"New Age" Christianity?

Hey everyone, I'm new here...I also recently became a Christian after having an interest in new age stuff for a while...I never got too into the new age stuff but I still have a lot of gemstones that I enjoy carrying around for their effects, in your eyes, is this ok? I mean, God created gemstones right? I'm not into spellcasting and things like that anymore...I just dont wanna piss God off ya know? Peace.

 

do new age religions cast spells with gemstones?

 

I suppose they might, but I dont...

 

what effects do you enjoy from carrying them?

 

Depends on whom you ask. Some Christians say that Harry Potter is evil. If you read the Bible, you can use it to decide for yourself.

 

High

 

There you go, being inscrutable.

 

Even Catholics say that using a blessed object, or a relic, or whatever as a charm is superstition.

From a more traditional point of view, that is what I'd have to say it is. I'd also echo the questions of the poster above myself: what effect do you want it to have?

 

I spent eight years in a Roman Catholic school (1956 - 1964). School right beside a church. Nuns, priests, the strap, the whole trip.

I couldn't count all the crosses on chains and medals of this saint and that saint that were being worn, carried, kissed.

 

I just find stones to be calming, thats all. Also nice to look at as decoration. I dont use them for witchcraft or whatever...

 

Yes, but it is the faith an devotion which carries the power, not the item itself.

Wearing a rosary doesn't do any good unless it is prayed.

 

The power to what?

 

Umm, wasn't it you who said:

Even Catholics say that using a blessed object, or a relic, or whatever as a charm is superstition.

Why would they carry all these chains and medals and crosses and rosaries if it's just prayer that counts? The children I knew actually believed that medals of saints afforded them protections, as did the parents who sprung the cash to buy them.

 

A lot depends on how you view them. If in some way, the way you view them hinders your worship to God then you should get rid of them but if not, God made gems for us to enjoy.

 

The beads on the Rosary help to focus the prayer and meditations. Carrying it offers the opportunity to say these prayers without counting in your head 50 Hail Marys, a number of Our Fathers, some Glory Be's etc.


The relics of saints have power for those devoted to them (There are also from late antiquity of of people being duped into thinking pig bones were saint relics, and miracles occurring because of the devotion to the saint anyways). But is is still the devotion. We would not have the devotions without the relics though. Catholic theology acknowledges the sensual nature of human (meaning we use out senses) and the sensual way in which God communicates with us (Jesus was truly flesh, no?). That is where sacramentalism comes into play. that is one of the reasons for Confession and the rest for the sacraments. Our immaterial and transcendent God uses our way to interact with the world (our senses) to interact with us.

Believing the medal itself will protect you is superstition, and comes from bad catechisis. Buying blessed objects also removes the blessing and is forbidden by Church Law.

 

On that note, the theology of Genesis teaches us something about the world. In ancient Babylonian theology, humans were created partially to serve the stars and moons who were lesser God than the main pantheon. In Hebrew and now Christian theology, the stars were created to serve humans. The stones you speak of were not created to tell us the future or anything of that sort, nor should they require our fidelity. God has the gift of fidelity and love and it is to him we must respond.

 

hello blue seeker, and how wonderful that you have been drawn to Christrianity. I love rocks, and gemstones are great. I have a number of crystals...different days I feel (S)He leads me to carry different ones. Stones are great for focusing and protection...and I most certainly do not spell-cast. I personally feel my Lord is not offended by me carrying or holding a rock. (When my thoughts are not nice, I don't hold my rocks, and pray about that...the not nice thoughts.)
Truly you are right (imo anyway) my master, the Lord God Jehovah Yahwey made gemstones, crystals, oh - that's right, all rocks. )) And every natural thing.

 

He also made our sex drives. That doesn't mean we should always act on what we think pleases us, but rather what shows respect to our Creator, others, and ourselves.

 

good night alive ukr!!! I certainly wasn't thinking about our so-called natural sex drive. Indeed, if you are celebate long enough, one is able to also live a quite "natural" life sans sex.

I still maintain that carrying, having a gemstone, rock, or a Natural Object - even a rosary - is not offensive in and of itself. That is how the OP posed their question/thought. Being newly drawn to Christianity, there was a question re this. Of course, there will be the number that make a huge deal out of it; but, again, imo - there is nothing wrong with it. God Makes Rocks.
Lord, let me leave off all natural things.

 

My point was that even natural things can still be spiritually harmful.