Paganism and St John's Cathedral

[Namg]

I’m not one to subscribe to conspiracy theories, but I thought this website was very interesting. This site seems like it is written by someone who is not a quack. What do you think?

vigilantcitizen.com/vigilantreport/mind-control-theories-and-techniques-used-by-mass-media/

In relation to my thread title, the same website had the following link:

vigilantcitizen.com/sinistersites/sinister-sites-st-john-the-divine-cathedral/

Reading through the page was enough to get my blood to boil. Especially when I watched the embedded youtube video showing halloween being celebrated in the church. Not sure if this church is Catholic or not but I’d be surprised if it was. I’d appreciate your opinions on:

a) the website and its overall message
b) the obvious use of paganism in the church.
c) the Catholic church’s stance on interfaith efforts (which I believe may be a first step towards one world religion).

Thanks

 

[WoundedIcon]

That church was revealed to be Episcopalian in the comments section of that site. Some of the symbolism can be strange or creepy, but be careful to understand that there’s a lot of ancient Christian symbolism that most people don’t know about so that proper Christian symbols don’t get slapped with the “Masonic” label simply due to their oddness. Although that church does worry me, but it’s art seems to be based on dispensationalist theology. Ultimately, IDK. Just don’t fall into the mindset of the commentators, they seem to think any use of symbolism equates to having sold you soul to the devil.

As you can tell, I read that site myself. I have no idea if their overall position that the Mason and Illuminati are messing with things is true or not (somehow I feel that SOMEONE must be - modern day evil is a bit too coherent), but either way it’s useful to have someone around to point out the occult in pop culture.

 

[Elizium23]

A simple search reveals that this church is Episcopalian, which frankly accounts for much of the strange behavior found inside, at any rate.

 

[Michael1978]

It’s an Episcopal church.

 

[1ke]

What do you think?

I think it’s a bunch of cr*p.

I also think that while this isn’t a Catholic Church, it is clear that much of the symbolism and supposedly horrible practices ARE Catholic. So, Catholics need not be troubled by any of this.

The “all seeing eye” is a symbol of God the Father dating back to the early Church. It has bee co-oped by Masonic symbolism, but that’s not our problem.

The feast of St Lucia is celebrated around the world, particularly in Scandanavia, and the girls with the candles on their heads is part of that. What’s the problem?

The blessing of animals is part of the feast of St Francis, and is also common in the Catholic Church. Again, what’s the problem? And bicycles, so what? We bless all sorts of things.

And, I also fail to see the problem with the carvings on the columns. It seems this website’s author is unfamiliar with monumental columns and their iconography, such as Trajan’s column in Rome.

Basically, what I think is that the author of this site is ignorant of art, history, and Church symbolism.

 

[Namg]

Thanks for the replies.

1ke, do you have any good sites I can refer to that discuss Christian symbolism. I was unaware that masonic symbolism was co-opting.

I still feel strongly that the way they celebrated halloween in the church was out of line.

 

[1ke]

1ke, do you have any good sites I can refer to that discuss Christian symbolism.

I can suggest the Catholic Source Book is a good resource.

I don’t know about sites. New Advent will have some things, topically.

I was unaware that masonic symbolism was co-opting.

Well, Christians were using this symbol for God the Father in the first centuries and Masons didn’t exist until about 1500 years later, so…

I still feel strongly that the way they celebrated halloween in the church was out of line.

(a) We don’t know the context
(b) The Blessed Sacrament is not present in their worship space
(c) Given 1 & 2, I am not making an assessment one way or another

 

[RCconvert7]

Well, Christians were using this symbol for God the Father in the first centuries and Masons didn’t exist until about 1500 years later, so…

The so-called “All seeing eye” is literally EVERYWHERE in the Vatican museums, and one place I remember seeing it particularly was above tomb of Pope Innocent III (speaking of St. Francis connections), which is in the Cathedral Church of Rome, St. John Lateran, just to the right of the main altar area (if you are facing the pope’s chair with your back to the pews).

I also agree with a previous comment that the whole article smacks of anti-Catholic sentiment. Evangelicals and Pentecostals seek “true Christianity” by rejecting all the things that give Grace and Life to God’s people, The Eucharist, Divine Liturgy, the Priesthood, sacred mystery, and symbolic art and language. All these things are sacrificed at the altar of sola scriptura and a strange, ironic beast I have often called “the scholarship of anti-intellectualism”. The website in question is a perfect example of this.