Pagan and Christian

[JoyToTheWhirled]

I have a friend who is very into her Christian faith, but have recently discovered she also uses tarot cards and makes spells. She tells me she calls herself a Christopagan. I’m not quite sure what to make of it. She’s not at all lukewarm about Mass attendance, and says she sees it like another, albeit the most important ritual of her faith. I’m not yet a Catholic, but it all seems a bit odd to me. Am I being over sensitive?

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Christ has to be the center of our lives and we leave anything not of Christ behind when we accept him into our lives.

Being a Christians isn’t about believing in Jesus, but rather, it’s about following him.

Your friend is ill informed and will probably put up a mental block if you try to show her where’s she’s wrong.

You say you’re not yet Catholic, so it’s going to be even more difficult to speak to her about your faith.

So, instead, lead by example. Follow Jesus and let your faith be the example to inspire her.

Jim

 

[Karen107]

I have a friend who is very into her Christian faith, but have recently discovered she also uses tarot cards and makes spells. She tells me she calls herself a Christopagan. I’m not quite sure what to make of it. She’s not at all lukewarm about Mass attendance, and says she sees it like another, albeit the most important ritual of her faith. I’m not yet a Catholic, but it all seems a bit odd to me. Am I being over sensitive?

There’s one thing about not accepting all the beliefs of the Catholic faith but yet another in dabbling in the dark arts is a worrisome practice and something a Christian should know not to do. So if she wants to become deeper in her relationship with Jesus she needs to give up those dark practices and learn more about her own faith. (flee from the devil and the devil will flee from you) You might talk to her about this and give her a copy of the Catholic bible or Catechism of the Catholic Church. Being immersed in the Catholic culture or surrounded by Church members might also allow her to see things in a different light. You might pray for and with her or you might tell her plainly Jesus loves you and so do ! and tell her she give up those practices if she wants to grow in her Christian faith. If you’re a close enough friend she might just listen to you… God bless.

 

[z_0101]

. She’s not at all lukewarm about Mass attendance,

• Your friend is Catholic? If so, then she should know better than to engage in these activities, this is really very basic catechism stuff for Catholics.
• I agree with JimR-OCDS; your friend is ill informed and most likely not open to a rational discussion.
• There are tons of threads about the occult, tarot, horoscopes, and the like here at CAF. Basically, the Church has a fairly clear position as stated in the CCC (follows). So for yourself, try not to participate in your friends’ activities, excuse yourself anytime she starts. If you can, express your concern that her activities are not in keeping with the Catholic Church’s teachings - if she starts trying to justify the position there’s the CCC to fall back on - there is no point in arguing with her about her position.

Finally, you may, in the long run, have to limit your contact with this person to purely social activities such as B-Day parties, going to the gym, etc…

ccc.usccb.org/flipbooks/catechism/index.html#531/z (you might want to bookmark the link to the index - better yet, the book is fairly inexpensive and easily purchased from your local Catholic or Christian bookstore. )

Divination and magic

2115 God can reveal the future to his prophets or to other saints. Still, a sound Christian attitude consists in putting oneself confidently into the hands of Providence for whatever concerns the future, and giving up all unhealthy curiosity about it. Improvidence, however, can constitute a lack of responsibility.

2116 All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to “unveil” the future.48 Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.

2117 All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one’s service and have a supernatural power over others - even if this were for the sake of restoring their health - are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another’s credulity.

BTW: ABSOLUTLY STAY AWAY FROM OUIJA BOARDS! these are extremely bad news! If someone brings one of these things out to play with - leave the house/building and go home, go to a holy place, just don’t stay around - and take as many people with you as you can away from that place!
Search the CAF forums if you want to read about these unholy objects!

 

[TheAmazingGrace]

I have a friend who is very into her Christian faith, but have recently discovered she also uses tarot cards and makes spells. She tells me she calls herself a Christopagan. I’m not quite sure what to make of it. She’s not at all lukewarm about Mass attendance, and says she sees it like another, albeit the most important ritual of her faith. I’m not yet a Catholic, but it all seems a bit odd to me. Am I being over sensitive?

“Christopagan”…is that related to the term carnovegan?

 

[jane_doe]

I have a friend who is very into her Christian faith, but have recently discovered she also uses tarot cards and makes spells. She tells me she calls herself a Christopagan. I’m not quite sure what to make of it. She’s not at all lukewarm about Mass attendance, and says she sees it like another, albeit the most important ritual of her faith. I’m not yet a Catholic, but it all seems a bit odd to me. Am I being over sensitive?

If you want to know about what she believes, she is the logical person to ask.

 

[seagal]

“Christopagan”…is that related to the term carnovegan?

 

[JoyToTheWhirled]

She is indeed the person to ask, and she’s the one who has told me all this stuff. Personally I’m already confused after a weird RCIA session a week ago, so her eagerness for new age stuff threw me yet another curve ball. I wouldn’t do ouija boards, that’s just asking for trouble, but she did say she would do a tarot reading for me which had me ‘Like, no’. She insists it’s all archetypes and intuition and not occult at all. Anyway, fair enough, I’m not over reacting. I should probably just tell her I’m uncomfortable with this stuff and leave it there.

 

[cominghome1966]

I have a friend who is very into her Christian faith, but have recently discovered she also uses tarot cards and makes spells. She tells me she calls herself a Christopagan. I’m not quite sure what to make of it. She’s not at all lukewarm about Mass attendance, and says she sees it like another, albeit the most important ritual of her faith. I’m not yet a Catholic, but it all seems a bit odd to me. Am I being over sensitive?

You are not being overly sensitive. As others have said, your friend is grossly misinformed. We absolutely MUST disavow any involvement with the occult. Do you know if she’s been baptized and confirmed? Is she receiving communion at mass?

 

[Dorothy]

You are not being overly sensitive. As others have said, your friend is grossly misinformed. We absolutely MUST disavow any involvement with the occult. Do you know if she’s been baptized and confirmed? Is she receiving communion at mass?

I totally agree! It would be good if “Joy to the whirled” can tell her friend about the book “Ransomed from Darkness” by Moira Noonan. It is about a young woman telling her experiences with getting into many new age practices, and then finally her coming out of that darkness due to the prayers of Our Blessed Mother.

There have been many other testimonies right on this forum of those who were deceived by such practices, and what misery it caused them.

This is the book I am telling about:

amazon.com/Ransomed-Darkness-Christian-Faith-Battle/dp/0972520074

The evil one wants to deceive us…obey the Church!

 

[JoyToTheWhirled]

Just thought I’d update on this, my friend has moved away, still dabbling in things she probably shouldn’t. I told her I will pray for her, but that I was very concerned about the occult stuff. She rejected what I had to say and we sort of drifted apart. I still pray, but what can you do if someone turns her back on you? I feel sad and like I didn’t really do enough. Anyway, thanks for the (name removed by moderator)ut and advice.

 

[joeybaggz]

“Christopagan”…is that related to the term carnovegan?

I thought the same thing when I read the post. You got there first Good show!

 

[z_0101]

Just thought I’d update on this, my friend has moved away, still dabbling in things she probably shouldn’t. I told her I will pray for her, but that I was very concerned about the occult stuff. She rejected what I had to say and we sort of drifted apart. I still pray, but what can you do if someone turns her back on you? I feel sad and like I didn’t really do enough. Anyway, thanks for the (name removed by moderator)ut and advice

That is really too bad… as the saying goes, “You can lead a horse to water, but it’ll drown before you can make it take a drink!”
All you can do is keep your friend in your prayers, my I suggest praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet (see the link below for my favorite version) for your friend… your prayers may be that one act of spiritual mercy that saves your friend from this destructive path.

 

[JoyToTheWhirled]

Good for her. I would have been equally annoyed at someone getting all up in my business.

Your point would be better landed if she hadn’t have been pushing the occult on me in the first place.

 

[DanielStDominic]

Am I being over sensitive?

Of course not.

But you have to keep in mind that a lot of so-called neopagans are basically in the business of inventing their own religion, and so what you rightly perceive as being odd is simply par for the course in their eyes.

The occult and Christianity, of course, have no way of being blended together in a manner that reflects truth and reality. Attempting such a blend is to pay lip-service to Christ while serving satan. Not only is this hypocritical, but it’s extremely blasphemous.

 

[DanielStDominic]

Good for her. I would have been equally annoyed at someone getting all up in my business.

If you want to believe in the doctrines of someone who, according to his own accounts, was inspired by the demonic, then that’s entirely within your rights as a person with free will. But don’t be surprised if someone points out to you the inherent death you’re bringing upon your own soul and, thereby, calls you to repentance.

“Minding one’s own business” is well and fine, but there’s also such a thing as neglecting another soul and refusing to remind them of the cliff they’re blindly walking towards.