Wednesday, April 26, 2006
AGNT - WHAT DO THEY BELIEVE ?
Since AGNT worked with the Dalai Lama and was hosted by Focolare at Castegandolfo, activities of AGNT members are pertinent to that event. One member turned up at the 2004 North American Conference of The International Association for Near-Death Studies, Inc.
The organization held a conference June 24-26, 2004. One presenter was Rev. Ed Townley, senior minister at Unity in Chicago. Rev. Townley serves on the Advisory Board of the Association for Global New Thought (AGNT), though he apparently has not taken part in any of the Synthesis Dialogues. At least I can't find him listed with them in Google.
The conference also included Betty Bland, President of the Theosophical Society; and psychic medium Cheryl Booth.
One session was titled "Creating with the Angels and the Medical World", presented by Caroline Sutherland, Ph.D., an intuitive who can work with a name, a voice, or a photo. Physical presence is not necessary.
Another session was titled "Talking to the Animals."
There was a session entitled "Improvisations from the Other Side--Musical Performance". At the Castegandolfo Synthesis Dialogues III there was also a musical performance:
Performance arts and music will deepen and enrich the conversation of this gathering. Intentional time and space will be afforded for meditation and reflection.
I believe that it is safe to say that what we had at the Pope's summer residence, Castegandolfo, through the sponsorship of Focolare, is a gathering of spirit channelers.
The Vatican document on the New Age explains why Theosophy is not compatible with Catholicism. From the document:
The Age of Aquarius has such a high profile in the New Age movement largely because of the influence of theosophy, spiritualism and anthroposophy, and their esoteric antecedents. ...
Spiritualism, theosophy, anthroposophy and New Age all see reincarnation as participation in cosmic evolution. This post-Christian approach to eschatology is said to answer the unresolved questions of theodicy and dispenses with the notion of hell. ...
The essential matrix of New Age thinking is to be found in the esoteric-theosophical tradition which was fairly widely accepted in European intellectual circles in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was particularly strong in freemasonry, spiritualism, occultism and theosophy, which shared a kind of esoteric culture. ...
Theosophy: an ancient term, which originally referred to a kind of mysticism. It has been linked to Greek Gnostics and Neoplatonists, to Meister Eckhart, Nicholas of Cusa and Jakob Boehme. The name was given new emphasis by the Theosophical Society, founded by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and others in 1875. Theosophical mysticism tends to be monistic, stressing the essential unity of the spiritual and material components of the universe. It also looks for the hidden forces that cause matter and spirit to interact, in such a way that human and divine minds eventually meet. Here is where theosophy offers mystical redemption or enlightenment. ...
The Synthesis Dialogues are not typical interreligious dialogue gatherings in which the major worldwide religions are represented. The Association for Global New Thought is composed of what in New Age terminology is called "post-denominational"-- religious groups that focus on spirit and enlightenment, even though they may use some Christian terminology. They do not honor the Jesus Christ of the Catholic Church.
How is it possible that this has taken place at the Pope's summer residence?? Did John Paul II approve of it? He was a phenomenologist, afterall. Does Benedict approve?
CCC 2115: God can reveal the future to his prophets or to other saints. Still, a sound Christian attitude consists in putting oneself confidently into the hands of Providence for whatever concerns the future, and giving up all unhealthy curiosity about it. Improvidence, however, can constitute a lack of responsibility.
CCC 2112: The first commandment condemns polytheism. It requires man neither to believe in, nor to venerate, other divinities than the one true God.
God help us!
