]

Yes, witchcraft is a sin.

God bless,

Jen

[Christina]

[quote name='MorphRC' date='Jul 16 2004, 03:07 AM'] Witchcraft has no affect. Its just a punch of depressed weirdos, trying to get a ego-boost. [/quote]
Witchcraft, my freind is VERY real. We have a group near here that practices.... in fact, one of them worked in my office and sat two desks over. She knew I was a practicing Catholic and told me once that if she were near me after I received the Eucharist, it would make her physically sick. That it has happened before... I tried to Evangelize this woman and bring her over from the dark side, but she was way sucked in and claimed to be able to cast spells and so forth. I eventually just stayed away from her once I realized how deep she was. She would tell this other lady some of the things her group did and let me tell you, it was very scary. I would get up from my desk and walk out of the room because I didn't want to hear it.

Then, one day I remembered I had a blessed St. Benedict's medal in my purse. So, I waited for her to go to lunch and I taped the medal under her desk so she couldn't find or see it. I prayed a Novena to St. Benedict and within a week after the Novena was over, she gave her two weeks notice. After two days, she didn't come back. My intention was for satan to leave the office.

Regarding what Mr. Cube wrote. AMEN

[nikkan_hanil]

[quote name='MorphRC' date='Jul 16 2004, 05:07 AM'] Witchcraft has no affect. Its just a punch of depressed weirdos, trying to get a ego-boost. [/quote]
I'm sure Raven would kurse you if she were still around to hear that...

Edited July 16, 2004 by nikkan_hanil

[nikkan_hanil]

[quote name='ladybug' date='Jul 16 2004, 12:00 AM'] Don't mess with the occult. Listen to me as a voice of experience. My catholic mom was interested in reincarnation and faeries and physic phenomena....and so I thought it was okay because she liked it and thought it was harmless, and that is what led to the ouija board. And my mother is a devout catholic lady...I think she just didn't know any better. [/quote]
Hmm...well I personally like to study many kinds of cults and minor religious beleifs as a hobby. Not submit to it's teachings, but just learn...you think that's dangerous?

[Catholic_4_Life]

[quote name='Christina' date='Jul 15 2004, 05:05 PM'] Wake up people.... this whole thing about HP is causing division amongst us.


Just because there are a few of us that don't agree with the rest of you doesn't mean we are less devout or loyal to the Church then you. You guys are acting like we are wishy washy Catholics who don't follow the Church.

Guess what? We aren't... we are just as loyal as the rest of you, but CHOOSE not to subject our children to the evils of HP. If you don't think it's evil, then that's your opinon. In the end we will all find out.

In the vary least, these are secular books/movies that do not have anything to do with our faith and will not get us to heaven.

This and the other HP topics are going no where and in my opinion all of them should be closed. We need to move on and get back to the love that I've seen all over this board. [/quote]
The same could be said for those of us who READ the books and like them. We aren't any less devout than those who oppose the books such as yourself. Division comes when people try to "force" their oppinions on one another. And as we have seen, there is even a division among the Vatican and Bishops when it comes to this series. Where does that lead us?

My only wish is that those of you who do not think it is a good source of literature for adults or teens let those adults or teens make the dicision on their own and don't condemn them for it. And from both sides of the fence we can keep our beliefs and stop having to "defend" our views on the issue. It shouldn't matter if you are a fan or refuse to read them. To each their own...the true thing that matters is that we are still one phamily in Christ. We still hold true to our Catholic doctrin, and we love one another as brother and sister...knowing that brother and sister "fight" on occasion, but still love one another.

I hope that made sense.

God Bless!

Steven

[Christina]

[quote name='Catholic_4_Life' date='Jul 16 2004, 08:11 AM'] The same could be said for those of us who READ the books and like them. We aren't any less devout than those who oppose the books such as yourself. Division comes when people try to "force" their oppinions on one another. And as we have seen, there is even a division among the Vatican and Bishops when it comes to this series. Where does that lead us?

My only wish is that those of you who do not think it is a good source of literature for adults or teens let those adults or teens make the dicision on their own and don't condemn them for it. And from both sides of the fence we can keep our beliefs and stop having to "defend" our views on the issue. It shouldn't matter if you are a fan or refuse to read them. To each their own...the true thing that matters is that we are still one phamily in Christ. We still hold true to our Catholic doctrin, and we love one another as brother and sister...knowing that brother and sister "fight" on occasion, but still love one another.

I hope that made sense.

God Bless!

Steven [/quote]
If something causes division among us, it it from God?

And by the way, I'm not judging anyone. That's not my place.

[Catholic_4_Life]

[quote name='Christina' date='Jul 16 2004, 09:21 AM'] If something causes division among us, it it from God?

And by the way, I'm not judging anyone. That's not my place. [/quote]
NO! I hope I didn't imply that...I didn't mean to if I did...

It's not anyone's place but God's to judge us, I know that...still, I feel like both sides of this discussion have been "defending" their views rather than just stating them. I hate to see that, that's all. I know that no force can divide the Phamily, and I pray that while we dissagree, we still love each other.

Hmmm...I wonder: Why would God allow something to cause division among us? Perhaps to help us grow stronger together? I hope so!

[ladybug]

I think I'm going to write some children's books with the miraculous and mystical sides of christianity in it....a story about childrens journey in faith, and learning how to produce miracles in peoples lives and making a positive ripple effect into the world around them.

I think kids crave the magical because they are reaching out for something supernatural, and so maybe I can help try and feed that desire with MIRACLE stories. Because miracles are real, and Jesus walked on water and did all of these supernatural things...in the right way, according to God's Will.

So, I'm going to channel this anger at the HP books into my creativity.

And my books will have vibrant colorful illustrations, and I can use symbolism, like make a guardian angel to guard each kind of flower and fruit all the way from the seed to being fully grown. And they will be all sparkley and glittery and luminous. And they will carry staffs instead of wands. Staffs represent faith. And the staff will have the star of bethlehem on it, or a cross, or a heart instead of a pentagram. Or I could put one of the stones from the bible on the staff...like the emerald and jasper stones in the bible....and the stones can match the angels dress and the color of the flowers.

And the angels will gather the flowers, and the berries and fruit and present them to God. And the little children will dance, and celebrate and be a part of the miracle, and they will pray and heal people and make all sorts of wonderful things in the world.

If we don't feel our children's desires for heavenly miraculous things, that leaves an opening for the devil to come in a lure them with magick. And the devil knows how to imitate and make counterfeits that mimic the real thing....but there is something wrong with it...just like the devil appearing as the beautiful angelic woman in the Passion of the Christ...but something was wrong with her, she had a maggot or worm in her.

This is why as a kid I was fascinated by the occult. I was looking for the real thing, MIRACLES. Instead I got the imitation which did not fulfill my soul, and that is why I was so sad and felt like a wandering gypsy. Thank God the Lord is showing me the miraculous now. Thankyou God for giving me the real thing.

Pocketfull Of Miracles
by Frank Sinatra

Pee-Racticality, Dee-oesn't intrest' me. Love the life that I lead.
I've got a pocketfull of miracles, and with a pocketfull of miracles,
one little miracle a day, is all I need.

Tee-Roubles, More or less, Bee-other me I guess, when the sun
doesn't shine. But theres that pocketfull of miracles, and with a
pocketfull of miracles, the world's a bright and shiny apple thats
mine, all mine.

I hear sleigh bells ringing, smack in the middle of May. I go around
like theres snow around, I feel so good, its Christmas everyday.

Lee-ifes a carousel, fee-ar as I can tell, and i'm ridin' for free.

So if you're down and out of miracles, i've got a pocketfull of miracles
and there'll be miracles enough for you, and me.

(Kids Choir)I hear sleigh bells ringing

(Frank)Smack in the middle of May, I go around like theres snow
around

(Kids Choir)I feel so good its Christmas every day

(Frank)Lee-ifes a carousel, fee-ar as I can tell, and i'm ridin' for free.

(Kids Choir)I've got a pocketfull of miracles.

(Frank)But if I had to pick a miracle, my favorite miracle of all is you, and
me.

Edited July 16, 2004 by ladybug

[p0lar_bear]

[quote name='nikkan_hanil' date='Jul 16 2004, 11:09 AM'] Hmm...well I personally like to study many kinds of cults and minor religious beleifs as a hobby. Not submit to it's teachings, but just learn...you think that's dangerous? [/quote]
Actually, yes it can be. Be [i]very[/i] careful when investigating the occult. There are powers at work and they can draw you in if you are not working against them.

[ladybug]

[quote name='p0lar_bear' date='Jul 16 2004, 10:21 AM'] Actually, yes it can be. Be [i]very[/i] careful when investigating the occult. There are powers at work and they can draw you in if you are not working against them. [/quote]
Polar Bear is right. It can smell of elderberries you in, like it did to me.

My parents were interested in the paranormal when I was a kid, even though we went to church...and that is how I got the craving for it. They had these books laying around and I ended up reading them.

Then it got more hard core and I was into Sylvia Browne and George Anderson, and John Edward and Deepak Chopra.

I'm finally FREE and don't read that stuff ANYMORE.

[p0lar_bear]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' date='Jul 15 2004, 07:29 PM'] [i]Come by here[/i] in Gullah [/quote]
You know about gullah?