SORTILEGE
Charismatics have well worn bibles. They read a lot of Bible scriptures at prayer meetings. That could be a good thing, but it isn’t. You see the Bible is used with a type of divination, called sortilege. This is how it works. You open up your bible at random with the intent of finding out what specific message the Holy Spirit has for the meeting. You then read the passage and everyone goes “praise the Lord" and "thank you Jesus” Then the next person opens up the Bible… and this goes on until eventually some theme develops. Of course there is a lot of “praise the Lord" and "thank you Jesus” during all of this. God speaks to us in the Bible, but not if we use it superstitiously. Sortilege is a form of divination and divination is condemned by the Church.
PRAYER CIRCLES
At the end of each prayer meeting we stood in a circle, holding hands and sang this little song:
Bind us together Lord
Bind us together
With cords that cannot be broken
Bind us together Lord
Bind us together Lord
Bind us together with love
There is only one God
There is only one King
There is only one body
That is why we sing
Now why would I want to be bound to these people? I don’t want to be bound to ANYBODY. These were the most awkward few minutes to say the least.
To BIND: to adhere, to stick to firmly
Synonyms to BIND: to gird, attach, tie, confine, restrain, engage, oblige, obligate.
Antonym to BIND: to untie, free
Intransitive Verb to BIND:
to do the act of binding
to be or become tight, hard, or stiff
to be constricting or restricting
to stick together
to be obligatory or binding in force
The word BIND conjures up some heavy rope and some serious restraints... It didn't sound so good to me. Jesus said we should love one another, not to bind ourselves to a couple of dozen virtual strangers…
Besides, Catholics should be united in the Eucharist and not in prayer circles. The prayer circle is a pagan ritual. Charismatics brought it into the Church. No matter how fervently they call upon the Holy Spirit, how many Catholic prayers they rattle of at the end of their meetings, when they line up like a coven of witches it will not be Jesus among them. These prayer circles with the stupid little binding song are just where the demon of power will be based. And God is sure not the one that will be energizing the prayer circles.
RING AROUND THE DEMON
The laying on of hands indicates the transference of something. According to St. Thomas Aquinas the "imposition of hands is made, to signify some abundant effect of grace, through those on whom the hands are laid being..." The laying on of hands is also a symbolic act of delegating Authority. This is something we Catholics try to teach and defend to Protestants. Only those in Holy Orders can confer Sacramental Grace or lay hands on the sick. “Let him call for the presbyters of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord…” does not mean lay people!
In addition, there is a real risk of demon transference when the laity is involved with the laying on of hands. Charismatic prayer meetings and charismatic conferences are prolific breeding grounds for demon transference. The “turn to your left and lay your hands on the person next to you, now turn to your right and lay your hands on the person next to you” pretty much ensures that if there is a demon in the house it will be passed around. Under these circumstances the transference of demons is guaranteed.
STANDING IN PROXY
There is a charismatic practice called standing in proxy. People go up for prayers on someone else’s behalf; someone lays hands on them, prays in tongues and it is the one they stood in for who receives the prayers and the laying on of hands.
Standing in for proxy is mediumistic, not Catholic, not scriptural, and not a common sense practice. The concept comes from non-Christian sources; it is practiced by witches, shamans and New Age healers.
Standing in proxy is based on the theory that we are all interconnected cosmically; so a proxy can be the focus of energy that is sent out to the absent person for healing or deliverance. The energy-flow-connection-universe cosmology comes from oriental occultism.
Of course charismatics are not aware of the source of this practice and assume that standing in proxy is a form of intercessory prayer. But since ignorance is no protection from the occult, messing with spiritual things can still land them in some serious trouble.
Standing in proxy should not be practiced by Catholics.
Charismatics have well worn bibles. They read a lot of Bible scriptures at prayer meetings. That could be a good thing, but it isn’t. You see the Bible is used with a type of divination, called sortilege. This is how it works. You open up your bible at random with the intent of finding out what specific message the Holy Spirit has for the meeting. You then read the passage and everyone goes “praise the Lord" and "thank you Jesus” Then the next person opens up the Bible… and this goes on until eventually some theme develops. Of course there is a lot of “praise the Lord" and "thank you Jesus” during all of this. God speaks to us in the Bible, but not if we use it superstitiously. Sortilege is a form of divination and divination is condemned by the Church.
PRAYER CIRCLES
At the end of each prayer meeting we stood in a circle, holding hands and sang this little song:
Bind us together Lord
Bind us together
With cords that cannot be broken
Bind us together Lord
Bind us together Lord
Bind us together with love
There is only one God
There is only one King
There is only one body
That is why we sing
Now why would I want to be bound to these people? I don’t want to be bound to ANYBODY. These were the most awkward few minutes to say the least.
To BIND: to adhere, to stick to firmly
Synonyms to BIND: to gird, attach, tie, confine, restrain, engage, oblige, obligate.
Antonym to BIND: to untie, free
Intransitive Verb to BIND:
to do the act of binding
to be or become tight, hard, or stiff
to be constricting or restricting
to stick together
to be obligatory or binding in force
The word BIND conjures up some heavy rope and some serious restraints... It didn't sound so good to me. Jesus said we should love one another, not to bind ourselves to a couple of dozen virtual strangers…
Besides, Catholics should be united in the Eucharist and not in prayer circles. The prayer circle is a pagan ritual. Charismatics brought it into the Church. No matter how fervently they call upon the Holy Spirit, how many Catholic prayers they rattle of at the end of their meetings, when they line up like a coven of witches it will not be Jesus among them. These prayer circles with the stupid little binding song are just where the demon of power will be based. And God is sure not the one that will be energizing the prayer circles.
RING AROUND THE DEMON
The laying on of hands indicates the transference of something. According to St. Thomas Aquinas the "imposition of hands is made, to signify some abundant effect of grace, through those on whom the hands are laid being..." The laying on of hands is also a symbolic act of delegating Authority. This is something we Catholics try to teach and defend to Protestants. Only those in Holy Orders can confer Sacramental Grace or lay hands on the sick. “Let him call for the presbyters of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord…” does not mean lay people!
In addition, there is a real risk of demon transference when the laity is involved with the laying on of hands. Charismatic prayer meetings and charismatic conferences are prolific breeding grounds for demon transference. The “turn to your left and lay your hands on the person next to you, now turn to your right and lay your hands on the person next to you” pretty much ensures that if there is a demon in the house it will be passed around. Under these circumstances the transference of demons is guaranteed.
STANDING IN PROXY
There is a charismatic practice called standing in proxy. People go up for prayers on someone else’s behalf; someone lays hands on them, prays in tongues and it is the one they stood in for who receives the prayers and the laying on of hands.
Standing in for proxy is mediumistic, not Catholic, not scriptural, and not a common sense practice. The concept comes from non-Christian sources; it is practiced by witches, shamans and New Age healers.
Standing in proxy is based on the theory that we are all interconnected cosmically; so a proxy can be the focus of energy that is sent out to the absent person for healing or deliverance. The energy-flow-connection-universe cosmology comes from oriental occultism.
Of course charismatics are not aware of the source of this practice and assume that standing in proxy is a form of intercessory prayer. But since ignorance is no protection from the occult, messing with spiritual things can still land them in some serious trouble.
Standing in proxy should not be practiced by Catholics.
