Re: Meditating On Contemplative/Centering Prayer
| Posted On: 01/16/07 07:24:18 PM |
Age 46, CA |
Greetings, aside from completely disagreeing with your entire premise, that a contemplative lifestyle is anti-Christ, on what premise can you profer that supports your assertion that the Desert Fathers were apostate?
Seperately, "the monastic tradition of hiding one?s self away from the world is in direct opposition to what Jesus tells His servants we are to do." - Why is prayer, which is the task of a monk or nun, why is prayer in direct opposition to what Jesus tells his servants to do. Are we all Pastors? Evangelists? Teachers? Writers? Artists? Farmers? What is wrong with being a Pray-er?
Paul Kiler
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Re: Re: Meditating On Contemplative/Centering Prayer
| Posted On: 04/03/06 03:14:57 PM |
Age 50, NH |
In reference to being "flagged" for appealing to authority in a debate, let me remind you that my point is the opposite of what you wrote. It is Foster who is not "Biblical" and has set up the false dichotomy between Christian and non-Christian meditation. My point is that he is in fact using a circular argument.
The subject of contemplative meditation as taught by Foster by way of so-called "Christian" mystics is not even addressed in Holy Scripture. Therefore he cannot use "proper" hermenuetics to exegete this subject. Rather Foster et al must resort to eisegesis and "read in" to the text of the Bible something that isn't there. As such this is circular reasoning and my point stands: Foster believes that there is a difference between these forms of transcendental meditation, therefore he simply states that there is.
This contemplative meditation was not practiced by orthodox Judaism, it was not practiced by Christ Himself, and it was not practiced or taught by His Apostles. Foster can offer no conclusive proof whatever of his assertion because those of us who have studied the practice of so-called "Christian" meditation know that it originates long after Christ with apostates known as "the Desert Fathers." And history shows that John Cassian clearly borrowed from Hinduism and Buddhism.
How Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Solus Christus, and Sola Scriptura, figure in your comment escapes me, but I wholeheartedly agree. Soli Deo Gloria! Pastor Ken Silva
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Re: Re: Meditating On Contemplative/Centering Prayer
| Posted On: 04/03/06 03:14:19 PM |
Age 50, NH |
In reference to being "flagged" for appealing to authority in a debate, let me remind you that my point is the opposite of what you wrote. It is Foster who is not "Biblical" and has set up the false dichotomy between Christian and non-Christian meditation. My point is that he is in fact using a circular argument.
The subject of contemplative meditation as taught by Foster by way of so-called "Christian" mystics is not even addressed in Holy Scripture. Therefore he cannot use "proper" hermenuetics to exegete this subject. Rather Foster et al must resort to eisegesis and "read in" to the text of the Bible something that isn't there. As such this is circular reasoning and my point stands: Foster believes that there is a difference between these forms of transcendental meditation, therefore he simply states that there is.
This contemplative meditation was not practiced by orthodox Judaism, it was not practiced by Christ Himself, and it was not practiced or taught by His Apostles. Foster can offer no conclusive proof whatever of his assertion because those of us who have studied the practice of so-called "Christian" meditation know that it originates long after Christ with apostates known as "the Desert Fathers." And history shows that John Cassian clearly borrowed from Hinduism and Buddhism.
How Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Solus Christus, and Sola Scriptura, figure in your comment escapes me, but I wholeheartedly agree. Soli Deo Gloria!
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Re: Meditating On Contemplative/Centering Prayer
| Posted On: 04/03/06 11:21:54 AM |
Age 31, NE |
I generally agree with the thrust of this article however there was one correction I would have made as an editor. The article reads:
'And just how do we know that this so-called Christian meditation is distinguished from its Eastern and secular counterparts? Well, because Foster says it is, thats why.'
If you were in a debate, you would instantly be flagged for appealing to authority here. I'm assuming that the grounds on which I should listen to you are Biblical. It's not merely because Foster said it that it's true, it is because he has used proper exegesis to interpret the difference between Christian & non-Christian meditation.
Faith Alone. Grace Alone. Scripture Alone.
Soli Deo Gloria!
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