'conversations With God' By N.d. Walsch

[Maria_Faustina]

I received the book [i][/i]Conversations with God: An Uncommon Dialogue[i][/i], by Neale Donald Walsch from a friend (if you're reading this, don't take it personally, okay? ) for Christmas last year. She was pretty excited to give it to me, because, I understand, it seems like a cool book--I mean, Walsch says that the book (and the others in the same series) consists of dialogue between himself and God; that he asks questions, and God answers, and he writes it down, and voila, a book. I know it's been a while since Christmas, but I just get the feeling I shouldn't read it. Or at least, read it and take it seriously. He says all his answers to the questions asked in the book are eXACtly as God said them Himself. St. Faustina wrote Jesus' quotes in her diary, for example, but she's just a liTTle bit easier to believe. Just a tad. It seems that if Walsch was truly receiving all these answers and explanations of our lives directly word for word from God as easily as he says he does, these books would be a bit more recognized (it was published in 1996). You know, like the Bible is. (Sorry, sarcasm). Do you guys know much about him? What do you think about people like this--are they just extremely common, and I'm missing them (too busy reading what the saints had to say, that's probably why)? Is it worth reading his/their books at all?
If he's really receiving all this knowledge, fine. But if not...poor guy, how disillusioned he must be....

Edited October 30, 2007 by Maria_Faustina

[Laudate_Dominum]

I have one of those books and it is one of the most nonsensical texts I can think of. I would describe it as cheap, post-modern, secular pseudo-religiosity and half-baked P.C. moralizing. All in God's name of course. *rolls eyes*

The person who gave me my copy was pretty excited about it too. They said it would introduce me to a new concept of God that is superior to that which the Church teaches. As far as I can tell they were eager to convert me to feel good spirituality without organized religion and morality without any rules beyond "don't hurt anyone" and "be nice". It didn't work. The only thing less impressive than the book was that particular person's grasp of Catholic teaching. They shared the fact that they had been raised "Catholic" as some kind of infallible credentials by which I ought to be compelled to adopt their secular new age ideology. The real tragedy in this scenario is the fact that this person was in fact raised Catholic and yet literally knew nothing about the Faith. This was an adult old enough to have teenage kids who did not realize that the Church teaches the Divinity of Christ and the Real Presence in the Eucharist. It would seem that the only spiritual sustenance they were able to find after so many years was this trashy and superficial little book.

I would suggest letting that book gather dust some place until the next time you fire up the grill in which case you'll have some fuel to get the fire started.

Btw, there are plenty of people who claim to write for God. I believe our own carderro has made this claim.

[withouthavingseen]

[quote name='Laudate_Dominum' post='1411380' date='Oct 30 2007, 01:43 AM']I have one of those books and it is one of the most nonsensical texts I can think of. I would describe it as cheap, post-modern, secular pseudo-religiosity and half-baked P.C. moralizing. All in God's name of course. *rolls eyes*
...[/quote]

True that, Laudate. Even worse, the underlying philosophy of the text (I think you rightly called it New Age) is very much gnostic and it's overall message is pretty much 100% opposed to Christian revelation.

We can compare N. D. Walsch to the Christian mystics whose experiences are more likely authentic. The Christian mystics, like St. Faustina, have typically been embarrassed by the private revelations they received, and only publicly divulged them (1) at the insistence of their spiritual director or the Church; and (2) after they have died. They have generally not profited financially or socially at all by their revelations. Lastly, their writings have always been consist with the Church's established teaching, even to the point of being kinda boringly uninnovative, theologically speaking.

None of these things is true of N. D. Walsch's texts.

Because of the numbers of ideas in his texts that occur in New Age, neo-Pagan, and even Satanic thought, it would not at all surprise me if he was receiving authentic spiritual messages. I would bet my last rosary bead that the messengers are not of God.

[Maria_Faustina]

Good points.

It makes me sad now, because my friend bought the book at the small giftshop they have in her parish's narthex. And that church is one of the more traditional ones around here... sigh.

And again... poor misled guy... sheesh.

[Maria_Faustina]

grr, double post...

Edited November 1, 2007 by Maria_Faustina

[Laudate_Dominum]

[quote name='Maria_Faustina' post='1412221' date='Oct 31 2007, 09:40 PM']Good points.

It makes me sad now, because my friend bought the book at the small giftshop they have in her parish's narthex. And that church is one of the more traditional ones around here... sigh.

And again... poor misled guy... sheesh.[/quote]


They sell that book at a Catholic parish?

[Laudate_Dominum]

[quote name='withouthavingseen' post='1412030' date='Oct 31 2007, 01:16 PM']True that, Laudate. Even worse, the underlying philosophy of the text (I think you rightly called it New Age) is very much gnostic and it's overall message is pretty much 100% opposed to Christian revelation.

We can compare N. D. Walsch to the Christian mystics whose experiences are more likely authentic. The Christian mystics, like St. Faustina, have typically been embarrassed by the private revelations they received, and only publicly divulged them (1) at the insistence of their spiritual director or the Church; and (2) after they have died. They have generally not profited financially or socially at all by their revelations. Lastly, their writings have always been consist with the Church's established teaching, even to the point of being kinda boringly uninnovative, theologically speaking.

None of these things is true of N. D. Walsch's texts.

Because of the numbers of ideas in his texts that occur in New Age, neo-Pagan, and even Satanic thought, it would not at all surprise me if he was receiving authentic spiritual messages. I would bet my last rosary bead that the messengers are not of God.[/quote]
Amen. Thanks!

[cathoholic_anonymous]

[quote name='Maria_Faustina' post='1412221' date='Nov 1 2007, 03:40 AM']Good points.

It makes me sad now, because my friend bought the book at the small giftshop they have in her parish's narthex. And that church is one of the more traditional ones around here... sigh.

And again... poor misled guy... sheesh.[/quote]

It's possible that the parish doesn't know about the contents of the book. I saw it in a shop once and was misled by the title. It sounded like the sort of thing a C.S. Lewis or a Cardinal Newman might write. It was only when I picked it up and started flipping through it that I got sceptical. Volunteers who are in charge of stocking parish bookshops don't always have time to read all the books themselves - they may order things based on their initial impressions of the title and the blurb. (This was how books by Joan Chittister managed to get into our big diocesan bookshop.) I think you should contact the parish and ask for the books to be removed.

[withouthavingseen]

[quote name='Cathoholic Anonymous' post='1412651' date='Nov 1 2007, 10:15 AM']It's possible that the parish doesn't know about the contents of the book. I saw it in a shop once and was misled by the title. It sounded like the sort of thing a C.S. Lewis or a Cardinal Newman might write. It was only when I picked it up and started flipping through it that I got sceptical. Volunteers who are in charge of stocking parish bookshops don't always have time to read all the books themselves - they may order things based on their initial impressions of the title and the blurb. (This was how books by Joan Chittister managed to get into our big diocesan bookshop.) I think you should contact the parish and ask for the books to be removed.[/quote]

Yeah, OK. ND Walsch's books should be burnt, and it might not hurt anything to put him on top of the pile. But before you do that, take a good look at the books in question in the particular parish bookshop / literature rack.

There is a 7-volume series entitled [i]In Conversation with God[/i], by Francis Fernandez-Carvajal. This title contrasts almost imperceptibly from the title of the 3-volume series by Neale Donald Walsch, [i]Conversations with God: and Uncommon Dialogue[/i].

But the difference is literally night and day.

The Fernandez-Carvajal texts are a series of mediations on the daily Mass readings, lives of the saints, seasonal liturgical relections, excerpts of writings from the Holy Father, Vatican II, the Catechism, and the writings of the saints. It is intended to serve as meditations for use as preparation before Mass, during Holy Hours, etc. It is a very, very, very good series. A lot of really good traditional and more-or-less-mainstream-in-a-solid-diocese parishes, like mine, keep his texts by the perpetual adoration chapel.

Make sure you're burning the right book, that's all! Lolol.

[Laudate_Dominum]

Yes, [i]In Conversation with God [/i]is a phat series, I actually confused the two when the fellow I mentioned above first said that he was going to give me a book called [i]Conversations with God[/i].
I hope that the person who bought that book for the parish did not make this mistake. Actually I hope they did make this mistake since it would be a nice explanation.

[Maria_Faustina]

Yes, I should say something. At least to the priest maybe, since I don't know the giftstore manager. However, the parish my family/I belong to has far more problems than books like this, which should be addressed first (like liturgical abuses). I guess fix one thing at a time...
And sadly, no, I don't think it was a mistake they had them; my friend got me the 2nd in the series, because they were out of the first book. Meaning, they have all 3, and people buy them.