EW writes:
"I am writing for information about a gift that I received from some Catholic women friends. I have heard them talk about the practice of Reiki and Healing Touch. They are involved with it in the hospital settings. They call it a prayer blanket and they are hand-made from cloth material. It is 17" x 17", the back and front are beautifully quilted. In the front is a centered cross. The prayer blanket comes with a prayer blessing for the one that places it on the part of the body that needs prayer. I heard a priest in his homily that Catholic school children made prayer blankets and sent them to the missions for a school project. Does this have anything to do with the New Age?"
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Werner Erhard (Photo courtesy of Wiki Commons, AkashOM, CC BY-SA 4.0)
SC writes: "My sister, a confirmed Catholic and the godmother of my daughter, attended a Landmark Forum last weekend in Cincinnati. She was "invited" by her boyfriend. After looking at a website on cults and watching a video that a French TV station did on this group, I do believe that it is a cult. It has been around for awhile, but seems to have really hit the Midwest. I looked on your New Age blog but couldn't find an entry on this particular group. I told her it is anti-Christian and at the very least, she will be out of a lot of money. She has already signed up for more weekends, and asked me why I thought it was anti-Christian. What could be wrong with trying to make your relationships better with family and friends, she says? She is a smart woman and so is the boyfriend - I can't understand how they could be drawn to something which is such a scam."
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DKK ssks:
"Can you write something about the practice of smudging in native spirituality? Is it wrong or against Catholic doctrine?"
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PS wrote:
“The other day you posted a story about why Catholics should never consult psychic mediums. What do you say about all those psychics who solve crimes and find missing persons?”
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We frequently get mail from readers who ask about mediums in their area who claim the gifts they are using to contact the dead and divine the future came from God. Can this be true?
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GM writes: "
My mother and I got into a discussion about idolatry a few weeks ago. She seems to think that having pagan artwork in the home isn't idolatry, and I can't help but feel like it is, although the extent of it is a rendering of a buddha by my sister, and a couple buddha statues in opposite alcoves in our entryway. What is Church teaching regarding this?"
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BMC writes:
“My friends and I are baby boomers who are always looking for ways to stay young. We’ve heard about these new ‘young blood infusions’ as a way to do this. Does it work and is there anything New Age about this kind of treatment?”
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LL asks:
“There is so much spiritual confusion out there! People are blending all kinds of beliefs and practices, Christian, Hindu, New Age. How are we supposed to tell what’s Christian and what isn’t without having to read the catechism from front cover to back?”
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DA asks: "
Is metaphor training new-age? It is a technique used by my catholic therapist."
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After winning his sixth Super Bowl, it’s safe to say that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady knows how to win a lot of football games. But he doesn’t rely on grueling practices and tough workouts alone. Brady says he also relies on superstitious practices gleaned from his wife’s witchcraft to get ready for big games.
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