Is Christian Mysticism Evil?

[Cooky]

I was just curious if there were any warnings that need to be heeded in regards to Mysticism. I'd especially like to hear from Protestants, but the question is open to all.

Thanks,
Landon

 

[Valjean]

Mysticism was sometimes a threat to the church hierarchy. At times it was forcefully repressed.
Some sects still discourage unorthodox or 'weird' beliefs.

 

[Nakosis]

I was just curious if there were any warnings that need to be heeded in regards to Mysticism. I'd especially like to hear from Protestants, but the question is open to all.

Thanks,
Landon

How do you define evil?
Sorry to go there right out of the gate but...

I don't usually go about calling things evil so I don't have a ready definition...

Evil - profoundly immoral. More or less a moral nihilist myself so one man's evil is another man's good.

 

[Cooky]

Mysticism was sometimes a threat to the church hierarchy. At times it was forcefully repressed.
Some sects still discourage unorthodox or 'weird' beliefs.

Interesting, I've never heard that before, considering many of the Doctors and Saints of the Church were Mystics.

 

[Cooky]

How do you define evil?
Sorry to go there right out of the gate but...

I don't usually go about calling things evil so I don't have a ready definition...

Evil - profoundly immoral. More or less a moral nihilist myself so one man's evil is another man's good.

By evil I just mean spiritually dangerous, or 'bad' in general.

 

[Cooky]

I guess I just figure that since Catholics revere Mystics, the Hard line Protestants must oppose them.

 

[Valjean]

Interesting, I've never heard that before, considering many of the Doctors and Saints of the Church were Mystics.

And many more burned as witches.

 

[Valjean]

I guess I just figure that since Catholics revere Mystics, the Hard line Protestants must oppose them.

They revered pious Catholic mystics who weren't a threat to the church hierarchy.

 

[Stanyon]

I heard more than a few pastors that spoke of the evils of the occult, witchcraft, and mystical experiences as being from the Devil that confuse and seperate one from God. These very same pastors also spoke of visions and used their form of religious magics etc., of course these were o.k.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

Mysticism forces a person to question and interpret their relationship with symbols that have powerful psychological and emotional associations. This has inherent danger (but also rewards), especially for Christianity, which for a seeming majority the divine is meant to be separate from ourselves, but mysticism typically leads a person to a closer and often self-indentifiable understanding of divinity. A Christian mystic will likely in some way become the Savior on the Tree of Life and Death and see the crossroads of himself and God.

 

[Howard Is]

I heard more than a few pastors that spoke of the evils of the occult, witchcraft, and mystical experiences as being from the Devil that confuse and seperate one from God. These very same pastors also spoke of visions and used their form of religious magics etc., of course these were o.k.

Exactly the same behaviour as people who use coffee, alcohol and tobacco and denounce ‘drug users’.

 

[Father Heathen]

When it comes to religion, it's always the other guy who's "evil."

 

[sun rise]

To me, someone who has a mystical orientation is concerned with closeness to the divine and not to rituals and ceremonies. He or she wants the essence not rote superficiality.

That to me is positive.

 

[Good-Ole-Rebel]

I believe that all Christians are 'mystics' to a degree, both Protestant and Roman Catholic. We believe in God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and His desire to have relationship with man, and the possibility of man having relationship with God. All of which is spiritual in origin and supernatural or mystical.

Within Christianity, we seem to label 'mystic' to only those who pursue a high degree of spirituality, of a relationship with Christ and God. And, such a level of spirituality at times seems so foreign to Christians that they deem it dangerous. But as with all things in Christianity, you must simply discern the spirit that it is from. satan will imitate any form of Christianity that exists. Whether in a formal and orderly church or a free wheeling charismatic church, satan will have his imitators there that will act just like them. And we who are the Church just must recognize them for who they are, but don't allow them to hinder our Christianity. And, at times must call them out.

I guess my point is this. We who are Christian should not fear 'mysticism' as we are mystics. We seek a relationship with God Almighty, through His Son, Jesus Christ whose Spirit dwells in us. I say develop that relationship. Get to know Jesus Christ personally. Spend time in meditation on the written Word, the Bible, and the Word manifest in flesh, Jesus Christ.

Good-Ole-Rebel

 

[Howard Is]

I was just curious

What is Christian mysticism ?

 

[pearl]

I guess my point is this. We who are Christian should not fear 'mysticism' as we are mystics. We seek a relationship with God Almighty, through His Son, Jesus Christ whose Spirit dwells in us. I say develop that relationship. Get to know Jesus Christ personally. Spend time in meditation on the written Word, the Bible, and the Word manifest in flesh, Jesus Christ.

Very well said.

 

[Jeremiah Ames]

I was just curious if there were any warnings that need to be heeded in regards to Mysticism. I'd especially like to hear from Protestants, but the question is open to all.

Thanks,
Landon

Seems like a weird question to me.
But it’s probably because I am weird.
To understand your thinking, I would like to ask:
Could anything dangerous or evil come from the catholic religion?

 

[Cooky]

I believe that all Christians are 'mystics' to a degree, both Protestant and Roman Catholic. We believe in God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and His desire to have relationship with man, and the possibility of man having relationship with God. All of which is spiritual in origin and supernatural or mystical.

Within Christianity, we seem to label 'mystic' to only those who pursue a high degree of spirituality, of a relationship with Christ and God. And, such a level of spirituality at times seems so foreign to Christians that they deem it dangerous. But as with all things in Christianity, you must simply discern the spirit that it is from. satan will imitate any form of Christianity that exists. Whether in a formal and orderly church or a free wheeling charismatic church, satan will have his imitators there that will act just like them. And we who are the Church just must recognize them for who they are, but don't allow them to hinder our Christianity. And, at times must call them out.

I guess my point is this. We who are Christian should not fear 'mysticism' as we are mystics. We seek a relationship with God Almighty, through His Son, Jesus Christ whose Spirit dwells in us. I say develop that relationship. Get to know Jesus Christ personally. Spend time in meditation on the written Word, the Bible, and the Word manifest in flesh, Jesus Christ.

Good-Ole-Rebel

That was really good, actually.

 

[pearl]

According to Rahner the devout Christian of the future will either be a ‘mystic’, one who experienced ‘something’, or he will ease to be anything at all.

 

[Jeremiah Ames]

How do you define evil?
Sorry to go there right out of the gate but...

I don't usually go about calling things evil so I don't have a ready definition...

Evil - profoundly immoral. More or less a moral nihilist myself so one man's evil is another man's good.

The ending portion of your last sentence was incredibly profound.
Many people (that I have spoken with) cannot understand that concept.