No. Whenever I hear of an anxiety over certain words I find it best to get the definition clear first. According to the Oxford Concise Dictionary (apologies to Mr. Webster but Oxford is THE standard for English usage), to meditate means; mentally plan or design; exercise the mind in contemplation. In other words, to meditate is to think. We can feel uncertain about such things because, as you said, there is a connotation between one thing and something which we may find undesirable. New Agers do a lot of meditating, probably true. New Agers also pray. Need we abandon/avoid something because it is also practiced by those we deem to be off the right track? Again, no.
Yes, but you weren’t “meditating” to start with though, you were praying. I get that you can fall into meditation while praying, but that’s a byproduct of praying. I’m talking about strictly “meditating” to clear your mind, relax, etc… And like I said before, when I hear of this mostly it’s associated with New Age stuff. Is it OK to solely meditate without any intention of praying?
Fine comment and this should almost be the automatic answer on the tip of our tongue for this.
Wrong on both points
I’m sorry to hear that you’re suffering like this. But please don’t get the Catholic Church and the people who are part of the Catholic Church confused. The Church itself has not betrayed you- it never has, how can God Himself betray you? The people of the Church, however, are the ones who’ve hurt you. And I’m really sorry that you’ve been suffering because of it. I’ll keep you in my prayers. But please don’t abandon Christ’s Church just because of the evil scandals that have hit it, and please be sure to differentiate between the people who are part of the Church versus the Church itself. The Church does not cause evil- it’s the free will God gives people who may be part of it that has caused this heartache. Don’t let these scandals cause you to lose your faith- instead, have it make your faith even stronger than before.