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These pages list just a few examples, of the grave theological errors being taught to unsuspecting Catholics, through the "Contemplative Outreach" literature and media of Fr. Keating's Centering Prayer Movement. Please know that Fr. Keating has stated, "The heart and soul of 'Contemplative Outreach' is the network of "Centering Prayer Groups'". To allow one to set up camp in your parish is to allow the other

All of your parish members who sign up for centering prayer meetings, will be lead through Fr. Keating's spiritual teaching and mentoring (which becomes more and more dissenting, the further you go along) - book by book, video by video, and also through their many "special events". (All emphasis is mine)

#1 Fr. Keating claims that IT IS OUR DUTY TO BECOME GOD

The paragraph describing Segment 17 of 21 in "Integral Contemplative Christianity" reads as follows:"The Purpose of Being Human":

Father Thomas says, "If you don't want to become God, you've missed the boat. If you're too humble to think you can become God, if you think you are not worthy, that is a false humility, because it's not yours to decide." It's God's choice. According to Father Thomas, it is your duty to become God. Centering Prayer and contemplation are the only modern methods that we have to listen to God, to perceive God, and to see the world as God sees it. Listen in as Father Thomas offers you the invitation to become God.

The paragraph above, is the description for clip #17 in Fr. Keating's 21 part series on what he calls "Integral Contemplative Christianity"-it's part of a video series offered on Ken Wilber's "Integral Life" website.

In this same section, Gail Fitzpatrick-Hopler, the president of Fr. Keating's "Contemplative Outreach", described the clip where Fr. Keating and Ken Wilber discuss "The Future of Christianity" in this way: "Fr. Keating and Ken Wilber give us a glimpse of what it means to be fully human and fully divine."

#2 Fr. Keating contradicts the Truth that Jesus Christ is the only person who is both fully human and fully Divine, claiming that each one of us can achieve this too:

"For human beings, the most daunting challenge is to become fully human. For to become fully human is to become fully Divine." ----Fr. Keating From his book, Manifesting God

"The four Gospels contain Jesus' program for revolutionizing our understanding of the Ultimate Reality and hence of ourselves and other people, and indeed of all created reality. This is the God that is manifesting who he is at every moment, in and through us and through all creation. Jesus' teaching initiates us into how to take part in this cosmic adventure. For human beings, it is the most daunting challenge there is -- the challenge of becoming fully divine. For to become human is to become fully divine."
----Fr. Thomas Keating, on www.incarnationalcontemplation.com

#3 Fr. Keating is teaching monism when he says:

"The first part of the Christian Journey is to realize that there is an Other. The second part is to become the Other. The third and greatest part is to realize that there is no Other."
Quote found on the www.incarnationalcontemplation.com website

It appears that Fr. Keating is expressing here, the (pantheistic and false) core tenet of many Eastern Religions which says; "We are all One, and this One is God".

The above expression of monism contradicts the Catholic Truth that we are each unique individuals, distinct from creation, each other, and from God-we are creatures of God, and we remain eternally creatures.

Also, our Catholic Catechism states that, for love to be authentic, it presupposes / requires the reality of an "other".

#4 Fr. Keating is teaching the Hindu (and non-Christian) concept of "Atman is Brahman and Brahman is Atman" - or, in Western terms-"My soul is God, and God is my soul" when he says:

"At our deepest level, we are more God than ourselves."
- Fr. Thomas Keating

- In "The Theological Foundations of Contemplative Outreach; part I" (See Contemplative Outreach News Volume 15, Number 2, Spring / Summer 2001)

"Our basic core of goodness is our true Self"...

and

"...God and our true Self are the same thing"

-- Fr. Thomas Keating (Both quotes are from his book: Open Mind, Open Heart)

Again, this contradicts the teaching of the Catholic Church, that we are creatures of God-distinct from God-- and we remain eternally creatures. (A total absorption or dissolving into God does not ever occur) In the Catholic faith, we are not taught that God created us out of His own substance-but out of nothing. It hardly matters that he begins the above quote by saying, "Though we are not God..." the implication is still clear; like a drop of ocean water that is not the whole ocean... yet, the drop and the ocean are the "same thing"... Fr. Keating appears to believe the same can be said of our soul and God- indeed, he goes on to say just that: "God and our true Self are the same thing". The assertion is further evidenced by the fact that he deliberately capitalizes the word Self!

#5 Fr. Keating contradicts the Catholic Church's teaching on the reality of hell-the condition of eternal separation from God-- when he says:

"If God is present everywhere, it follows that under no circumstances can we ever be separated from him. We may feel that we are; we may think that we are. But in actual fact, there is no way that we can ever be apart from God even if we try."
--- Fr. Thomas Keating (From his book, Manifesting God)

In stark contrast to Fr. Keating's words, our Catholic Catechism states the truth of the matter, according to God's own Revelation to us- in paragraph #1033 we read, "Our Lord warns us that we shall be separated from him if we fail to meet the serious needs of the poor and the little ones who are his brethren. (See Mt 25: 31-46) To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God's merciful love means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called 'hell'".

Paragraph #1035 continues: "The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity... The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs."

Fr. Keating's quote, above, is an excellent example of the type of theological error, or, at the very least, confusing or misleading "teaching" found in the Centering Prayer Movement's literature. (The paragraph was taken from The Contemplative Outreach of San Diego's Quarterly Newsletter, Fall 2009, Volume 1, Issue 1)

#6 Fr. Keating is a founding member of Ken Wilber's "Integral Institute"-specifically, the "Integral Spirituality" branch. The theological and philosophical concepts of Wilber's "Integral Spirituality" are most contrary to our Catholic Faith.

See for yourself and read below... and then ask yourself if Fr. Keating should really be teaching a video/DVD series with Ken Wilber, entitled, "Integral Contemplative Christianity" and "The Future of Christianity", and if he should really be recommending two of Ken Wilber's books in his own book, "Invitation to Love"-namely, Wilber's "Up from Eden" and "No Boundary".

In the closing pages of Ken Wilber's book entitled, "Integral Spirituality", we get a glimpse of what this "Integral Spirituality" is all about- namely it's belief system that posits:
"...your own Original Face is God in the 1^st person..."
"...the entire manifest universe - the Great Holarchy of beings-is God in the 3^rd person..."

As you continue reading below, keep in mind that Fr. Keating, the founder of Centering Prayer, is also a founding member of the "Integral Spirituality" branch of Wilber's "Integral Institute"...

Page 209 of Ken Wilber's, "Integral Spirituality" asks you,

"How much of this book... did you think you had to read in order to find spirit... when the very reader of this sentence is God fully revealed?"

He continues: "Feel the Feeler in you right now, and you are feeling the fully revealed God in his and her radiant glory; a One Taste of the divine Suchness of the entire Kosmos, a not - two - ness of self and Self that leaves you breathlessly enlightened and fully realized in this and every moment.

Note: The "not - two - ness" of "self and Self" describes the "transcendence of the illusion of the duality of subject and object" which is the essence of the (Non-Catholic) Hindu, Buddhist, and Zen concept of: "fully realizing" that, "Atman is Brahman, and Brahman is Atman"... or as we'd say in the West (if we were Hindu) "My soul is God, and God is my soul".

This is the counter-Christian Non-duality "Enlightenment" teaching of the Eastern Religions that Fr. Keating appears to have chosen, over authentic Christianity. (See "Non-duality" and "self-realization" on Wikipedia for a good description of these concepts)

On Ken Wilber's "Integral Institute" website, Fr. Thomas Keating is described as being "one of the few genuinely realized Christian saints in the world today." This is very troubling because the Catholic faith is not a religion of "non-duality" as found in Eastern Mysticism, and to be "fully realized" in the Eastern traditions, means that you have "stabilized" yourself in your "non-dual" awareness that you are God... in the sense that "Atman is Brahman, and Brahman is Atman"-My soul is God, and God is my Soul.

#7 The "Integral Spirituality" that Fr. Keating is allied with, teaches Religious pluralism and syncretism—two positions that are not aligned with the teaching of the Catholic Church. On Ken Wilber's "Integral Institute" website, we read that "Centering Prayer has contributed to Integral Spirituality". Very troubling when you read page 209 of Ken Wilber's book, "Integral Spirituality"-see below:

About the world's many religions and their sometimes widely differing conceptions of God, morality, and the nature of reality, Wilber says on page 209:

"Allow it all. Swallow the Kosmos whole. You know that everybody is right. So stop lying about it and thus move from self to Self. There is room for everything in the Kosmos. Open up and let it all in."

BUT IT GETS MUCH WORSE! About each one of us, he says, on page 300:

"We know this: your very Self is the Self of all that is and all that ever shall be, and the history of the entire Kosmos is the history of Your very own Being and Becoming, you can feel it in your bones because You know that is what You are, in the deepest parts of you when you stop lying to yourself about who and what You really are. And what You are, is the great Unborn, timeless and eternal, in its 1^st person perspective as the great I - I, the great Self, the Witness of this page, and this room... All with a passionate equanimity that leaves you alone as the Unmoved Mover.

Note: The essence of Classic Hinduism says: "I exist NOT in relation to any 'other', but only to my Self". Wilber continues:

"You are likewise the Great Unborn... in its 2^nd person perspective as the Great Thou, the Great Other... you are likewise the Great Unborn, timeless and eternal in its 3rd person perspective as the Great Perfection, the Holy Spirit, the Great Web of Life in all its infinite perfection and dynamic chaos..." etc., etc...

Did he just say that you are the Holy Spirit? (Yes. And the Great Web of Life too) The implication seems clear to me-each one of us is God, each one of us is the entire Cosmos, each one of us is "The Great Perfection"... according to Fr. Keating's partner, Ken Wilber... and, perhaps also Fr. Keating's growing alliance with Wilber's Eastern and Non-Catholic worldview, which he calls "Integral Spirituality"?

When reading Ken Wilber's bio during a recent interview on Oprah Winfrey's XM radio show, Dr. Oz stated that "Ken Wilber believes we should be liberated from creed, dogma, and devisive-ness... " Is this the "liberation" you are seeking for your parishioners? Would you like to see them "liberated" from their Catholic creed and the dogma of our Catholic Church? As those who sign up for "Centering Prayer" meetings are exposed to, and influenced by, the books and teachings of Ken Wilber, they may very well begin to seek this false liberation for themselves, right on your own parish grounds.

Parish members who sign up for Centering Prayer will also be exposed, through the Contemplative Outreach literature and events, to the counter-Christian teaching of

Eckhart Tolle; who says in his book, "A New Earth", "Mental labels of 'good' and 'bad' are ultimately illusory... Nobody is wrong"...and, "You are the Truth... If you look for it elsewhere, you will be deceived every time..." "The world of form is an illusion"... Check out the video clip entitled, "New Age Oprah - World's Most Dangerous Woman" on YouTube to see Oprah Winfrey learning from Eckhart Tolle, the idea that "I am God, the Creator..." (Note: Eckhart Tolle suggests "A Course in Miracles" on his Recommended Reading List-please see www.NewAgeDeception.com to read and print my free Warning on A Course in Miracles)

Cynthia Bourgeault, an Episcopal priest and long-time student of Fr. Keating, who uses the non-canonical "Gospel of Thomas" in her teaching, and was quoted in EnlightenNext Magazine as giving, "a powerful description of liberation beyond all relative distinctions, including those of gender itself. The last step in women's liberation, she states, is liberation from the fundamental identification with being a woman. She speaks about the need to be surrendered to the nondual truth of our being, beyond all relative polarities, distinctions, and identities..."(Note: As I stated above, authentic Christianity does not accept or support the false concept of "non-duality"- a notion which claims there is no real separation or distinction between subject and object, between our individual selves and others, between our souls and God etc... On the contrary, our Catholic Catechism teaches that we are each unique individuals separate and distinct from God and from creation-- and there truly exists, one objective reality that we are to come to know, with God's help)

Brother David Steindl-Rast, who was recently asked by a conference attendee this question: "Can we look to the College of Cardinals to lead us?... (into a level of green or orange on Ken Wilber's color coded chart of consciousness- green or orange being their conception of a "higher", more mature "consciousness") Brother David Steindl-Rast, in responding, replied, in part, "No... we cannot look to them for leadership... you look to the Charismatic people for that... but to lead us, certainly not-- not the way we look now to the Dalai Lama as a Spiritual Leader." (Especially troubling since the Dalai Lama does NOT believe in a personal God, and even more troubling when you consider that his Tibetan Buddhist followers revere him as a god; specifically, the incarnation of the deity known as "Chenrezig".) To hear the entire exchange, check out the video clip on YouTube, entitled, "What Good Is the Church"

Fr. Richard Rohr: Who recently had Marianne Williamson, the world-renowned teacher of A Course in Miracles, give a conference at his retreat center-and who made the Course available for purchase on his website-very troubling when you consider what A Course in Miracles teaches: "The Song of Easter is the glad refrain the Son of God was never crucified..." text pg. 428, "There is no sin; it has no consequence..." Lesson 101

A Course in Miracles is the name of a book that was written by a channeled spirit, who claimed to be Jesus. Described as "spiritual psychotherapy", it's been widely promoted by Oprah, and as of January 2008, she now has Marianne Williamson, the Course's leading spokesperson, teaching this "Course" on her world-wide XM radio show.

This is unfortunate, because many of the Church's most trusted Catholic leaders-such as Fr. Mitch Pacwa and Fr. Benedict Groeschel -(Who has been quoted as saying, "A Course in Miracles has served to undermine authentic Christianity, more than just about any other work I can recall.") -- have warned the faithful for years, to stay away from this false teaching for the following reasons:

• The teachings of A Course in Miracles contradict Holy Scripture, Tradition, and Authentic Catholic Teaching; claiming that: Jesus was NOT God, the devil does not exist, and there's no such thing as evil, or sin—especially original sin, as the Course teaches that man's fall from Grace in the Garden of Eden never happened--- (preface, pg. xiii) and that Holy Scripture cannot be trusted, as Christ's apostles misinterpreted his message and taught in error. (text pgs. 94 & 95) These false tenets alone clearly show that the channeled spirit who wrote them, while claiming to be Jesus, is in fact, a counterfeit Christ .
• The teachings of A Course in Miracles have FAILED many, if not all, of the standard "tests of discernment" the Church has used for centuries, to distinguish a true and Godly spirit from a false one.

EVEN FOR THE NON-CHRISTIAN, THE VERY REAL DANGER of studying "A Course in Miracles" can clearly be seen in what the Course asks you to believe: Claiming that physical life on Earth is really just a "nightmare" the collective human race is having while in a state of psychic sleep, (text pg. 18 and throughout) the Course teaches that: everything you see around you is an illusion,(lesson #14 and throughout) that sin and guilt are not real but, "solely an invention in your own mind"(lesson #70) that, you can neither hurt others, nor be hurt (text pg. 96 and throughout)... that "you can and should deny any belief that error can hurt you"... the false promise that: if you see your neighbor as sinless, "you will be released entirely from all effects of sin" (text pg. 474) that "the reality of everything is total harmlessness" (text pg. 158) ... that you alone are the sole cause of anything hurtful that's ever happened to you (lesson #23, #304, and throughout) ... that, "The world you see has nothing to do with reality. It is of your own making, and it does not exist."(lesson #14 and throughout)

MANY FORMER STUDENTS OF A COURSE IN MIRACLES , and it's founding teachers attest to it's core message: that if enough people, (an amount large enough to affect "mass consciousness") -or if even just one person realizes and integrates these "truths" fully, the human race will "awaken" from it's psychic nightmare and find that we've never left Heaven. The only condition necessary for this amazing occurrence is this: the student must make NO EXCEPTIONS in the application and full acceptance of the ideas. (Workbook intro. Pgs 1 & 2, Lesson #1, and throughout) Course students all over the world are seeking to be "the one" to hasten this "great awakening", because they've been taught that when it occurs, "in the twinkling of an eye", the entire world of "form", with all its' suffering and sorrow, will disappear and we'll be back in Paradise.

THE HAZARDS OF ADOPTING THIS OUTLOOK ON LIFE cannot be stressed enough-to give just a brief example, lest you think I'm exaggerating-- the 14th lesson, which is to be accepted as true by the student, reads as follows: "With eyes closed, think of all the horrors in the world that cross your mind. Name each one as it occurs to you, and then deny its' reality. God did not create it, and so it is not real. Say for example: God did not create that war, and so it is not real. God did not create that airplane crash, and so it is not real. God did not create that disaster, and so it is not real. Suitable subjects for the application of today's idea also include: Anything you are afraid might happen to you, or to anyone about whom you are concerned."

ANOTHER POISONOUS TENET the student of A Course in Miracles is asked to accept, is that-- any unjust, hurtful, or violent incident that happens to you, is, in actuality, merely an illusory "manifestation" of your own fearful "attack thoughts" projected outwards, like an image on a screen. . . (Workbook pg. I, lesson #23 and throughout) This is another reason, according to the Course, that no forgiveness is ever warranted since your own ego is the "cause" of anything hurtful that ever happens to you. (text pg. 649 and throughout) One could say, this is a perfect example of why our adversary, the devil, has been called, "the accuser of the brethren".

THE FAITHFUL ARE TO BE WARNED: The Course is very deceiving, as it uses Christian terminology but gives the words alien meanings. For example, many people may have heard that the Course is "all about forgiveness", but they're most likely not aware, that "forgiveness" according to the Course, means saying to yourself, "since no sin ever occurred, no forgiveness is necessary." (text pg. 548, manual pg.79, and throughout) According to the Course, teaching our brother that he has NOT hurt us, is how we forgive. Another example: the "Atonement" , according to the Course, is: " the acknowledgement that I am NOT in this world", (text, pg. 97) and this "atonement" teaches that: "never having sinned, I have no need of salvation." (Text, pg. 237)

I WAS A DEVOTED STUDENT AND TEACHER OF THE COURSE , before returning to my Catholic Faith, and I've now devoted my life to exposing the very real dangers of A Course in Miracles and other "New Thought" teachings such as Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth", and the Law of Attraction teachings as found in "The Secret" and the books and workshops of Abraham-Hicks. (I formerly taught their material and was known as an "Abraham Ambassador")

I'VE SEEN WITH MY OWN EYES , and have often shared my belief, that the living out of A Course in Miracles lessons, and the like, can, and did, spawn such tragedies as rampant divorce, suicide, mental breakdown, and even murder. I've publicly stated my opinion, that "You cannot study A Course in Miracles without seriously jeopardizing your faith, and putting your mental, physical, and spiritual health at risk."

I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN WHO I WAS DEALING WITH, when I read in the Course, that, after finishing the lessons, mighty companions would walk beside me… that, "helpers are given you in many forms. . .their names are LEGION." (Teachers Manual, pg 87) Unfortunately, it was only years later that I would read in the gospels, the story of Jesus healing a man possessed by unclean spirits, and that, when casting out those demons Jesus asked, "What is your name?" and they replied, "WE ARE LEGION, for we are many. " (Mk 5:9 & Luke 8:30)

PERHAPS YOU'VE ASKED YOURSELF THE QUESTION that seems to be on everyone's mind lately: Can I still be a good Catholic and devotedly watch a show like Oprah's which promotes New Thought teachings, study A Course in Miracles, or embrace the lessons of "A New Earth"?

FOR ME, THE ANSWER RESOUNDS IN THE HOLY SCRIPTURES OF OUR CHURCH: The following passages are found in 2^nd John chapter 1. I've used the words of the NAB and Douay-Rheims Catholic Bibles, all emphasis is mine.

"If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, (the complete, apostolic doctrine of Jesus Christ and the historical truth about Him), DO NOT RECEIVE HIM INTO YOUR HOUSE, or even greet him, wishing him "God-speed"; for whoever greets him or wishes him "God-speed" shares in his evil works." Verse 10

Douay-Rheims Bible footnotes regarding these and other such verses: " This admonition is in general, to forewarn the faithful of the dangers which may arise from a familiarity with those who have prevaricated and gone from the true faith, and with such as teach false doctrine. BUT, this is NOT forbidding a charity for all men, by which we ought to wish and pray for the eternal salvation of every one, even our enemies."

"For many deceivers have gone out into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh: THIS IS A SEDUCER AND AN ANTICHRIST" Verse 7

"Anyone who is so "progressive" as not to remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God." Verse 9

And from Ephesians chapter 5 ---

"Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the disobedient-- SO DO NOT BE ASSOCIATED WITH THEM". Verses 6 & 7

"TAKE NO PART in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention the things done by them in secret..." Verses 11 &12

MORE DEADLY QUOTES FROM: A COURSE IN MIRACLES

Lesson #14 - "The world you see has nothing to do with reality. It is of our own making, and it does not exist."

Lesson # 101 -- "You need the practice periods today. The exercises teach sin is not real, and all that you believe must come from sin will never happen, for it has no causesay: God's Will for me is perfect happiness. There is no sin; it has no consequence."

Text page 158, Line 2 - "The reality of everything is totally harmless, because total harmlessness is the condition of it's' reality."

Text page 96, Line 19 - "The Holy Spirit says you cannot either hurt or be hurt. Your brothers need to hear this. Perceive only this need in them and do not respond to any other."

Text page 474 - "Christ's Vision is to see your brother as sinless -do that and you will be released entirely from all effects of sin."

A Course in Miracles asserts again and again that: A sense of guilt for having done "wrong" is an illusionary invention of our own minds, and is to be downplayed or overlooked as much as possible.

Here is an excerpt taken directly from the text: "When you realize that all guilt is solely an invention of your mind, you also realize that guilt and salvation must be in the same place. In understanding this you are saved. The seeming cost of accepting today's idea is this: It means that nothing outside yourself can save you; nothing outside yourself can give you peace. But it also means that nothing outside yourself can hurt you, or disturb your peace or upset you in any way. Today's idea places you in charge of the universe, where you belong because of what you are. This is not a role that can be partially accepted. And you must surely begin to see that accepting it is salvation." (lesson# 70)

According to the Course, TO FORGIVE means, you: "hold not the proof of sin before your brother's eyes... You must attest his sins have no effect on you to demonstrate they are not real".

The Course teaches, in a thousand ways, its' axiom that: "In our defenselessness our safety lies". While this may sound "spiritually loving", the Course's teaching of this idea goes seriously awry; for, according to the Course, no defense is ever warranted since "in reality" no offence or attack really occurs. The Course teaches that sin and guilt are not real, and therefore, neither are any of their "seeming effects".

Marianne Williamson believes that A Course in Miracles can, and does generate real and lasting peace. Many have rightly pointed out that she will most likely be a key decision-maker in our Government's "U.S. Department of Peace" if she is successful in getting it established. She is the founder of The Peace Alliance , a grassroots campaign group whose goal is to install in our Government, this "Department of Peace", as "a compliment", they say, to our Department of Defense. This group's numbers are growing daily, nationwide, thanks in part, to Oprah's longstanding and enthusiastic promotion of Marianne Williamson.

Marianne has said that the head of the Department of Peace will be VERY influential in our Government's policy making, "having the ear of the President" as it dispenses advice on the art and science of "Peace keeping". Knowing that Marianne Williamson is a world renowned devotee of A Course in Miracles and the channeled spirit who authored it, and knowing full well what the Course teaches, I find myself thinking of a certain passage in Scripture: "And Jesus wept, for they knew not the ways of peace". ---- Luke 19:41 (paraphrase, and emphasis mine)

(Note: This list is far from complete- but should at least give you a good start!)

"Beloved, do not trust every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. " - - - - 1st John 4:1 NAB

"Deception is possible in spiritual phenomena and may be tested by its relation to Christian doctrine (cf 1^st Cor 12:3): those who fail to acknowledge Jesus Christ in the flesh (some ancient manuscripts read . "every spirit that annuls or severs Jesus. ") are false prophets and belong to the antichrist. Even though these false prophets are well received in the world, the Christian who belongs to God has a greater power in the truth. . " - - - - From the NAB footnotes re: 1st John 4:1-6

THERE IS TO BE NO NEW REVELATION:

Canon 66: According to Canon Law. . ." No new public revelation is to be expected before the glorious manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ. "

THERE IS TO BE NO " SURPASSING" OR CORRECTING THE REVELATION OF CHRIST:

Canon 67: According to Canon Law... Christian faith cannot accept "revelations" that claim to surpass or correct the Revelation of which Christ is the fulfillment, as is the case in certain non-Christian religions and also in certain recent sects which base themselves on such " revelations" . - - - -See Paragraph 67 of Catholic Catechism

THE DENIAL OF ORIGINAL SIN IS NOT OF GOD:

According to the infallible dogma of the Church: " If anyone asserts that Adam's sin harmed himself alone and not his posterity, and that the holiness and justice received from God which he lost, was lost for himself alone and not for us too; or that stained by the sin of disobedience, he passed on to all mankind death and bodily punishment but not sin as well, which is the death of the soul, anathema sit. "

- - - The Council of Trent, Decree on original sin

THE TRUTH IS NOT IN ANY SPIRIT THAT DENIES THE REALITY OF "SIN"

According to 1st John 1:8-10 "If we say we have no sin, - - refusing to admit that we are sinners - we delude and lead ourselves astray, and the Truth (which the Gospel represents) is not in us - does not dwell in our hearts. " . . ." If we say we have not sinned, we contradict His Word and make Him out to be false and a liar, and His Word is not in us - the Divine message of the Gospel is NOT in our hearts. " - - - -

ANY SPIRIT OR TEACHING THAT CONTRADICTS HOLY SCRIPTURE IS IN ERROR.

ANY SPIRIT OR TEACHING THAT CONTRADICTS THE TEACHING OF THE CATHOLIC MAGISTERIUM IS IN ERROR.

THOSE CLAIMING TO KNOW JESUS CHRIST, BUT DO NOT KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS ARE DECEIVED AND MIGHT DECEIVE OTHERS --

According to 1^st John 2:1 "The way we may be sure that we know him is to keep his commandments. Those who say, "I know him", but do not keep his commandments are liars, and the truth is not in them. But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him."

ANY SPIRIT WHICH SAYS JESUS CHRIST DID NOT COME IN THE FLESH IS NOT OF GOD --

Meaning: any spirit which denies that the historical and Biblical Jesus of Nazareth was both God and Man, is not of God. Any spirit which denies the incarnation. . . any spirit that denies God became man on Earth in the person of Jesus Christ, is not of God. The most common way you'll hear this false view expressed is the statement: "Jesus was a great teacher and prophet, but he was not God". . . or. . . "Jesus was just a man like any one of us, but a man who achieved enlightenment" . . . or "Jesus never claimed to be Divine-Jesus never claimed to be God". These false ideas express the error: "Jesus was not the messiah."

THE SPIRIT OF ERROR IS PRESENT IN ANY TEACHING THAT UNDERMINES OR CONTRADICTS THE APOSTLES (Either their teaching in the Gospels or in Apostolic Tradition) --

1^st John 4:6 says, "He that knows God, hears us. (The pastors of the Church that Christ founded). By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error."

Mathew Arnold, the Creative Director for St. Joseph Communications, rightly states, "But even those pastors must remain in the spirit of the Church, as St. Paul warns, even those who profess to be Catholic can become deceived and begin to teach a 'contradictory gospel'". In Galatians 1:8 St. Paul says,"But though we (the pastors of the Church) or an angel from heaven, preach a gospel to you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema." (Some versions read, "If we, or even an angel from heaven preach to you a gospel other than the one we have preached to you. . . let him be anathema." (Anathema refers to something excommunicated, or like "a cursed thing") "Therefore", says Arnold, "It is only agreement with the tradition of the Church that guarantees you are reading Scripture in the Spirit by which it was written." (see 2 Thess. 2:14 Douey Reims Bible)

God bless you and. . .KEEP THE FAITH!

"And they defeated the enemy with the blood of the Lamb, and the words of their testimony. . ." Rev. 12:11

"Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness but instead, expose them. . ." Eph. 5:11

Note: All quotes from A Course in Miracles are from the combined three volume 1992 edition, published by The Foundation for Inner Peace (Now called The Foundation for A Course in Miracles)

www.crossveil.org This is Clare McGrath Merkle's website - - she's a faithful Catholic, and a great New Age denouncer-having been there herself! This website is awesome-it has MANY articles, notes, Church Documents, and much helpful information on all things New Age and New Thought . . . everything from reiki, yoga, the enneagram, centering prayer, A Course in Miracles, eastern forms of meditation . . . you name it. (A great resource: her 4 taped EWTN interviews with Johnette Benkovic, called: "New Age, yoga, reiki: Health or Stealth?" Available for purchase on the Living His Life Abundantly Web site, listed directly below) Clare echoes on this site, time and again, what most apologists and former New Agers say: that it truly is difficult to get those caught up in New Age / New Thought, to see it's fallacy and danger, as most will no longer listen to "reason" or "rational thinking". At the end of her article, "Yoga, health or Stealth", (on her site) she explains why . . . and states again the general consensus, that INTERCESSORY PRAYER offers the most hope in drawing the victims out of New Age delusion. The next best tactic: she says that it also helps, of course, to arm yourself with knowledge of whatever New Age practice is being "delved into", so you can be prepared on your end of the dialogue, to reasonably point out it's errors or weak points—hence, her website, offering you a wealth of information. Truly a treasure.

www.LHLA.org Ditto for Johnette Benkovic's website 800-558-5452 (toll free order line)-another great Catholic and expert at denouncing all things New Age . . . I have read her book, The New Age Counterfeit and it is very helpful. It is designed so that it can be used as a "study guide" for anyone who wants to investigate these New Age topics with a group - - with "Reflections" and "Scripture Points" at the end of each section—as well as simply being a handy guide for personal use. Here are the New Age, Eastern, and New Thought topics that are discussed (briefly, but powerfully) in this 124 pg. book: Centering Prayer vs. Authentic Contemplation, Freemasonry, Gnosticism, Transcendental Meditation, Wicca, Pagan spirituality, the Creation Spirituality of Mathew Fox, the occult roots of the enneagram, Carl Jung's Influence, the Human Potential Movement and the idea that, "You Create Your Own Reality", Christ Consciousness, How most aspects of Buddhism and Hinduism contradict our Catholic Faith, Zen, Theosophy, certain types of Catholic Feminism, Occult practices & Spirit Guides, Methods of Spiritism . . . What a gold-mine of information! Also, as stated above, you can purchase the Clare McGrath Merkle (regarding New Age) 4 taped EWTN interviews on this site, along with other helpful materials.