There are so many differences that at first the SRF seems to embrace all religions to teach a method of yoga to get to know God.
Knowing God is what it is all about. True.
First the basic breathing technique of repeating Hong Saw means “I am He” this is the beginning of the problem. It basically is leading one to discover that we are all God. Not that we ever needed a redeemer for our salvation, but that we discover our power. It is a very proud thing to find this ‘realization’ because they now know some secret information and are more advanced than others. But where is our humility? They believe they can get to God (within), not God comes to us. It is based on what the person does, not what God does.
Well, maybe you need to learn more about the ‘hong-sau’. I believe that most religions state that we have the spark of God in us. Do we not need to learn to connect to that part of our being that can open up God to us?
It fits Jesus nicely into this as one avatar that came back to help show us the way.
Jesus is a Son of God as we are to realize, not He is the SON of God only and we are adopted sons of God with lowercase s.
That’s a decision you have to make. How Jesus is God is perhaps the better question.
Look at the Proof to be Catholic of the Catholic Church in the Cathechism. Look up Fr John Riccardo- who is Jesus? talk - available for download.
You can read a small book by P Yogananda Why God Permist Evil. You will see that evil came from God as a dualism. That they need a villian to exist in this world, but that we need to aim to be good to be more Godlike- does that make sense? Read St Augustine’s confessions - the chapters about Evil. God did not make anything that was not good.
They say that hell is here. Read a book The Dogma of Hell and how to Avoid. Look at the lives of the saints, especially the mystics. Padre Pio said reincarnation was a heresy. Look at his life- amazing saint to take his word for.
Well, I think even a teeny bit of research would tell you that when we die we go to the astral - and it ain’t over!
Read all the mystics who had Jesus and Mary give them instruction- they have miraculous lives and loved the Eucharist. Why would one give this Sacrament up to sit in a position to concentrate on colors in the mind. Read St Theresa of Avila, who they quote since she was a contemplative, but she said things vastly different than what the SRF groups believed. If they are searching for TRUTH- tell them to dive into the Way, the Truth and the Life and read the Catechism and they seek spiritual aspects, then study St John of the Cross and discover the wealth that they are leaving. Study the Early Desert Fathers. Read Diary of St Faustina. Believe the Saints, we have so many to show us. We are not only spiritual beings, but human and have this body. Remember this life is not a dream, it is a pilgrimage and what we do here matters a lot- and we don’t have another chance, not in this body or another one. Pray for wisdom and faith. Seek TRUTH. Matthew 7:7-8.
There are many roads to God on the exoteric level - the inner road to God is the same for all of us, IMO.
