Why Catholics Should Avoid Dabbling in the Occult; an Article in a Catholic Weekly

[mdgspencer]

see osv.com/Article/TabId/493/ArtMID/13569/ArticleID/16246/All-things-spooky.aspx

This article says that Catholics get it from several sides–from our postmodern neighbors who say what’s the harm in horoscopes and magic, and from Protestant evangelicals who say Catholic practices are occult. Then this article goes on to explain why occult practices involve very profound spiritual problems.

 

[truetofaith]

The Bible says not to go to mediums or seek answers from occult forces. Period!

 

[matthewww]

Horoscopes are occult? I actually did not know that. They are usually written by bored journalists who keep things really generic.

 

[truetofaith]

Horoscopes are occult? I actually did not know that. They are usually written by bored journalists who keep things really generic.

Some people live their life by them!

 

[ToeInTheWater]

I read the article and found it was very thorough and reasonable, other than the snarky paragraph about “modern Catholics”:

If you ask most modern Catholics which of the Ten Commandments astrology or divination violates, many will say, “Thou shalt not steal,” because of the financial con involved in many of the practices; also because, being more modern than Catholic, most of us tend to think of sins against the wallet before thinking of sins against God.

I wondered where that came from, then I realized Mark Shea wrote it.

But other than that, I think he did a good job in explaining why (1) the occult is dangerous and (2) Catholic practices aren’t occult.

The bottom line is this: Séances are not the same as prayer to the saints, for the same reason magic is not the same as miracles and horoscopes are not the same as prophecy. Séances, magic, horoscopes and divination are parodies of a reality that God offers us: the reality of our connectedness in Christ.

This brings us to the core truth: Namely, everything the occult claims to give us is a cheap imitation of what God actually wills us to have.

 

[Nelka]

Some people live their life by them!

:sad_yes:

 

[EveningSkye111]

Horoscopes are occult? I actually did not know that. They are usually written by bored journalists who keep things really generic.

Yep, they sure are. One thing leads to another. Avoid horror-scopes!