Visiting non-Christian ceremonies sinful?

[newcalling]

I am not one who usually asks these kinds of questions, as I feel I generally have a firm grip on what is and isn’t sinful and I don’t suffer from scrupulosity, however I was wondering about viewing Buddhist monks making a sand mandala painting. Is it a sin to attend such an event?

A large part of me says that it is not, especially as I have known some local Catholic priests to visit such events, but part of me wonders because it is a non-Christian religious thing. One local priest even used to regularly attend Native American Solstice ceremonies, so if he was setting a good example then I guess that is the answer.

I used to be a shaman and interfaith minister, and I would attend multiple religious and cultural events. One of them is a group of Buddhist monks who come through the area every year and create a sand painting mandala, which they then release into the local river to bless the waters and demonstrate impermanence. They are coming through again this year, later this month, and I would like to attend. Now that I am joining the Catholic church, would that be considered a sinful act?

What about attending the aforementioned Native American (Salinan specifically, not that it’s relevant to the question) Solstice ceremonies where they sing songs and prayers to various Native American (cross-tribal) spirits and deities such as the Lakota Wakan Tanka or Tunkashila? I would assume that since the local priest (who has since moved to another parish a little further south) used to attend, and he is well loved by the community and missed in his former parish, that it would be alright? I used to attend that one as well (twice a year, both Solstices.) I’m not required to sing the songs/prayers with them, but since they know me it might be awkward if I didn’t. Pow-Wows aren’t as pagan because many of the dancers are Christians just doing traditional dances of their people without any religious intention, but there is a lot of pre-Columbian native religion represented, and some of them still follow those old religions, but what about attending a Pow-Wow to watch a friend dance? (I am not Native American, but have many friends who are and I have intensely studied a few Native American cultures.)

 

[cena]

I am not one who usually asks these kinds of questions, as I feel I generally have a firm grip on what is and isn’t sinful and I don’t suffer from scrupulosity, however I was wondering about viewing Buddhist monks making a sand mandala painting. Is it a sin to attend such an event?

A large part of me says that it is not, especially as I have known some local Catholic priests to visit such events, but part of me wonders because it is a non-Christian religious thing. One local priest even used to regularly attend Native American Solstice ceremonies, so if he was setting a good example then I guess that is the answer.

I used to be a shaman and interfaith minister, and I would attend multiple religious and cultural events. One of them is a group of Buddhist monks who come through the area every year and create a sand painting mandala, which they then release into the local river to bless the waters and demonstrate impermanence. They are coming through again this year, later this month, and I would like to attend. Now that I am joining the Catholic church, would that be considered a sinful act?

What about attending the aforementioned Native American (Salinan specifically, not that it’s relevant to the question) Solstice ceremonies where they sing songs and prayers to various Native American (cross-tribal) spirits and deities such as the Lakota Wakan Tanka or Tunkashila? I would assume that since the local priest (who has since moved to another parish a little further south) used to attend, and he is well loved by the community and missed in his former parish, that it would be alright? I used to attend that one as well (twice a year, both Solstices.) I’m not required to sing the songs/prayers with them, but since they know me it might be awkward if I didn’t. Pow-Wows aren’t as pagan because many of the dancers are Christians just doing traditional dances of their people without any religious intention, but there is a lot of pre-Columbian native religion represented, and some of them still follow those old religions, but what about attending a Pow-Wow to watch a friend dance? (I am not Native American, but have many friends who are and I have intensely studied a few Native American cultures.)

I’ve seen it on examinations of consciences,so yes. Especially since it’s to pagan spirits

 

[HollyDolly]

I guess it depends on what the event happens to be. My sister’s husband is jewish and she has done Passover and gone to a few Bar Mitzvah’s in her time.He has gone with her to church and they both have gone to Catholic weddings and other religious events like that because people have invited them. I don’t think if someone invites you to say a protestant wedding or funeral,etc. you are being sinful.
You just have to think I guess about what is going to happen at this event.People who are anthropolegists attend the cermonies often times of the people they are studying. So you might look at it in that fashion.

 

[PaulfromIowa]

It is not inherently sinful to attend a pagan religious ceremony without participating. One might have friends or relatives one wanted to honor. We might have an academic interest. However, a Christian should not be involved in exploring paganism with any possible thought of conversion.