What to do with "New Age" material

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MaryEllen1951

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Several years ago, before I came back into the Church, I was intrigued by some of the New Age teachings such as the law of attraction. I was also into hypnosis tapes, mainly for weight loss (which never worked for me) and brainwave meditation. I also was interested in Tai Chi and Qigong. I have a lot of books, CDs, DVDs, etc. Since I’ve been back to the faith, I have learned that all this is anti-Christianity and in fact in some ways evil.

My question is, would it be a sin to sell this material in a yard sale or donate it to charity? Is it best to throw it all in the trash?
 
This is a prudential matter for you to decide, but if it were I, I’d trash it.
 
I agree with Della.

I wouldn’t want anyone to read that sort of material.
 
MaryEllen1951 said:
Several years ago, before I came back into the Church, I was intrigued by some of the New Age teachings such as the law of attraction. I was also into hypnosis tapes, mainly for weight loss (which never worked for me) and brainwave meditation. I also was interested in Tai Chi and Qigong. I have a lot of books, CDs, DVDs, etc. Since I’ve been back to the faith, I have learned that all this is anti-Christianity and in fact in some ways evil.

My question is, would it be a sin to sell this material in a yard sale or donate it to charity? Is it best to throw it all in the trash?
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(bad humour alert, you have been warned!)

New Age CDs make good coasters and frisbees. If you have any children (or simply know any kids in your neighbourhood), they’d have a blast with them. 😛

New Age books have multiple uses. Their pages can be used to clean up messes in the house, as kindling to set fire to leaves in your backyard, or simply to develop artistic skills such as origami or paper plane folding. 🙂

If you’re the proofreader type (like me), just take a red pen and write humorous notes in the margin whenever you come across something egregious (like “if people have cancer, it’s because they have bad vibrations / bad karma!” ;))

And if you live in my town, there’s a guy who comes around on Sundays to take away old papers of all kinds - books, magazines, etc. He even pays me for them! 😃

Can you tell I really, really don’t like New Age? No disrespect to you, OP, just trying (and probably failing) to be funny. 🙂
 
In your place, I would toss it. Selling it or even giving it away puts the “anti-Christianity and in fact in some ways evil” materials in someone else’s hands. I would not be comfortable with that, but as Della said, it’s a prudential matter for you to decide.
 
I had loads of books like that when I returned to the Church. I left them all in boxes for a long time.

When I finally remembered I had them – while cleaning out the garage I think – I put the soft cover books in the recycling and the hard cover books in the trash. Other items (like runes and crystals) I also threw into the garbage bags.

Point is, I didn’t want to be party to anyone else getting hold of that nonsense and being led away from the Truth.

So glad you are back in the Church! 😃 God bless you!
 
Just throw it away. Years ago, I dabbled in crystals and things like that. When I came to my senses, I threw it all away.
 
MaryEllen1951 said:
Several years ago, before I came back into the Church, I was intrigued by some of the New Age teachings such as the law of attraction. I was also into hypnosis tapes, mainly for weight loss (which never worked for me) and brainwave meditation. I also was interested in Tai Chi and Qigong. I have a lot of books, CDs, DVDs, etc. Since I’ve been back to the faith, I have learned that all this is anti-Christianity and in fact in some ways evil.

My question is, would it be a sin to sell this material in a yard sale or donate it to charity? Is it best to throw it all in the trash?
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I would destroy it, I sure wouldn’t want to be responsible in passing it on to someone else. Fr. John Hardon SJ, once told us to DESTROY anything evil, songs, movies, books, whatever, in our homes ! Make sure no one else can use them. It is a handle for the devil to hold onto. Like him having a foot in the door. God Bless, Memaw
 
MaryEllen1951 said:
Several years ago, before I came back into the Church, I was intrigued by some of the New Age teachings such as the law of attraction. I was also into hypnosis tapes, mainly for weight loss (which never worked for me) and brainwave meditation. I also was interested in Tai Chi and Qigong. I have a lot of books, CDs, DVDs, etc. Since I’ve been back to the faith, I have learned that all this is anti-Christianity and in fact in some ways evil.

My question is, would it be a sin to sell this material in a yard sale or donate it to charity? Is it best to throw it all in the trash?
Click to expand...
Don’t sell it, trash it.🙂
I know someone who used to practice the occult. He had heaps of books on the occult and occult rituals. He burned them all shortly before his baptism.
I think we’re meant to spread the faith, not new age rubbish. Anyway, you’ll never miss it. As for the money? The Lord will provide;)
 
Trash it all - burning might be best for those things that will catch fire.

Have you had your home blessed since you came back to the Church? If you’ve had all those things in the home, and employed New Age practices, it would be a good idea. 🙂

Come to think of it, we still haven’t had our house blessed, and we moved in back in August! :eek:
 
Thanks to all of you!!!

I have to say that as soon as I posted this, the Holy Spirit answered immediately and I felt strongly that I needed to trash all of it. I’m glad to have gotten this many responses with the same advice.

I’m also hoping that by bringing up this subject perhaps it would help someone else who had this question as well.

I feel so grateful to be back to the Church and the Truth. :)👍
 
Generic_Name said:
Trash it all - burning might be best for those things that will catch fire.

Have you had your home blessed since you came back to the Church? If you’ve had all those things in the home, and employed New Age practices, it would be a good idea. 🙂

Come to think of it, we still haven’t had our house blessed, and we moved in back in August! :eek:
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That is a very good idea. In fact, I was just looking at a St. Benedict Home Blessing item that hangs on a door handle that’s available from The Catholic Company. I thought about having our priest bless our home. My husband is not Catholic, but has always been supportive to me in what I believe in, so I will pray about it and then ask him if he would be okay with it.
 
Don’t sell the garbage, throw it away where it belongs.

I was in a similar situation. I collect Manga (Japanese graphic novels) and I had around 9 volumes of this Manga called Black Bird. It had a bit of smut, but it didn’t show any sexual parts of the characters’ body. I liked the plot very much that it was hard to throw away, so I kept it without never reading it. I got a boyfriend, a fiancé and then I married. And thanks to hubby, I was able to summon my courage and threw away those volumes. The thought of selling them cross my mind, but I thought that it would be the same as giving it to my sisters and maybe exposing them to a possible occasion of sin.
 
DaddyGirl said:
:confused:

Evil?
The law of attraction and using mantras is all over the bible in the prayers and sayings:

“As a man thinks, so is he.” Proverbs

Tai Chi and Qigong have been around for centuries and are forms of martial arts, as I’m sure you know, and considered very good exercise.

.
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I have read from many different Catholic sources that the law of attraction is incompatible with Catholic thinking. Read this article which I think explains it better than I can:
holymotherchurch.blogspot.com/2009/04/law-of-attraction-is-incompatible-with.html

In an article from EWTN’s Women of Grace, it states the following about Tai Chi: “An article published by Catholics United for the Faith entitled “Hold Fast What is Good: On Borrowing Forms of Meditation from Eastern Religions “ points out that “even though Tai Chi is often used as a means of exercise and relaxation, as well as a martial art, it has its origins in the Chinese religion of Taoism.”

“Although there is nothing objectively wrong with the physical movements of Tai Chi, there are many philosophical elements contrary to Christianity. The idea that the physical world comes from dualistic principles, which in turn come from an ultimate force, cannot be reconciled with the idea that the universe was created by an all-good, personal God. Furthermore, the attempt to channel and direct spiritual forces and the use of talismans violate the First Commandment (cf. Catechism, no. 2117).”
Some things that seem benign can be very much against the teachings of Christ. I would rather err on the side of caution.
 
I’m not sure if the Tai chi, qigong, or hypnosis qualify. The law of attraction stuff I’m not so sure about.

The TaI chi is a martial art and the qigong is basically exercises for internal strength.

This is coming from a guy who threw out all his Freemasonry books when he realized they were not compatible with Catholicism. As for Tai Chi I took it for a few years.

At the time I didn’t realize what a profound thing my Tai chi teacher was saying years ago when he told us he was a Catholic Christian, just prior to a meditation class, and how important it was to him. It was most surprising to my ignorant self because he was Chinese and i just assumed he was Buddhist, taoist, or an athiest. He has since passed, cancer. :gopray2:
 
MaryEllen1951 said:
Several years ago, before I came back into the Church, I was intrigued by some of the New Age teachings such as the law of attraction. I was also into hypnosis tapes, mainly for weight loss (which never worked for me) and brainwave meditation. I also was interested in Tai Chi and Qigong. I have a lot of books, CDs, DVDs, etc. Since I’ve been back to the faith, I have learned that all this is anti-Christianity and in fact in some ways evil.

My question is, would it be a sin to sell this material in a yard sale or donate it to charity? Is it best to throw it all in the trash?
Click to expand...
It is all not anti-Christianity. Tai Chi and Qigong are pre-Christianity. That does not make them any more sinful or wrong than Platonism or Judaism.
 
I have several new age music cd’s, at least that was the genre label 25 or so years ago. They haven’t harmed my belief in God at all…I never delved into any of the concepts espoused, I just preferred instrumental music to the screaming and whining that passed for music in the 80’s. If your faith is strong, none of this stuff can shake it.
 
MaryEllen1951 said:
Several years ago, before I came back into the Church, I was intrigued by some of the New Age teachings such as the law of attraction. I was also into hypnosis tapes, mainly for weight loss (which never worked for me) and brainwave meditation. I also was interested in Tai Chi and Qigong. I have a lot of books, CDs, DVDs, etc. Since I’ve been back to the faith, I have learned that all this is anti-Christianity and in fact in some ways evil.

My question is, would it be a sin to sell this material in a yard sale or donate it to charity? Is it best to throw it all in the trash?
Click to expand...
Best to throw it in the trash.

Ed
 
MaryEllen1951 said:
I have read from many different Catholic sources that the law of attraction is incompatible with Catholic thinking. Read this article which I think explains it better than I can:
holymotherchurch.blogspot.com/2009/04/law-of-attraction-is-incompatible-with.html

In an article from EWTN’s Women of Grace, it states the following about Tai Chi: “An article published by Catholics United for the Faith entitled “Hold Fast What is Good: On Borrowing Forms of Meditation from Eastern Religions “ points out that “even though Tai Chi is often used as a means of exercise and relaxation, as well as a martial art, it has its origins in the Chinese religion of Taoism.”

“Although there is nothing objectively wrong with the physical movements of Tai Chi, there are many philosophical elements contrary to Christianity. The idea that the physical world comes from dualistic principles, which in turn come from an ultimate force, cannot be reconciled with the idea that the universe was created by an all-good, personal God. Furthermore, the attempt to channel and direct spiritual forces and the use of talismans violate the First Commandment (cf. Catechism, no. 2117).”
Some things that seem benign can be very much against the teachings of Christ. I would rather err on the side of caution.
Click to expand...
With all due respect to Women of Grace, Tai Chi does not have it’s origins in any religion, although it is practiced mainly by Chinese Buddhists–solely because it is best known by the Chinese. It is a martial art, not, as some believe and even practice, spiritual. It’s great exercise for those for whom other forms of exercise are too strenuous. I know, I do Tai Chi form 24, which has helped me lose weight, become more limber and given me greater physical stamina. It’s very relaxing for the body and is neutral for the mind, which is nice for a mind like mine that goes a mile a minute. I need some “down time” in that area of my life. It hasn’t hurt my faith at all, indeed, it’s allowed me to simply be in God’s presence on more than on occasion.
 
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