Complementary therapy

[Jwlynas]

I have recently taken on a course in Complementary therapy with a view to being a masseur in the future. it’s also a nice gift to my future wife, but that’s genuinely a pure lucky addition.

My issue however, is that a great deal of the course deals in aligning Auras, reflexology, spiritualism and dealing in the human Meridians which, if you’re not dismissing it as total hokum, has the potential to be rather overly spiritual and, from a catholic point of view, highly satanic. I think…

Someone help me out here I’m sure my “Business studies”, “Anatomy and Physiology” and Body massage Lessons are safe, but reflexology? Crystal therapy? Reiki?

Any advice here, because the course is great, and the basics of all the lessons will be useful for relaxing or soothing friends and family, but if it really is stepping into satanic territory I’ll have to talk to the teacher about avoiding the more hardline things.

 

[xixxvmcm85]

I’m not too certain what the Church teaches regarding Complimentary Alternative Medicine (CAM) which carry with it a level of spirituality. I would assume that, like yoga, the faithful Catholic could participate as so long as (s)he forgoes the spiritual element.

I myself stay away from CAM since it’s all nonsense. I’ll take empirically based, evidenced determined, clinically tried, proved methods of medicine before I ever go and see an acupuncturist, chiropractor, homeopathist, et. al.

EDIT: Massages, however, are always good. I’m sure your wife would love them. But if you start talking about her aura being discolored or her chakras being out of alignment she might look at you a bit funny

 

[Hokomai]

If it works, it is part of conventional medicine. That is what conventional medicine is. If Satan is behind any of it, he must have lost his touch, because it has all been tested over and over, and none of it works better than placebo (although placebos do work, t an extent). Just google ‘skeptic’. And if it makes you feel uncomfortable, that’s another reason not to spend you time doing something useless. Concentrate on preparing for that wife!

 

[Pro-Life_Teen]

I’m the fiancée of the OP (and I made this user name years ago, I’m not a teen anymore ).

My fear is that it steps very close into territory that’s occult in nature, even if he doesn’t believe in it. And while learning it to pass the exam wouldn’t be that much of a problem, there’s a high chance that given the course he took he might have to use it while working. Aside from wondering if that would be a mortal sin on his part, working with such things doesn’t seem right.

 

[anonymous_in_fl]

Massage, per se, is not a problem. The problem begins with other New Age occult stuff that you sometimes find with it: Reikei, auras, chakras, crystals, etc.

No problem with just massage. Stay away from the New Age stuff.

 

[Jwlynas]

Rest assured I’m as skeptical about the new age stuff as anyone can be. Reiki especially, which has always looked like massage without the touching, or that game we all used to play when younger “You can’t get annoyed, I’m not touching you”

I’ll do my best to avoid anything overly linked to spiritualism. Thanks for the replies all!

If, once I’m set up, you pass my Salon, feel free to drop by and mention this forum by name. I’ll give you a fine deal!

 

[xixxvmcm85]

I’m the fiancée of the OP (and I made this user name years ago, I’m not a teen anymore ).

My fear is that it steps very close into territory that’s occult in nature, even if he doesn’t believe in it. And while learning it to pass the exam wouldn’t be that much of a problem, there’s a high chance that given the course he took he might have to use it while working. Aside from wondering if that would be a mortal sin on his part, working with such things doesn’t seem right.

I don’t see how learning these aspects would be anymore close to the occult than it would be for a Catholic to learn about the faiths of Hindus, for example, or to learn ancient mythology. Learning how to properly align a ‘chakra’ and what its definition is, in order to write the answer on an exam wouldn’t necessarily be wrong. Once your fiancee finishes his schooling, he could then restrict his practices according to his own moral objections.

If I may provide you with a personal example:

I have my B.S. in molecular & cell biology, and as one could imagine, I had to learn about embryonic stem cells. I never had to work hands on with them in a laboratory, but I have worked with (non-human) cloning, and I have worked in an experimental setting with adult stem cell therapies. The techniques involved aren’t very different from one another, so I have the knowledge concerning EST but I will never utilize it as it was intended since such offends my ethics. I personally don’t think I’ve sinned, but maybe others have a different point of view. As a special perk, having studied it I’m in a much better position than your average Catholic to speak out against it, as I would imagine your fiancee’s credibility would be magnified similarly due to his having studied the New Age elements of CAM.

 

[Pro-Life_Teen]

But on the off-chance that that is part of his job later on and he can’t get out of it without risking the job, how much of a danger is it? If he doesn’t believe in it, is it still considered an occult practice, or nonsense?

 

[xixxvmcm85]

But on the off-chance that that is part of his job later on and he can’t get out of it without risking the job, how much of a danger is it? If he doesn’t believe in it, is it still considered an occult practice, or nonsense?

I think that depends on exactly where he would be working and the particular laws in effect wherever you live. I know here in the US employers must make reasonable accommodations for employees to not violate their religious sense of morality.

That obviously depends on the exact nature of the establishment. A grocery store owner is required to make reasonable accommodations for Muslim employees who do not wish to touch/sell alcohol or porcine products. Given that grocery stores aren’t solely in the business of distributing liquor and bacon, this would be deemed a “reasonable” accommodation. A Muslim who tries to exercise this right in a liquor store, however, would justly be let go as liquor is part of the very nature of the business. A Catholic pharmacist can refuse to dispense birth control if there are other pharmacists available to fill the prescription as pharmacies do much more than dispense birth control. A Catholic working at Planned Parenthood, however, would likely be expected to find another job that isn’t innately at odds with her faith.

Similarly, I assume that should your fiancee find work in a generic massage parlor, or as a masseur in a physical therapy establishment, he could rightfully expect exemption from the New Age practices, whereas if he sought employment at an establishment tailored specifically for New Age, he would be out of luck.

Again, I only know about the laws here in the States, and I notice he’s in the UK, so it might help if you looked into such laws over there.