Psychic Mediums

  • Thread starter Thread starter spedteacherita
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
S

spedteacherita

Guest
Hi, all!

Maybe it’s just me but I’ve noticed a few new reality TV shows about “mediums” who say that they can channel messages from dead family members or friends to people around them. Long Island Medium, John Edward, James van Pragh (sp?), Monica the Medium and a young man in Hollywood.

A few of these state that they are Catholic and attend Mass on a weekly basis. Does the Catholic Church have an official stance on this practice? How about the Orthodox Church and the various Protestant churches represented in this forum?

Thanks, everyone!

Rita
 
spedteacherita said:
Hi, all!

Maybe it’s just me but I’ve noticed a few new reality TV shows about “mediums” who say that they can channel messages from dead family members or friends to people around them. Long Island Medium, John Edward, James van Pragh (sp?), Monica the Medium and a young man in Hollywood.

A few of these state that they are Catholic and attend Mass on a weekly basis. Does the Catholic Church have an official stance on this practice? How about the Orthodox Church and the various Protestant churches represented in this forum?

Thanks, everyone!

Rita
Click to expand...
As a non-denominational protestant I’ll chime in from my POV. Most would denounce any involvement with any type of psychic or medium, not because it is all fake, but rather we are taught not to mess with such things. Some of it is seen to be fake, some to be “real” in that they are tapping into something, but that something is off limits, usually seen to be caused or provided by a malevolent force.
 
Kliska said:
As a non-denominational protestant I’ll chime in from my POV. Most would denounce any involvement with any type of psychic or medium, not because it is all fake, but rather we are taught not to mess with such things. Some of it is seen to be fake, some to be “real” in that they are tapping into something, but that something is off limits, usually seen to be caused or provided by a malevolent force.
Click to expand...
Right and Catholics are told to stay away from any thing of that kind. Not everyone does what they they are told tho but don’t blame the Church for those that do their own thing. God Bless, Memaw
 
DaddyGirl said:
John Edward hasn’t had a show on TV in 8 years–he now does everything online as he prefers it.
He was brought up Catholic. Before he started his first show in the late 90’s, he consulted with a number of Catholic priests…who gave him their blessing to do what he does.
(I know this because I’ve interviewed him and at the time, I interviewed the priests as well).
I don’t think he attends mass much, but he does the rosary a lot–probably every day. He wrote a book in 2005 about the rosary called: *
Practical Praying: Using the Rosary to Enhance Your Life*

.
Click to expand...
Nonsense, priests can’t bless evil or fraud. John is not a psychic because no such thing exists unless in collusion with the evil one. At best a good cold reader and a fraud.
 
DaddyGirl said:
Before he started his first show in the late 90’s, he consulted with a number of Catholic priests…who gave him their blessing to do what he does.
Click to expand...
If you look hard enough, you can find a priest who will tell you exactly what you want to hear. My husband & I heard a priest - in a homily! - say that Mary had other children after Jesus. Not feeling confrontational, we snuck out a side door. :o
 
Yes, it is considered a mortal sin against the first commandment. It would be a sin to endorse it, too.
 
DaddyGirl said:
Well, they did give their blessings–they told me so.

I’ve watched him do hundreds of readings and they were not “cold readings” or set up ahead of time–I even brought friends with to be his subjects to make sure of it.
So you can perceive that information as you will.

If you think people can’t sense a connection with the spirit world, you can check out the Judeo-Christian bible for examples–there are regular people all thru it who do. And many read the bible and believe these anecdotes and abilities to be true.

It’s nothing “evil”–it’s something we all do. Some are just more adept and aware of it than others.

.
Click to expand...
I wouldn’t put any faith in any of it. And I sure wouldn’t promote it at all. God Bless, Memaw
 
Most ‘‘mediums’’ are hucksters looking to deceive you out of your money or your attention.
If you seek out psychics, you are placing your faith in things and people other than God.
When a ‘‘psychic’’ attempts to contact spirits, they and people with them may be more susceptible to evil.
 
DaddyGirl said:
Well, they did give their blessings–they told me so.
Click to expand...
I’m not doubting you - but what they did was wrong.
DaddyGirl said:
I’ve watched him do hundreds of readings and they were not “cold readings” or set up ahead of time–I even brought friends with to be his subjects to make sure of it.
Click to expand...
You need to do some studying on the subject. He is very good at deceiving people. I used to do tarot & palm readings - people will believe almost anything if you say the information is from the “other side.” 🤷
 
DaddyGirl said:
Well, they did give their blessings–they told me so.
Click to expand...
who are these priests, since they told you in an interview it’s public knowledge isn’t it?
I’ve watched him do hundreds of readings and they were not “cold readings” or set up ahead of time–I even brought friends with to be his subjects to make sure of it.
Click to expand...
why, do you work with/for him?
If you think people can’t sense a connection with the spirit world, you can check out the Judeo-Christian bible for examples–there are regular people all thru it who do.
Click to expand...
gimme a break, how many in the Bible made a career out of it?
It’s nothing “evil”–it’s something we all do. Some are just more adept and aware of it than others.
Click to expand...
you mean lying; yeah, that’s true
 
SyroMalankara said:
who are these priests, since they told you in an interview it’s public knowledge isn’t it?
why, do you work with/for him?
gimme a break, how many in the Bible made a career out of it?
you mean lying; yeah, that’s true
Click to expand...
I used to watch The Medium, a TV show about a show biz psychic that admitted that it was all a fake, but he watched body language closely, and was a good detective, so everyone thought he was really psychic.
 
Obviously I’m not an atheist, but professional magician and skeptic and well known myth buster James Randi has convincing disproven the entire charade. Along with televangelist claims, homeopathic “medicine” and alternative “treatments”. It’s freely available on YouTube
 
The Catholic Church condemns psychic mediums in the strongest terms:

The Catechism of the Catholic Church:
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.
Click to expand...
 
I caught the tail end of a “reading” by James von Prague - and he got nothing right at all. He was being set up by the person he was reading and even though nothing was working he kept trying over and over to connect.

Thanks, all, for your (name removed by moderator)ut.

Rita
 
Memaw said:
Right and Catholics are told to stay away from any thing of that kind. Not everyone does what they they are told tho but don’t blame the Church for those that do their own thing. God Bless, Memaw
Click to expand...
You’re right, Memaw. We can’t judge a denomination’s teaching on what we see or hear people do. I know we’re taught to shun this in the LCMS - thanks to those who posted the info from the catechism.
 
spedteacherita said:
Hi, all!

Maybe it’s just me but I’ve noticed a few new reality TV shows about “mediums” who say that they can channel messages from dead family members or friends to people around them. Long Island Medium, John Edward, James van Pragh (sp?), Monica the Medium and a young man in Hollywood.

A few of these state that they are Catholic and attend Mass on a weekly basis. Does the Catholic Church have an official stance on this practice? How about the Orthodox Church and the various Protestant churches represented in this forum?

Thanks, everyone!

Rita
Click to expand...
It does. And it condemns it.
 
DaddyGirl said:
Randi also debunks religion–especially Christianity. He calls all religion “magical thinking.”

(I interviewed Randi, too…for the article I wrote on Edward. He’s the go-to-guy for such things).

.
Click to expand...
obviously Randi is right, a lot of religion is magical thinking and a lot of people fall for it. As to Christianity, in general I agree with him. Of course, as it is my faith, I think Apostolic Christianity is a little more than magical thinking, however Randi’s statement is well reasoned. Why should anyone make an exception for Edwards, unless his schpiel is their religion? Is his stuff beyond magical thinking?
 
Hello,
I have been a student of the Edgar Cayce readings for forty years now. He recommended going within for answers. The use of objects such as Ouija boards is viewed as a dangerous shortcut.
 
superwimp said:
Hello,
Code: 
I have been a student of the Edgar Cayce readings for forty years now.  He recommended going within for answers.  The use of objects such as Ouija boards is viewed as a dangerous shortcut.
Click to expand...
I’d say it’s mostly all baloney. Dangerous? Maybe in deluding oneself of one’s unique greatness and further estranging ones self from the Truth (God). Regarding Cayce, in my opinion he’s as authentic as a ouija board - entertaining but hardly anything worth spending money on
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top