EcceNovaFacioOmni Posted December 18, 2003 Share Posted December 18, 2003 I saw this book in a Catholic store today and it shocked me. It investigates possible enneagram roots in Christianity. I have always known it to be a New Age/occult kind of thing. Has anyone else heard of this book and do you have any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winchester Posted December 18, 2003 Share Posted December 18, 2003 All the dude wanted was his rug back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
traichuoi Posted December 18, 2003 Share Posted December 18, 2003 hmmm....what is Enneagram? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmotherofpirl Posted December 18, 2003 Share Posted December 18, 2003 ENNEAGRAM VERSUS THE CATHOLIC CHURCH Rick Kephart -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It is quite common for one religion to assimilate things from another religion. It has been done often in the history of Christianity; for instance, our word "Easter" has pagan origins. Taking things from other religions and Christianizing them is useful and healthy, adding variety. It also happens that other religions take elements of Catholicism and adapt them to another religion. Voodoo did that: mixing Catholicism with African superstitions, but it is a harmless example because people do not consider it to be Catholic since it was never made to appear Catholic. But there are times when Christian elements are assimilated into another religion and there is an effort to deceive and trick good people into their religion. New Age does this. The attendant spirit of a witch is traditionally depicted as a black cat and called a "familiar", which is unacceptable to Christians, but instead of a black cat, picture the familiar as a person with wings and long robes, and instead of calling it a "familiar" call it an "angel", and now Catholics can be tricked into accepting it. Or if a crystal pyramid is used to gain magical powers, no good Catholic would listen to such a foolish notion; substitute a container of Lourdes water for the crystal, and suddenly you've gotten the Catholics' attention. Good Catholics are attracted by talk about angels and Lourdes, or about creation and prayer, and often take it for granted that whenever people talk about such things, they mean what people normally mean. Actually they were assimilated into the New Age religious system and given new definitions. That's how formerly good Catholics, even priests, can be tricked into accepting another religion, sometimes without ever even realizing it. THE SUFI RELIGION The Enneagram was developed from the Sufi religion, though it was not made up by the Sufis. It was introduced to the West by a Russian, George Ivanovich Gurdjieff, who sought to use it to foretell the future. It later gained acceptance among some Catholics. The Enneagram as we have it now was invented in Chile. Many Sufis are very similar to witches. They believe they have the power to cast spells (they call it projecting "baraka"), to travel through time into the past and future, to heal, to read minds, to communicate telepathically with each other, and they have a superstitious belief in supernatural powers of certain things (certain kinds of candy and flowers). Clairvoyance and ESP to them are simply normal parts of life. These Sufis believe in using their powers for the sake of the Design. This "design" is God's plan for mankind: the direction God wishes human evolution to take. Only the Sufi masters are privy to this secret design; the Sufis are Gnostics in the sense that they believe in esoteric knowledge (but they do not believe in a good god vs. an evil god). They believe they must safeguard this hidden design or pattern; whenever human beings anywhere in the world do something which harms the design, they must use their supernatural powers to put things right. (There is also a vague connection between the Sufis and Freemasonry, because of the similarity of symbolism used by a 9th century Sufi, Dhul Nun, who was associated with the Order of the Bannayin (Builders), and modern Masonic symbolism.) THE ENNEAGRAM The Sufis believe the "design" ("naqsh") is hidden underneath appearances, which are false: reality lies beneath appearances. They must see through outward appearances to find the truth, the reality, under them, where the design can be found. This especially includes looking beneath their own appearances. They must come to know their "real selves" and only then they can know "Reality". To know Reality, and then act on it, is the ultimate goal of the Sufi religion. The Enneagram is a system of assigning a number from 1 to 9 to oneself and every human being. This number is said to reveal the hidden motivation for everything a person does. Intelligence is given three "centers": thought, emotion, and instinct. Mainly because of the environment, the three centers are always imbalanced. The result of this imbalance is that a person's "true self" is always hidden beneath a "false self". The Enneagram is supposed to enable a person to gain knowledge of his true self, exposing the true motivations for actions and illusions developed regarding himself and regarding how to deal with the world. Discovering one's "true self" and the real motives for everything one does, concealed as the Sufis believe they are beneath false appearances, is vital to the Sufi religion; it is not part of Christianity. On the other hand, goodness and holiness, to know, love, and serve God on Earth and be happy with Him forever in Heaven, are the proper goals of the Christian, and these are not goals for the Sufi. If evil must be done for the sake of the design, that is not a problem for them. They believe the ends always justifies the means: it makes no difference at all whether human evolution is set right through good or through evil actions on the part of the Sufi. NEW DEFINITIONS In promoting the Enneagram, an effort is made to take Sufi objectives, their kind of self- knowledge and knowledge of others, for the sake of promoting Christian objectives. But it's the opposite that happens: Christian goals are used for the sake of promoting the aims of the Sufi religion: the Catholic religion is assimilated into the Enneagram and the Sufi religion. Catholics using the Enneagram talk about things like saints and sin and faith and "fruits of the spirit". Using these words makes it sound legitimate. But they are only adapting these terms to the Enneagram, by giving them different definitions. The word "saint" is used in the Sufi religion, but can have an entirely different meaning. It has nothing whatever to do with holiness. A Sufi "saint" ("wali") is a person who is illuminated to Reality. This is the word used in the Enneagram (even by Catholics): a "saint" is a person who overcomes his false self and knows and acts according to his true self. The word "sin" is used a lot, but with a new definition. Sin is not a deliberate transgression of God's law. The word is redefined into personality traits that separate people from God or their real selves. Sin is the sinister motivation everybody has for everything they do, a part of human personality. It must be accepted and brought under control. The number assigned to a person by the Enneagram indicates what their one "root sin" is and will always be. "Sin" is also called "addiction". "Original Sin" has nothing to do with Adam and Eve. Their "Original Sin" is a psychological condition, meaning that a person is never at any time in his life undamaged or free, but is always exposed to harmful forces. It describes the conditions in the environment which cause the imbalance among the three intelligence centers. Another term used in the Enneagram is "fruits of the spirit". These have nothing to do with the Holy Spirit. In the Enneagram, the fruits of the spirit are good inclinations a person gets according to his number in the Enneagram. The "Holy Spirit" according to the Enneagram is not a Person at all: He is a synonym for "power" or "energy" in Enneagram spirituality (unlike the Father and Son, who are recognized as real persons). "Prayer" is talked about as part of the Enneagram, but their definition of prayer has nothing to do with God: prayer is absorbing elements from the environment into oneself, or projecting oneself into the environment, or delving into Nothingness. "Redemption" in the Enneagram has nothing whatever to do with Christ. It is the same as maturity, which is what they call freedom from one's "false self" to one's "true self". This true self is also called the "soul", another redefined word. Even "Heaven" is given a new definition: it is only a symbol for the perfection of freedom from one's false self to one's true self. Two other terms which are given new definitions according to the Enneagram are "faith" and "obedience". According to their definitions, a person cannot have true faith unless he has doubts. A person cannot be truly obedient unless he refuses if he disagrees; in fact, in the very act of defiance, a person is being truly obedient according to the Enneagram's definition of obedience. Taking words from our religion and changing their meanings can give things, even an entire different religion, the outward appearance of being Catholic. Some people are satisfied that something is good just because they hear a Christian vocabulary being used. That makes the slip into apostasy very gentle and painless. R. Kephart 1994 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Provided Courtesy of: Eternal Word Television Network 5817 Old Leeds Road Irondale, AL 35210 www.ewtn.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
traichuoi Posted December 18, 2003 Share Posted December 18, 2003 :o woah....thanks cmom...that's crazy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EcceNovaFacioOmni Posted December 18, 2003 Author Share Posted December 18, 2003 All the dude wanted was his rug back Come again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikkan_hanil Posted December 18, 2003 Share Posted December 18, 2003 (edited) Ennegram, eh? Sounds like a cult star of some sort... Edit... Ah, yes yes...here we go... http://altreligion.about.com/library/gloss...fsenneagram.htm Edited December 18, 2003 by nikkan_hanil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Red Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 nikkan, i saw on your link it talks about "kabbalistic". Isn't that what Madonna is into, Kabbalah? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muschi Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 THERE IS NO PERSPECTIVE ON THE ENNEAGRAM THAT IS CHRISTIAN! THIS IS THE GROSSEST MOST HEINOUS OF HERESIES!!! This makes the Protestant "revolt" /"reformation" look GOOD! :irate: :irate: :irate: :punch: :duel: :freak: Fight for orthodoxy is what we must keep doing! (sorry for getting carried away. I'm quite passionate about this.) - Muschi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phatcatholic Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 This article may help as well: ----------------------------------- ISSUE: What is the enneagram? May Catholics use the enneagram? RESPONSE: The enneagram is a symbol of geometric design. The symbol is made up of nine lines of equal length connecting to form a nine-pointed star. A circle connecting the nine points completes the enneagram symbol. Because it is merely a symbol of geometric design, the enneagram itself presents no offense to faith or morals. However, particular use of the enneagram for cultic or pseudo-scientific practices can pose a threat to Catholic belief and practices. DISCUSSION: As a creature composed of body and spirit, man uses signs and symbols to express himself. He assigns specific meanings to the signs and symbols and shares these meanings with others. Once the meaning is understood, the explanation is no longer necessary. He must only use the sign or symbol and those who know them also understand. The enneagram as a symbol Given the beauty and goodness of the natural world (Gen. 1:31), man commonly uses various creatures or combines characteristics of different creatures to symbolize certain things. Because these natural symbols are limited, different cultures and peoples commonly use the same symbol but attribute to it different meanings. For example, the rainbow is a symbol used by almost every culture in every time of humanity. Christians commonly use the rainbow as a symbol of God’s promises and a hope for the future. It is common to see the rainbow combined with the cross to show the fulfillment of God’s promises in the death and resurrection of Christ. Masons also use the rainbow, as do certain satanic sects. The meanings they attribute to the rainbow certainly have nothing to do with the fulfillment of God’s promises. Other symbols used differently by various peoples are the sun, moon and stars. Man will also create new symbols from natural shapes and designs. For example, the Star of David is a shape made up of six lines of equal length connected in such way as to form a six-pointed star. The pentagram is a star made from five lines of equal length connected to form a five-pointed star. Both stars are used as symbols by various cultures to mean different things. The enneagram is simply a nine-pointed star made up of nine lines of equal length and having a circle connecting its points. Modern uses of the enneagram Of itself, no symbol is evil. However, the meanings and uses of the symbol can be evil. Thus, it is not particular symbols we must avoid, but rather the evil meanings and uses attributed to them. The enneagram has existed for hundreds, and possibly thousands of years. While its date of origin is disputed, it came to the United States in the 1960s. The diagram was discovered in the 1890s in Central Asia by a Greek-Armenian occultist by the name of George Gurdjieff. He received it from the Sufis who were using it for numerological fortune telling. Oscar Ichazo, a follower of Gurdjieff, added animal symbols, or totems, and attributed certain personality types to the various points on the star. Psychologist Claudio Naranjo used the diagram as a tool for evaluating personality types. He taught this to his students, who subsequently disseminated this use throughout the world. Today, use of the enneagram in the United States still relates to the occult and is used as a tool of personality evaluation. Some merge both uses. Proponents of the New Age Movement and certain occult groups consider it to symbolize the “nine faces of God” which become nine demons when turned upside down. This dualism is not compatible with Christianity. It is also used in rituals of channeling spirits, horoscopes, meditations and drug use. Some attribute certain powers of self-salvation to use of the enneagram. These Gnostic and Pelagian ideals are in direct contradiction to the truths of the Catholic Faith.1 Within the psychological disciplines, the enneagram is often used as a tool of personality evaluation. Each of the nine points on the star represents a personality type. Each personality type has a vice and virtue connected with it. The various lines connecting the points inside the diagram and the circle connecting the points outside the diagram represent the various relationships that exist between personality types. These lines also are used to project methods of personality development and growth. Used in this way, the enneagram system of personality evaluation has never been scientifically tested or evaluated for reliability and validity. Many psychologists will recommend its use, but their recom-mendations are based purely on personal opinion, not objective criteria. All personality evaluation tools are limited in their applicable reliability. Because the enneagram lacks objective testing, its limitations are more pronounced. Conclusion In human life, signs and symbols occupy an important place. As a being at once body and spirit, man expresses and perceives spiritual realities through physical signs and symbols. As a social being, man needs signs and symbols to communicate with others, through language, gestures and actions. The same holds true for his relationship with God.2 “God created everything for man, but man in turn was created to serve and love God and to offer all creation back to Him.”3 Consequently, our use of signs and symbols must tend toward beauty and be useful for salvation. Any use contrary to this is not an act of love and service of God. Unfortunately, some uses of the enneagram as described above are found in certain Catholic seminaries, universities, parish programs and institutes of religious life. The Pelagian and Gnostic ideals, the occult practices and the dualistic language contribute to a destruction of proper catechesis and poor formation within the Catholic Church. Use of the enneagram as a personality evaluation tool is often passed off as definitive and reliable. This can cause confusion and an improper focus on certain traits and behaviors. If the enneagram is to be used as a thing of beauty and move people to salvation, the occult, Pelagian, Gnostic, and pseudo-scientific uses must be avoided. Pure Catholic meanings would have to be attributed to the enneagram for it to have value within the Church. For example, as an object of art, it could bear much beauty, just as other geometric designs bear much beauty. As a symbol, the circle could symbolize the eternity of God and the nine points could symbolize His absolute perfection (3 times 3). Any proper Christian meanings attributed to the enneagram would have to be known both to the one using it and the one seeing it. If mutual understanding is not established, the meaning is useless. Worse, scandal will continue if the meaning associated with its use continues to be anti-Christian. As Catholics, we must avoid use of the symbol entirely or attribute to it purely Catholic meanings. References 1 Mitch Pacwa, S.J., article found in Our Sunday Visitor, 5 July 1992. See also his article in 1991 July/August issue of New Covenant. 2 Catechism of the Catholic Church (Catechism), no. 1146. 3 Catechism, no. 358. --------------------------- hope that helped........pax christi, phatcatholic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muschi Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 In this day and age I would advocate avoiding its use entirely. I might be wrong, but it seems that there are a proliferation of "symbols" in use today. A good example mentioned previously is the rainbow. Now if I put a sticker decal of the rainbow on my car, (California), people seeing this will think I am gay. This symbol has been adapted by the gay community to "celebrate diversity". Given the confusion that reigns more supremely today than ever before, (it seems to me,) I wouldn't bother with ANY symbols other than those that are already understood throughout history. Call me paranoid, you may. I just don't know. What say y'all? I'll be glad to be "schooled" as I don't mean to appear ignorant and uneducated, but for the sake of orthodoxy, I will. - God bless and I'm looking foward to some input here. You guys might not have any idea what I just went through with an order of the Secular Franciscans not long ago that breaks my heart. I think I have it posted under the thread I started as a poll asking; has the new age come to a parish near u? If not, I'll post it again, nichyevo strashnava as they say in Russian. No worry! - God bless and thanks for bearing with me! - God bless! - Muschi ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmotherofpirl Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 People need symbolism in their lives: if they reject religion they look elsewhere to fill up their shallow lives.. "Our hearts are restless until they rest in you" reveals a great psychological principle. Nature abhors a vacuum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PedroX Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 Lil Red Devil, The Kabballah is a form of Jewish mysticism. The form currently in vogue is a corrupted form of this ancient discipline. peace... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EcceNovaFacioOmni Posted December 19, 2003 Author Share Posted December 19, 2003 I can't believe the store had that book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Wednesday Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 All the dude wanted was his rug back :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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