BB writes: “
One thing that really puzzles me is that both the well-loved Thomas Merton and Henri Nouwen were also known for their study and openness to some Eastern religion practices. How do you perceive their teachings?
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Emily Rosa at age 11, the year she published the study in JAMA (photo courtesy of her mother, Linda Rosa RN and Wikicommons)
New Age energy workers insist that the cause of all of mankind’s ills are related to imbalances in an alleged universal life force energy known as chi, qi, prana, vital force, etc. Thanks to the sophistication of modern science, it was easy to prove that this energy doesn’t exist, so easy, in fact, that a nine-year-old girl thoroughly debunked the claims of these “energy workers” in a fourth-grade science fair project!
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New Age practitioners swear by them and claim you can tell just about anything about a person by reading it. Others believe you can use it to diagnose illness and change the way a person thinks. What is this remarkable tool?
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ST writes:
"With all the new age classes;(yoga, tai chi, pilates), and martial arts;(tai chi, karate), taking place at the YMCA and any health club I've looked into, I avoid going to them even to ride a stationary bike or walk on the treadmill. People think I'm crazy, but I don't want to be in an environment that will put my soul in danger. That is most important. I was told by a priest that as long as I don't participate in these classes, that it would be OK to work out in these facilities. I'm not feeling that he is correct. What do you think?"
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AB writes: "
We have a priest filling in for our normal parish priest who is on retreat and this priest gave a Parish Mission teaching New Age prayer. Is it New Age to call the Holy Spirit an energy force?"
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KJ writes:
“Dear friends of our family who are devout Catholics have become so disgusted with Big Pharma that they are turning to herbal medicine almost exclusively. In addition to how these natural remedies might be impacting them physically, what about their spiritual health? Isn’t this just a bunch of superstition?”
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LT asks: "
Is Network Chiropractor, also known as Spinal Network Analysis, new age? Should one avoid going to such a chiropractor?"
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SL writes:
“So many of my friends are turned off to essential oils because of their link to witchcraft. I just don’t understand why it matters that witches use the same oils. What difference does that make?”
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JE asks:
"Would you consider the presence of a Dream Catcher an open door to the occult? I've never been comfortable with their use for children . . . I have a necklace & earring set of Dreamcatchers sitting in my jewelry box. . . . (A)fter reading about some of your other posts about jewelry I've been thinking that in addition to pitching the "Mary Poppins" book set I never got around to reading, I should pitch the Dream Catcher jewelry as well. Could you maybe tell us a little more about what to look out for in jewelry? Or would that be a whole 'nother Learn to Discern book?"
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Only a few years ago, Alex and Ani bracelets were a sought after fashion statement produced by a tiny company that grew from relative obscurity into a shining star of entrepreneurial success. This same company, whose owner bragged about relying on bizarre New Age practices to guide her, is now barely mentioned. What happened?
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