Why does the christian religion focus on moral/desire/ego?

[VincentChristop]

And not becoming one with God.

Mystics from all other religions including Catholic know that you can become one with God.

Catholic religion today teaches MOST people

to grasp onto self serving righteous ego to love/help others, and not to let go

of desire/ego/self service.

Why do we teach we can only become one with God after we die? when we can become one with God while still alive(even though it won’t be for a long time.

 

[davidv]

And not becoming one with God.

Sounds like a logical fallacy - false dichotomy. Why not both?

Mystics from all other religions including Catholic know that you can become one with God.

Catholic religion today teaches MOST people

to grasp onto self serving righteous ego to love/help others, and not to let go

of desire/ego/self service.

Really? In what official Church document is this taught?

Why do we teach we can only become one with God after we die?

Who says this is what is taught?

when we can become one with God while still alive(even though it won’t be for a long time.

How is this accomplished?

CCC:

I. THE LIFE OF MAN - TO KNOW AND LOVE GOD

1 God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church. To accomplish this, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Savior. In his Son and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life.

2 So that this call should resound throughout the world, Christ sent forth the apostles he had chosen, commissioning them to proclaim the gospel: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."4 Strengthened by this mission, the apostles "went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it."5

3 Those who with God’s help have welcomed Christ’s call and freely responded to it are urged on by love of Christ to proclaim the Good News everywhere in the world. This treasure, received from the apostles, has been faithfully guarded by their successors. All Christ’s faithful are called to hand it on from generation to generation, by professing the faith, by living it in fraternal sharing, and by celebrating it in liturgy and prayer.6

 

[VincentChristop]

Sounds like a logical fallacy - false dichotomy. Why not both?

Really? In what official Church document is this taught?

Who says this is what is taught?

How is this accomplished?

Read Where Lovers Meet: Inside the interior Castle by Susan Muto

Learn about kaballah, Buddhism, Hinduism, new age philosophy.

It is all there. I know people who have experienced this oneness with God. I read many stories of saints experiencing this also.

There are different techniques to do this. Most along the lines of becoming a monk.

Why does our faith fail to teach this in this day and age when everyone is getting more caught up in desires.

The church doesn’t teach this and that is the problem! many people who are searching for God search in the wrong places.

And most people who do follow the church are not aware of the possibilities.

Don’t get me wrong the church does teach infact how to teach the oneness with God.

BUT it does not teach it to the fullness. Only those who have read about being one with God through occult means or other religions know how to make use of the teachings of the church.

 

[KrazyKat]

Read Where Lovers Meet: Inside the interior Castle by Susan Muto

Learn about kaballah, Buddhism, Hinduism, new age philosophy.

It is all there. I know people who have experienced this oneness with God. I read many stories of saints experiencing this also.

There are different techniques to do this. Most along the lines of becoming a monk.

Why does our faith fail to teach this in this day and age when everyone is getting more caught up in desires.

The church doesn’t teach this and that is the problem! many people who are searching for God search in the wrong places.

And most people who do follow the church are not aware of the possibilities.

Don’t get me wrong the church does teach infact how to teach the oneness with God.

BUT it does not teach it to the fullness. Only those who have read about being one with God through occult means or other religions know how to make use of the teachings of the church.

You say: "most people who do follow the church are not aware of the possibilities. "

Numbers please, where did you conduct your research, how many Catholics did you question, percentages please.

Making statements as you have should include " in my opinion," as that is all it is. And we all have one.

 

[VincentChristop]

You say: "most people who do follow the church are not aware of the possibilities. "

Numbers please, where did you conduct your research, how many Catholics did you question, percentages please.

Making statements as you have should include " in my opinion," as that is all it is. And we all have one.

It was a opinion indeed.

My answer was answered. Balance is needed. I have failed to trust God. I forget daily that balance is kept through the way God teaches.

The way God teaches is infinite.

 

[Usagi]

The mystical experience is not the be-all and end-all of Christianity. Withdrawal from the world to contemplate God is the spiritual calling of a relative few, though it is certainly a high calling.

For most of us, the mission is not to bask in our relationship with God but to go out and engage in the “family business” of tending to the corporal and spiritual needs of others, including helping to bring others into the family.

Now, those activities in themselves are supposed to help us die to self, grow in sanctity and virtue, and grow closer to God. I do not understand why you would equate the Christian life to clinging onto ego and desire or being self-serving, when it is meant to be just the opposite.

Usagi

 

[Phalanx]

You have to start somewhere right? You wouldn’t put a cub scout onto a Nasa space program. I don’t even know what you mean by becoming one with God. But im guessing that its something for the top tier most advanced people of religion.

The mystical experience is not the be-all and end-all of Christianity. Withdrawal from the world to contemplate God is the spiritual calling of a relative few, though it is certainly a high calling.

For most of us, the mission is not to bask in our relationship with God but to go out and engage in the “family business” of tending to the corporal and spiritual needs of others, including helping to bring others into the family.

Now, those activities in themselves are supposed to help us die to self, grow in sanctity and virtue, and grow closer to God. I do not understand why you would equate the Christian life to clinging onto ego and desire or being self-serving, when it is meant to be just the opposite.

Usagi

Well put

 

[annem]

VincentChristop

Learn about kaballah, Buddhism, Hinduism, new age philosophy.

It is all there. I know people who have experienced this oneness with God. I read many stories of saints experiencing this also.

Hi. Just wanted to point out the obvious: Buddhism and Hinduism, not to mention various occult or New Age ‘there is a spark of God in me’ babble are all pantheist.

Therefore, these are all beliefs that deny the existence of God.

Therefore, there is not the smallest, tiniest possibility of oneness of God.

I am frankly distressed by your mentioning Catholic saints experiencing true union with God in the same muddle as New Age occultism and - of all things - the fatalistic rejection of God that is Hinduism and Buddhism.

And I would strongly urge anyone thinking of looking into Buddhism, Hinduism, and - oh heaven forfend - the idiot drivel of New Age - to ponder the grim, ugly fatalism that is at the core of each and every one of these belief systems.

May God truly flood you with miracles and light, Annem

 

[fhansen]

And not becoming one with God.

Mystics from all other religions including Catholic know that you can become one with God.

Catholic religion today teaches MOST people

to grasp onto self serving righteous ego to love/help others, and not to let go

of desire/ego/self service.

Why do we teach we can only become one with God after we die? when we can become one with God while still alive(even though it won’t be for a long time.

Even if we agree that other religions teach about the same kind of experience as Catholic mysticism speaks of, how many of their adherents reach this high level of union? How many even want to try?

 

[VincentChristop]

Even if we agree that other religions teach about the same kind of experience as Catholic mysticism speaks of, how many of their adherents reach this high level of union? How many even want to try?

You are correct. I’ve come to realize that no matter how you teach it. It’s that saying that God doesn’t give you anything you cannot handle.

 

[Bodhi303]

Hello VincentChristop
I can relate to your concerns very much. The concept you are referring to in Christianity is called Theosis. I believe it was a term born from Augustine or Aquinas but a subject matter preached by the early Christian community and very much emphasized back then. It’s definitely not emphasized enough in the Protestant sectors, and only grazed upon in Roman Catholicism. But I believe it is a point of emphasis for the Eastern Orthodox community.

No matter how much or how little each denomination emphasis theosis it is a major component of the Christian faith. And it is sad that it is not stressed enough across the board.

I think we are losing people to the new age movement because they emphasis their version of theosis. I almost got lost there too. But luckily Christ taught me that we have these truths in our own faith, and I need not stray away to acquire them. The concept in the new age movement is true to a degree but how they go about getting theosis definitely needs some clarification. Via Christ

I went to a new age group for a while and had a massive mystical experience while there. But what I learned and experienced didn’t validate the New Age movement it validated that I was having mystical experiences all my life. God was showing me I didn’t need the crystals and the drums and the fan fare. I just needed him, and I’ve always had him. I was doing these mystical things since I was a child. There was no eight hour course that served me lunch at noon and gave me my certificate of completion at the end for mysticism. Sad, but these things happen. (ie Reiki) Only surrendering to God was my teacher.

In essence Christ showed me Christianity or theosis is the maturation of those movements. I had to go backwards in order for Christ to take me forward. Praise be to God.

Most Christians prefer to disregard these movements as demonic. I prefer to look at them as limited and under-informed. They have a child like enthusiasm and child like understanding of a very mature subject matter. For example, the New Age movement over emphasizes the mystical experience itself. Far too much reliance on it is not good. Mystical experiences are like public (sometimes private) displays of affection from God. So New Agers are just like a kid who believes mommy loves me when she gives me stuff. Take away the stuff and suddenly mommy’s love is in doubt. The child doesn’t understand this, and his lack of understanding doesn’t make him bad his lack of understanding makes him uninformed/child. New Agers don’t get a healthy relationship, is when you trust that mommy (God) loves you with or without having to prove it to you by giving you stuff (mystical experiences). I believe that this naiveté leads to the demonic exploiting their dependence on experiencing “stuff”.

I agree there is an overemphasis on morality in Christianity. And not enough emphasis on theosis. Theosis should proceed morality, not the other way around. With theosis as your goal you do the right thing because you want to, not because you’re supposed to. I think people choose morality over theosis because it’s easier and more gratifying to be self righteous than to stand in the presence of righteousness itself. Because then you find out exactly how short of righteous you really are. Being in God’s company is humbling; And not many people enjoying being humbled.

 

[annem]

Bodhi303

Most Christians prefer to disregard these movements as demonic.

Hi, are you talking only about New Age occultism or about a variant of Hinduism or Buddhism here? After reading many books by New Age authors, I can assure you the people who call this stuff demonic would find the case pretty easy to prove.

        the New Age movement over emphasizes the mystical experience itself.

I find it difficult to believe anyone could have a mystical experience of God when they have rejected God. Please explain and submit some proof.

I agree there is an overemphasis on morality in Christianity.

A great many people with extensive porn addictions, who cheat on their taxes and lie would agree with you.

Here’s the sad problem: God made the rules. Alas, we have to abide by them.

Which of the ten commandments do you find so irksome?

May God truly flood you with light and miracles, Annem