Christian Perspectives on Modern Spritual Practices

[KulturedKaveman]

I've never understood why the occult is considered bad. Is it because it's nonsense and therefore a waste of time? Or is it because it's real but risky?

The problem with the occult is once you get into that stuff you open the door to all sorts of problems. You think you’re doing “white magick” but are you?

Whenever you do some sort of spiritual work, or magick it works by authority. By whose authority are you casting your spell or summoning? God’s? Are you sure you’re doing gods will? If it was gods will why the woo woo stuff? Yours? Now you just sound like Satan. “My will be done.” Some spirit or entity? Is the spirit you’re trying to contact even good? Once it’s in your life it will damage your psyche and start causing all sorts of problems.

Fun factoid - aleister Crowley completely freaked out on his death bed.

 

[GodfatherPartTwo]

Ok but is it bad in itself, or because it can be hijacked? For example, chakras. Are chakras real? I think they are. And if they are, then surely they must have a purpose, like the functions of the body.

The spirit that is empowering them is demonic, they are evil in themselves. Chakras are focused on channeling a "python" spirit. There is a real power to it, though I won't affirm that chakras in themselves are real.

And astrology. Do the positions of planets and stars in relation to each other have an effect on people? If so, why is it wrong to look into it and work with it? Wouldn't that be the similar to checking someone's health by looking at their eyes or tongue?

Astrology is a form of divination. People are trying to know their future as filtered through a convoluted, demonic system. By ascribing power to the stars, you are ascribing power to fallen angels. It is not a science in the same way that your dental health is a science.
https://www.gty.org/library/questions/QA204/what-is-the-biblical-teaching-on-astrology

And what exactly defines what is occult?

That will change depending on who you ask. None of these occult practices are new, they have been practiced for as long as recorded history. The Bible defines which spiritual practices are forbidden and idolatrous, so that is where I get my definition.

Occult just means hidden, it doesn't mean evil. Lots of things are hidden.

In light of God as Creator, these occult practices are evil because they are invoking the power of demons. If God does not define good and evil for you, then you will not see these as evil but potentially helpful, good, and even something to orient your life around.

 

[MusicForThePiano]

"Witch in Peru thinks her powers are strong enough to stop a landslide. Guess what happened?"


You don't see much of this anymore, people challenging God indirectly or directly and video proof of their errors. Surely she wasn't one of those "good witches" I hear so much about from clueless new-agers.

 

[Острог]

Ok but is it bad in itself, or because it can be hijacked? For example, chakras. Are chakras real? I think they are. And if they are, then surely they must have a purpose, like the functions of the body.

And astrology. Do the positions of planets and stars in relation to each other have an effect on people? If so, why is it wrong to look into it and work with it? Wouldn't that be the similar to checking someone's health by looking at their eyes or tongue?

And what exactly defines what is occult? Occult just means hidden, it doesn't mean evil. Lots of things are hidden.

What makes you think these doors can be closed once opened? You know how powerful of a spiritual being you are without God? Less than a flea. And you want to spar with demons? They will take your head clean off! Plunge your soul into hell.

 

[Valentin Pearson]

What makes you think these doors can be closed once opened? You know how powerful of a spiritual being you are without God? Less than a flea. And you want to spar with demons? They will take your head clean off! Plunge your soul into hell.

I don't want that. I'm just saying, where's the line between occult (which only means hidden - hidden doesn't mean bad) and non-occult?

Predicting the weather, looking at things through a microscope, television, the internet, surgery, driving cars and going at "unnatural" speeds, these are all things that could easily be considered bad because they involve manipulating nature and being able to do things that we can't naturally do.

 

[TrainedLogosmotion]

I don't want that. I'm just saying, where's the line between occult (which only means hidden - hidden doesn't mean bad) and non-occult?

Predicting the weather, looking at things through a microscope, television, the internet, surgery, driving cars and going at "unnatural" speeds, these are all things that could easily be considered bad because they involve manipulating nature and being able to do things that we can't naturally do.

The magi used astrology/astronomy to follow the Star of Bethlehem and foreshadow Christ's birth. I would say that as long as we frame signs in the stars as God's Providence regarding rare events it could be fine.

Some people just take it way too far and see connections or star signs that really aren't there. It becomes prideful, satanic.

The word-concept fallacy is a common error I see pagans/gnostics making. Example: "The Corpus Hermeticum uses the word nous! That's just like Christianity!" Wrong.

Occultism/gnosticism is esoteric vs. how Orthodoxy is exoteric. Hidden vs. revealed knowledge. Confusing woo woo is not of the Holy Spirit.

The new age paradigm is led by a luciferian false light. Hence the Masonic phrase "From darkness to light". The antichrist beast system is the savior for people that follow this.

 

[Tippy]

I feel like Roosh once posted or wrote articles about how meditation was dangerous but can't seem to find them. Is that generally considered the case?

 

[GoodShepherd]

In Christianity its a forbidden practice, punishment for Orthodox Christians who get involved with it can be 15 years to life depending on how serious it is of not being allowed to partake of holy communion, thats how serious it is.

There are spiritual dangers, there is a good article you can read about saint Cyprian and Justina from the 3rd century its pretty short as an introduction to this kind of stuff, if you have the time a good modern book to read is The Gurus, The Young Man and Elder Paisios its about a young Greek man who got involved with this kind of stuff and also went to India to speak to Gurus and stay in their monestaries, very entertaining book, its more of a story than a Christian teaching about the topic, from a Christian perspective its a good place to read to see the Christian perspective on it.

 

[Lawrence87]

I feel like Roosh once posted or wrote articles about how meditation was dangerous but can't seem to find them. Is that generally considered the case?

Yes, meditation, at least as prescribed in Hinduism and Buddhism, is essentially aimed at extreme focus, usually on the breath or mantra of some kind. The aim is to empty the mind and attain some state of spiritual "insight", in Buddhism this is usually the notion of the self being illusory, and in Hinduism its usually something like merging into some state of oneness with Brahman or something. Both are false insights, and the practice tends to leave one open to demonic influence.

It is very different to prayer, or contemplating Scripture etc. Prayer places one at the foot of the Almighty, and is attained in it's truest sense, in a state of abject humility, whereas meditation is all about realising ones true self and elevating oneself beyond the mundane and into "higher consciousness" which is the opposite of humility

 

[Matsufubu]

All this strikes me as, is as repeating Adam and Eve's mistake. "God's holding out on me, I won't listen or obey and then I'll know what He knows", despite being explicitly told not to do it.

Gee, I wonder who knows best, God or us?

 

[GodfatherPartTwo]

Yes, meditation, at least as prescribed in Hinduism and Buddhism, is essentially aimed at extreme focus, usually on the breath or mantra of some kind. The aim is to empty the mind and attain some state of spiritual "insight", in Buddhism this is usually the notion of the self being illusory, and in Hinduism its usually something like merging into some state of oneness with Brahman or something. Both are false insights, and the practice tends to leave one open to demonic influence.

It is very different to prayer, or contemplating Scripture etc. Prayer places one at the foot of the Almighty, and is attained in it's truest sense, in a state of abject humility, whereas meditation is all about realising ones true self and elevating oneself beyond the mundane and into "higher consciousness" which is the opposite of humility

To put it another way, Eastern religions seek to obliterate the object/subject distinction altogether. To a Christian, this is impossible. Why? Because Christianity is about embracing the object/subject distinction in the Creator/creation distinction. It is not realizing that we are one with every existing thing that will bring enlightenment, but realizing that we were created by God to worship Him that brings the true enlightenment.