What is the meaning of profound spiritual experiences, by those of other faiths?

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So, what are we to make of the profound experiences or visions of those non-Catholics or even non-Christians??? 🙂

P.S. editing note, I meant this to go in the other religion catagory. :o
 
God is not circumscribed, even by himself. All human beings are created to be in relationship with God. We cannot assume that non-Catholics and non-Christians are unable to receive any experience of him. Ask any convert!
 
God works where he wants to, using humble people that are willing to cooperate with him.
 
God works where he wants to, using humble people that are willing to cooperate with him.
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Yes I agree. God can influence the human soul in many ways to lead a good and productive life. All good comes from God, so mercy, love, obedience and compassion among the heathen comes from God as well.

But profound spiritual experiences belong to a different category. These imply an extraordinary encounter with God. These were never available outside the covenant relationship God established with humanity through the ages.

In Old Testament times all profound spiritual experiences came to the Jews or for the benefit of the Jews, or because of the Jews. (Even in cases when the recipient of an extraordinary grace may have been someone other than a Jew.)

God still operates the same way.

These days, all *profound spiritual experiences *or extraordinary graces have to come from the covenant relationship Christ established with the Church. They have to benefit the Mystical Body of Christ.

Therefore, any profound spiritual experience outside of the covenant would have to be the result of culture or the human psyche or the result of demonic activity.
 
As I remember, Paul wasn’t even a christian when he had his first religious experience.

IMHO, a religious experience is quite often an emotional one, because it is something that affects us at the core of our nature.

That being said, I think many people cite emotion as proof of a religious experience, and seek the emotional high rather than the religious experience.
 
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ichabod:
As I remember, Paul wasn’t even a christian when he had his first religious experience.

IMHO, a religious experience is quite often an emotional one, because it is something that affects us at the core of our nature.

That being said, I think many people cite emotion as proof of a religious experience, and seek the emotional high rather than the religious experience.
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However, Paul was part of the previous covenant God had with Israel, furthermore, his religious experience brought him into the new covenant and with that brought profound benefits for all the other members of that same covenant. He is a great example to support what I said earlier.

But I do agree with you that any religious experience failing to produce lasting fruit is worthless. There are people who hanker after such experiences and revel in them. But these do not advance spiritually and stay mere infants in their faith. These are those servants, who bury their treasure and fail to produce dividents.
 
Great question, and a well-thought out choice of replies.
 
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digitonomy:
Great question, and a well-thought out choice of replies.
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Yes, WhiteDove writes a good poll!

I’ve often wondered about the physical healings experienced by Christian Scientists. They approach symptoms with prayer, convinced that they are themselves expressions of the Divine Mind, and therefore perfect, so illness is not real or a part of them in any way, and shortly after, they receive healing. What gives?

Betsy
 
baltobetsy said:
I’ve often wondered about the physical healings experienced by Christian Scientists. They approach symptoms with prayer, convinced that they are themselves expressions of the Divine Mind, and therefore perfect, so illness is not real or a part of them in any way, and shortly after, they receive healing. What gives?
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Dear Betsy,

Christian Science is neither Christian nor science. There are healings that are not from God. Furthermore, there are emotional or stress related illnesses which can be affected psychologically. However, Christian Scientists do not have the same success with organic diseases. After all, it has been well documented that Mrs. Eddy had been given local anesthesia when she had a tooth removed. Go figure.
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Gee, thanks for the compliments. :o 🙂 :o I really like writing polls. :bounce: :love: :bounce:
 
the same meaning as in our faith…( i assume catholic)
 
I was one of the few who chose:
Anything outside of the visible Church is questionable and outside of Christianity is most likely Satanic
For the same reason I don’t believe in hauntings (see poll)
I thought about getting into each one of the options, but it’s after 2am and I need to get to bed!

But quikly, about the conversion of St. Paul which someone else mentioned- he was alreadt steeped in much of the truth (i.e. Jesus in a different form). Remember, Christianity flows from Judaism.

And secondly, as far as other converts, I personally am one who was converted by a religious experience - because I sought God! And He was merciful in revealing Himself. Converts to the Catholic faith are such precisely because they sought out got. That doesn’t say anything about religious experience within other religions. I would say it is obviously highly dependent upon what the experience consisted of. But sticking to the reality of experience in other religions, experiences that do not cause persons to be ushered into the Catholic Christian faith, are *questionable and outside of Christianity is most likely Satanic. *
 
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