Still Running Off at the Keyboard

"SPIRITUAL WARFARE: THE OCCULT HAS DEMONIC INFLUENCE"

Bishop Donald Montrose, D.D. has written an excellent article with the above title which is online here. I doubt this bishop would allow his children to read HARRY POTTER, if he had children. Potter's activities are what the bishop condemns in his article. It's well worth the time it takes to read it. From the article:

-- ...to seek knowledge of the future or intimate knowledge about another person, apart from God, and through the help of clairvoyance or spirits is what is meant by forbidden knowledge.

Forbidden power is a kind of magical power that produces effects apart from God and in a way that is beyond ordinary human means.

-- It is forbidden to seek knowledge of the future by using playing cards, tarot cards, the crystal ball, the study of the hand, the stars, examining the liver of dead animals, shooting arrows, the Ouija board, or any other superstitious means.

-- ...everyone involved in false worship, seeking forbidden knowledge, or using forbidden power should be absolutely avoided. ... [My question, what about interreligious dialogue? - ct]

-- Spiritualism involves a communication with the dead or with the spirit world by some psychic or occult means. Great care is to be used because many people are fooled. There can be the use of the Bible, holy water, statues of saints and Catholic hymns. Spiritualists often believe in the Fatherhood of God, doing good to others, personal responsibility for what one does, reward for good deeds and punishment for evil deeds. Many are Christian or even Catholic and profess faith in Jesus.

But there is always a dangerous attempt to communicate with the dead or with spirits in some way. It can be through a seance, or perhaps the person just seems to go into a trance.

Sometimes spiritualists are involved in healing, witchcraft, fortune telling or even blessing homes to protect them. Sometimes they believe in reincarnation as well.

-- It doesn't matter if there are statues, holy water, crucifixes, prayers to Jesus, Mary and the saints, if there is any superstitious practice it is evil.

-- In our day, hard rock music played by "satanic" musical groups presents additional problems. ...The evil is found in the musical combination of words, rhythm and noise. Records or tapes of this kind should not be kept in the home but should be destroyed, even if they have cost a considerable amount of money.

-- Although virtually unknown a few years ago, [the New Age Movement] is gaining in popularity on an international level. On the surface it appears to be a "peace" movement, but in my estimation, it definitely belongs to the occult. ...

Those who join the New Age Movement are entering a movement dealing with occult spiritual power.

-- Our homes should be sacred, peaceful places in which to live. Our homes need to be clean. We should not let them become dirty or allow disorder by having junk and filth accumulate in our drawers and closets. The power of evil abhors cleanliness.

-- Persons who have actually needed exorcism from the power of the Evil One have been cured by sitting in church in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, an hour each day, for one or two months. These were very difficult cases.