Vatican convenes summit to fight the "threat" of alternative faiths!

The Pope and the Catholic hierarchy are looking for ideas to combat the horrors of Druidry, yoga, and Zen Buddhism!

http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20040616-010338-2257r.htm

Vatican moves to quell 'alternatives'

Vatican City, Jun. 16 (UPI) -- A week-long summit at the Vatican is trying to devise a plan to deal with the rise of "New Age" religions and fads, The Independent reported Wednesday.

The closed-door conference includes priests and lay people from 25 countries, focusing on a Vatican report on New Age sects last year.

Monsignor Peter Fleetwood, one of the authors of the report, said the greatest challenge may be in England and North America "where the New Age began ... and where it has become such a part of everyday life that we don't notice it." That makes it harder to attack, he says: "Where one sees a threat, it's easier to battle it."

Among the pursuits eroding the Catholic church's ranks are ancient Egyptian occult practices, Sufism, the lore of the Druids, Celtic Christianity, medieval alchemy, Renaissance hermeticism, yoga and Zen Buddhism.

The report notes how in Japan, one Jesuit missionary became a Zen Buddhist roshi, or master. He became a type of reverse missionary, implanting Zen Buddhist ideas and practice in Catholic groups in Germany and elsewhere, where they continue to thrive.

 

i wish they would open the doors

 

So--in other words, they're looking to eliminate any vestiges of TRUTH and LOVE? Real threat, they sure are valiant.

I guess if the pope says something's not right, it must be killed, since he's been declared "infallible". From the pictures I see of him these days, he's more like incomprehensible and incompetent! Someone needs to euthanize that poor rich man!

 

The universal religion of peace has many enemies. Why is that?

 

Too simple, no room for pettiness and competition, too unselfish, not violent, no pedastals to stand on, etc.


The main reason, IMO, truth is needed for discovery, therefore most think it nonexistent.

 

It's easy to see the faults of Christianity, but much harder to see how it chained many beasts.

 

It's probably worth noting that buddhism is not actually a religion but a philosophy and a way of life. In fact, it is perfectly possible to be both a buddhist and a christian. Someone should tell that to the ignoramuses.

 

I do not understand why there is so much hostility against the Papacy here. No laws will be passed forbidding people from practicing Buddhism or Wicca. The Vatican is simply developing apologetic doctrine to defend the Faith, as they have done for 2000 years. Really, it has no effect whatsoever on anyone who isn't Catholic, and so anyone who isn't Catholic should probably stay out of it.
"they're looking to eliminate any vestiges of TRUTH and LOVE?"

That's self-serving and arrogant. If Buddhism or Wicca or whatever is your truth, then that's fine, but don't talk as if it applies to me. And don't lie to me and tell me that the Church is not based on love.

"In fact, it is perfectly possible to be both a buddhist and a christian."

How? Christianity has a God, Buddhism doesn't. Christianity has an afterlife, Buddhism has reincarnation. Those are two pretty big differences.

 

Buddhism has no religious beliefs, although some buddhists do. Buddhism is simply an ancient system for achieving enlightenment and inner peace. A good buddhist teacher will teach you to come to your own conclusions, not his, and if christianity is part of your conclusion so be it. Surely the church isn't against a system of meditation and self controll, it would be like the church being against psychiatry.

 

"Surely the church isn't against a system of meditation and self controll"

Ah, but surely they are!

Are those not the domain of the church? Such things are not for we who do not have a direct line to the almighty!
---
The church is a despotic institution.

Maintaing power is thier interest; and thus other systems, and, god forbid, independant thought are thier enemies.

"The church alone may offer peace- in exchange for control. And If you don't sign on, you go to hell anyway."

Who do they think they are? Microsoft?

 

Microsoft?? LMFAO!

Too true. The Holy Roman Catholic Church (henceforth HRCC) is not a religion insomuch as it is an institution. All institutions must maintain control of their targets. Otherwise they loose market share, loose money, loose power, loose control. Control is based on knowledge and perception and the HRCC has tried to hold the monopoly on that for 1800 years.
Jesus taught us that money and control are fruitless ventures so I guess someone needs to enroll the HRCC in sunday school. Remember the Pharisees?

"The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice. They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues, and salutations in the market places, and being called rabbi by men. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brethren. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven." (Matthew 23:2-9 RSV)

 

They just can't stand the competition. They’ve been doing this same type of shit for centuries. If you don’t convert to their faith, they’ll kill you. They’re just at it again.

 

I do not have anything against anyone who feels loyal to the Church of Rome, or any other institution, for that matter. I, myself, am a "Buddhist Jesus Freak". The institution we call religion is another branch of politics, and the Vatican is the biggest political entity in the world. I have no doubt that the "Whore of Babylon" in revelations is none other than the Church of Rome, and the Pope is the major false prophet of the Piscean Age.

Jesus was an individualist, and that's the message he brought, in code, for those who truly seek the Way. He was an Essene, which would have been regarded as a "cult" today. The way of the Church of Rome is capitalism and control over the citizenry by way of religious oppression. Read about Constantine and the first Pope John, way back 300 years after the crucifixion. The bible was bastardized from the beginning, and filtered for what would be most helpful to the ruler of a vast and increasing Roman Empire. The roman empire didn't fall, it just moved to the Vatican and became world wide as the "Church".

Reincarnation is a fact, and was taken out of the bible. The bible is not a literal document. It has far less value taken piece by piece, analyzed, and "interpreted" for the common man. It is a divine teaching document, meant as a whole, for the earnest and open minded to use as a guide to this Age, in order to be a part of the next "Exodus". The underlying theme of the N.T. is brotherly love and unity, in Christ. Not conversion, not crusading, not capitalism, not "fear of God." Most don't even realize that there are 2 "Gods" in the bible. The god of the Jews, and of the common widely acknowledged churches of today, is no longer in office. His name is Jehovah Saboath, his name means war, and he was replaced by the next elect, Jesus Christ, whose father is the (supreme being) which is perfect, the Alpha and the Omega, and the source for all things that exist. Jehovah is the regent of the moon, he reflects light. The (supreme being) is light. Alchemy is the chemistry of the (supreme being), al- or el- meaning God. Quantum physics is today's "alchemy". Base metal into gold was a front to escape being labeled a heretic by the venerable and infallible Church, yet still so many died for being a true follower of Christ. Christian no longer means "christ like" in practice.

Religious tolerance (enlightenment) is a direct manifestation of light and love, and religion is at the opposite end of the spectrum, a manifestation of darkness and selfishness (egotism). So much bloodshed for religion, none for enlightenment.

So many people led astray, believing they are "saved."

Hope I didn't offend anyone. I hope if I did, it was enough to spur you to investigation on your own, so you can prove me "wrong", and find what's right for yourself.

 

Whatever makes you happy.

There are many paths and they all have the same destination. Buddhism going by most Buddhists interpretation is "no more and no less than a search for liberation" (Robert Allen said) "If I meet someone on my path and one of us helps the other, we are both Buddhists, even if one of us happens to be wearing a yamulke or cross round his neck."

Blessings

Sebbi

 

It's things like that article that make my want look at the leaders of my church and scream, "its all the same! Can't you see that!!" I chant "hare krishna" and then I thank the Lord for blessings and pray to Lord Jesus...does that make me a horrid Christian? I'm trying to get closer to the Lord, to find the inner light, but I'm still a Christian (even though all religions are essentially the same), does that make me wrong? Excuse me for loving God. Why does it matter if I walk in to my church sing my hymns, then return home and chant rounds on beads (I am going to get some...I always loose count)...the more I learn the more that I see we are essentially the same. Its feelings like those of our wonderful papal leader that turn me off of organized religion. Why can't the world except that we are all God's children. The thinking that is displayed in that article starts wars, has and will, why? Because we think that what our culture calls Him is better sounding than what yours does...and what if some don't believe in Him at all...it is true some don't...holding them down and telling them that your way is the right way is not going to change their beliefs...religion cannot be political...it must be something you feel. Seriously...this is the thing that annoys me about the world sometimes...so close-minded is a majority of the human race....guess what all? We are essentially all the same! No one's better than anyone else. Shocking thought, eh?

...ok...done venting....sorry there...

 

In every institution's life, it's goal becomes not the original goal, but becomes the preservation, and continuation of that institution.

This is true for all institutions, buisnesses, schools, even religions. At a point in all these institutions, the goal stops being making products, teaching children, giving spiritual enlightenment, and becomes one of greasing the wheels, keeping the engine going, trying not to stagnate.

And this is the point in which an instituiton becomes corrupt. When a buisnesses' goal is not to make a good product, but to make more money, it becomes corrupted. When a school's goal is not to teach children, but to keep funds flowing in, it is corrupted. When a religion's goal is not to show the Way, but to get the highest demographic, it becomes corrupted.

The Catholic Church is corrupted. It is not concerned about the Way, it is concerned about the amount of Catholics per population. Think about it; non-involvement in the Holocause: fewer competitors. A total ban on birth control: more and more Catholics.

Just fucking greasing the wheels, keeping the cogs turning in a machine long overdue for the junkyard.

 

Oooooo! My first rant in a while! How'd ya like it?

 

Ah the Catholic church does not give up on it's quest to be a one world dominating religion

 

Excellent Rant, FreakyJoeMan!!

The big underlying message in this obvious threat which the Church of Rome seems to be losing sleep over, is that this "New Age" stuff is valid. They're proving its substance by voicing such concern, especially when you consider that they have a vast amount of occult and esoteric knowledge which they are well aware of being factual. They do not subscribe to that knowledge in any useful sense for their own souls or those of their misled parishoners, but they know it to be true. They know it is powerful, way more than they, and they know it is geniune, since they got it when it was fresh out of the oven, so to speak. And it scares the holy be-jesus out of them!! Other evidence to this fact are the inquisition, all of the crusades, just to name the bloodiest.

The difference between the orthodox brand of "Christianity" and the true type of spiritual advancement toward emulating Jesus Christ, is there are two different "Gods" being worshipped, one of lower rank, who thrives and relishes war, and one of supreme rank, who sent his son, and who thrives only on love and unity.

The warring one seems to be easier to work for, but it goes against my nature so I became an "eclectic", and I choose to love my planet-mates, even the pope (although I think he is headed for the heat and darkness)

 

"The big underlying message in this obvious threat which the Church of Rome seems to be losing sleep over, is that this "New Age" stuff is valid"

A simpiler explanation is that since people are naive enough to buy thier BS, the church is well aware that they may listen to other BS, too.