Negative Information

[Saint Therese]

I know its difficult when others malign you because of your vocation. Keep in mind that this may not necessarily desist when you do enter. Communitities are often maligned, human nature being what it is.
So rejoice to be persecuted for the Lord's sake, and don't pay any attention to them. You've got mre important things to worry about.Don't listen to the devil!!

[Caramelonion]

Blessed be Jesus Christ!

Thanks so much for everyone's input on this. Mercifully my folks are now happy with my plan to enter the Monastery and are no longer listening to their neighbor. They see how joyful I am with the prospect of giving myself totally to God and that brings them joy.

[johnnydigit]

oh how i do sympathize with you. some people just don't understand, even my own family and relatives, even friends. to them i only speak as much is needed. no need to argue or explain, sometimes it's just one worded or very short answers. just enough to keep them happy at the moment (or shut them up!) to the others who do understand, oh it is a blessing to talk endlessly praising God. just keep following God and don't lose your faith, only increase it. surround yourself with strong Catholics and keep active so you don't lose yourself to the world.

prayers!

[cathoholic_anonymous]

[quote name='EWIE' post='1583973' date='Jun 26 2008, 09:24 PM'][quote name='Cathoholic Anonymous' post='1583884' date='Jun 26 2008, 12:58 PM']
Karen Armstrong's [i]Through the Narrow Gate[/i]. (Armstrong is an ex-nun.)[/quote]

For the information of any others who may read this book.
I knew Karen at the time she was in the Order and I am personally familiar with her former Order. There are a few errors that should be noted.
1. Karens former Order is not an enclosed Order, but rather an active teaching order, still in existence today and flourishing.
2. Many of Karens so called experiences, were embellished and sensationalized in order to sell a book.
3. Karen is a gifted charismatic and engaging speaker and writer, but has lost her belief in God and is now a self admitted Atheist.
Personally, I would not recommended her books for spiritual reading.
[/quote]

I was watching a recent documentary with her in which she talks quite openly of her belief in God. She describes herself simply as a monotheist, a statement that is reiterated in many of her books. She went through an atheistic phase immediately after leaving her Order, but that was resolved. It is true that she is no longer Catholic.

I wouldn't recommend [i]Through the Narrow Gate[/i] as spiritual reading, as it wasn't written by a practising Catholic. I would, however, recommend it as a very down-to-earth and human book for anybody who is discerning the religious life. The book makes it clear that the order wasn't enclosed, but it does emphasise that apostolic sisters then were much more secluded than they are today.

I know Karen Armstrong's former community, which she doesn't name in the book. I have two friends who are sisters in that community today. They have confirmed that great changes have taken place within the community and that much of what Armstrong wrote was accurate, although it is still a sore point with them. I think she handled her material respectfully, and it never came across as sensationalised to me - just very matter-of-fact.

[EJames2]

there is sooo much good, faithful accurate stuff to read out there, and sooo little time. one must choose wisely.
Karen Armstrong .she entered at 18 ,1962 a Religious group of teaching Sisters in the sixties who became part of the 1960's pop-psychology fallout, and destruction of catholic Religious Life.she left in 1969.
though a darling of the British and Canadian anti-catholic Media,as well as heterodox 'America" magazine, and "US Catholic Weekly", is an-ex-teaching Sister, ex-catholic, is [b]not an atheist [/b]though, but a confused liberal feminist, and sensationalist.. who hypocritically criticizes the Holy Catholic Church for its "misogynist and oppressive attitude towards women, but never Criticizes Islam on their historic treatment of women. she [s]thinks [/s] is considered an expert on Islam and history and teaches Mohammad as a true prophet, and THE "Peacemaker".
She is part of the 'Golden Rule' movement (very prevalent up here in Canadian catholic schools etc.)believing and teaching that all Religions/Spiritualities are the same. (Universalism)though she is not alone as many Jesuits, and even the Trappists fall now into this misreading of inter-religious understandings.
she is a revisionist historian. Her understanding of history is very mixed up from a full truthful historic Catholic perspective ,Believes she teaches the truth as an expert on Islam, even though many Muslim scholars,dot agree with her, or like her being their mouthpiece on BBC.
and worse , Armstrong is a Fellow of the [url="http://www.catholicculture.org/library/view.cfm?id=3443&repos=1&subrepos=&searchid=261173"]'Jesus Seminar'.[/url],a reason alone that shows her lack of wisdom, and is to be avoided by the perhaps less informed faithful..
lets pray for her mind and heart to be healed, and be open to The Truth, Our Lord and Risen savior Jesus Christ, through His Catholic and apostolic Church. She would consider, by her definition, most of us in this forum, 'Fundamentalists' in the pejorative sense.looking at her work she seems to be in the camp of the Gnostic heresy of Syncratism and guilty of Eclecticism, using what she wants to suit her apriori.
ok, i got that off my chest!!!, she is always on TV or radio up here,(after Tom Harper) when someone in the media wants to know something about Islam, or Catholicism or comparative Religion, or wants to feel better because they are afraid of dying (by Terrorists or George Bush.)
well , last time i do that. hey, not bad for a French guy!!
PAX

[EWIE]

[quote name='Cathoholic Anonymous' date='Jun 28 2008, 04:44 PM' post='1585816']
\ I would, however, recommend it as a very down-to-earth and human book for anybody who is discerning the religious life.
I know Karen Armstrong's former community, which she doesn't name in the book. I have two friends who are sisters in that community today. They have confirmed that great changes have taken place within the community and that much of what Armstrong wrote was accurate, although it is still a sore point with them. I think she handled her material respectfully, and it never came across as sensationalised to me - just very matter-of-fact.

I respectfully disagree;
Karen belonged to the branch of the Order in England and there is a world of difference between the English Community and the American Community....and the African community for that matter.
Much of what Armstong wrote [b]was [/b]factual but certainly not accurate. You may think she handled her material respectfully from reading about it, but from having had nearly the identical formation, I still maintain that she sensationalized much of it and thus was not very reaspectful of some very treasured customs.

I hope we can just agree to disagree.

[jkaands]

[quote name='Caramelonion' post='1584070' date='Jun 26 2008, 04:57 PM']Blessed be Jesus Christ!

Thanks so much for everyone's input on this. Mercifully my folks are now happy with my plan to enter the Monastery and are no longer listening to their neighbor. They see how joyful I am with the prospect of giving myself totally to God and that brings them joy.[/quote]

Wow!

Well, that was a real turn around!

I was going to suggest that, as a last ditch effort, you take them to visit, which you might want to do anyway. Once your parents see the happy nuns, they would have come around.

So-o, I hope you'll tell us, as soon as it's official, where and when!

[Caramelonion]

[quote name='jkaands' post='1586448' date='Jun 29 2008, 03:59 PM']Wow!

Well, that was a real turn around!

I was going to suggest that, as a last ditch effort, you take them to visit, which you might want to do anyway. Once your parents see the happy nuns, they would have come around.

So-o, I hope you'll tell us, as soon as it's official, where and when![/quote]

Absolutely! and thanks for everyone's help. You have been such a blessing to me.