Bad things happen because people ask for them?

[thomasf]

A friend of mine believes in that whole new age energy stuff, the secret, etc. She reads a lot of Depak Chopra.

The other day she wrote something along the lines that she believes that everything we get, whether good or bad, happens because we ask for it. She believes that if she keeps a positive attitude then only good things will happen to her.

I asked her to clarify this and she said that she had health problems because she asked for them. That her mom developed cancer because she asked for it. And even that women who are raped also ask for that as well.

This new age stuff is really dangerous. That’s a pretty unhealthy way of living, imo.

 

[JRKH]

It isn’t just “New-age” stuff that has this sort of “dangerous” aspect.
Christianity can contain it as well. There are certain Protestant sects that hold to something commonly refered to as the “Prosperity Gospel”, where if you have faith, live right and you pray for things, you will get them because, “God wants you to have life and have it abundantly”.
There are also sects within Christianity, who hold that sickness is due to a lack of faith. Christian Science comes to mind in this regard.

Your friend is testing out a theory and will find soon enough that it doesn’t quite work the way that she is thinking right now. This is not to say that there is not some truth in her viewpoint.

Attitude DOES have a significant role to play in our faith. Christ tells us not to worry - Not to be afraid to ask the Father for things etc. “Consider the lilies of the field…” and “Ask for anything in my name…” etc.
However, where this attitude is most important is when things don’t go the way you want. When life hands your friend lemons will she make lemonade? Will she see opportunity, a chance to grow spiritually?

We know that God tests those he loves. Your friend will have to learn this too…

Peace
James

 

[ConsciousCoward]

There are more than just certain Protestants that follow that idea. My English teacher, who has told us she is Catholic more than once, also told us she believes in some more Karma-centric version of that. She won’t call it karma, but it’s basically the same idea.

The point being, it’s spilled into all Christian groups, not just the one’s that watch Joel Osteen every Sunday.

 

[puzzleannie]

A friend of mine believes in that whole new age energy stuff, the secret, etc. She reads a lot of Depak Chopra.

To.

well I have heard and read a fair amount of DC because my FIL shoved it down my throat and I had to rebut it in order to same MIL’s peace of mind, and never came across that type of thinking, blame the victim, in his work. Be that as it may, unless she is prepared to prove it she had better shut up when she is speaking to people who are victims. I don’t know that it is a particular new age concept, although it might be part of the whole karma thing, but that fallacy is more along the lines of accepting what fate has in store as if you cannot do anything to change it. There are plenty of Christians who claim every evil that befalls you is God’s will, as if “God wills evil for his people” is the same thing as saying “God allows evil to befall his people so that he can use it to draw them closer to Himself.” There is also a strain of thinking among some out of the reform tradition that claims those who prosper and enjoy good health are proven therefore to be favored by God, and those who ail, are poor or otherwise have misfortune are proven to be punished by God.

 

[thirddec]

There is also a strain of thinking among some out of the reform tradition that claims those who prosper and enjoy good health are proven therefore to be favored by God, and those who ail, are poor or otherwise have misfortune are proven to be punished by God.

I wonder how they explain the Crucifiction within that framework it would make Christ a terrible sinner

From what i’ve read suffering and sainthood clearly often go hand in hand

Though not always