In Repose Blog

Catholics and Reiki

Earlier this year, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops committee on doctrine issued a ruling denouncing Reiki, calling it "not compatible with either Christian teaching or scientific evidence" and "therefore inappropriate for Catholic institutions."

You can read the full text of the ruling (in PDF) here. The very first sentence of the text is incorrect. Reiki is considered a complimentary therapy, not an alternative one.

The ruling is a slap in the face to many volunteers, nuns and priests themselves who regularly use reiki in their work and healing ministries. Jesus himself practiced laying on of hands and said, "the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do."

You've got to love the bit about it not being scientific.

Dannion Brinkley and the Twilight Brigade

Dannion Brinkley is an interesting fellow. He has had three NDEs (near death experiences) in his life. Twice he was struck by lightning and the third time during a heart operation in the hospital. It took the third experience for him to accept all of the implications. He says he has great compasion for those who believe that nothing exists after death, because he himself was a staunch atheist until after his the third NDE experience.

Self-deprecating and unflinchingly honest, he describes himself as a former "bully" selfish in all ways and just plain mean.He is making up for his former transgressions.

Author of several books, including Secrets of the Light, he is also the founder of the The Twilight Brigade, a volunteer service with the following description:

Twilight Brigade's trained corps of volunteers visit patients in Veterans' Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Hospitals and Hospice facilities. Based upon patient requests and needs, the volunteers provide:

• Reassurance and human companionship to the dying. 
  

• Relief and support to loved ones and caregivers. 

• Compassionate 24-hour attention through the last hours, allowing people to die in peace and with dignity.

All provided at no cost for services to either the patient or the family.

Here is a short less than three minute youtube interview with this down-to-earth man who had dedicated his life to helping others, especially veterans, stop having fear about the death experience:

Hypnosis and Religion

I have been asked more than once if hypnosis is found to be unfavorable to mainstream religions.

In my research on the matter I found an excellent article on religion and hypnosis by Chaplain Paul Durbin. He points out several actual bible verses that can be interpreted as hypnosis in action, even in Genesis!

Apparently Seven Day Adventists have a problem with hypnosis and so do those who belong to the Church of Scientology. Interestingly enough, the latter has its formation based on hypnosis!

A couple of facts worth noting:

* The Christian Science Church was founded on hypnosis techniques. The Church's founder, Mary Baker Eddy was a client and student of hypnotist Phineas Quimby. After hypnosis helped her overcome illness, she then integrated what she had learned with her Christian faith. Later, after accusations in the New York Times that she had plagiarized Quimby, Mary Baker Eddy separated her church from hypnosis.

* The Roman Catholic Church approved hypnosis by decree in 1847. Pope Pius approved hypnosis for childbirth in 1956.

Merging Science & Spirituality

Leo Kim is a scientist and biotech exective who recently appeared on Coast to Coast AM with George Noory. Kim talked about how numerous concepts of 21st-century science are consistent with spiritual ideas.

While he started off skeptical of spirituality, he came to the conclusion that the materialism views held by many scientists such as Richard Dawkins were a kind of "false gospel"-- a dogmatic insistence that the brain and the universe are just material stuff. But now, because of the oddities of quantum phenomena, scientists are having to take on really "out-there" type theories such as parallel universes, added dimensions, string theory, and multiverses because their former equations and assumptions don't fit with the evidence, he noted.

Kim argued the mind has the capability of rewiring the brain, and what really exists in the universe is mind and spirit. In regard to healing methods, he suggested if we could merge new scientific treatments, the powers of the mind, and good nutrition, we'd take a quantum leap forward in health.

Rodeo Prayers

Here is a photo of mine that now graces the cover of the Star of Texas Fair and Rodeo's magazine called Behind the Chutes.

Most of the cowboys bow their heads before a ride. Usually their words to the higher power are silent, but many know and recite this rodeo prayer:

Our gracious and heavenly Father,
We pause, ever mindful of the blessings you have bestowed upon us.
We ask that you be with us at this rodeo.

As cowboys, Lord, we don't ask for any special favors,
We don't ask to never break a barrier,
Or to draw a round of steer that's hard to throw,
Or around a chute fighting horse,
Or a bull that is impossible to ride.

We ask only that you watch over us,
That you will guide us in the arena of life,
And that when we do make that last inevitable  ride to that special place up there,
where the grass is green and lush and stirrup high,
and the water runs cool, clear, and deep -

That you, as our last judge,
Will tell us that our entry fees have been paid.   

  - Amen.

Highway to Heaven, From the Vatican

The Vatican has decided it needs to address the spiritual needs of motorists worldwide. It has released the following ten commandments for drivers.

1. You shall not kill.

2. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.

3. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.

4. Be charitable and help your neighbor in need, especially victims of accidents.

5. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.

6. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.

7. Support the families of accident victims.

8. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.

9. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party.

10. Feel responsible toward others.

I am not so sure about number 8. I no longer hate the person that killed my brother but I don't EVER want to be in the same room with him. How about the others? What do you think? Did they miss anything? How about:

Thou shalt not drive slowly in the left lane.
Thou shalt use thy blinker religiously.
Tailgating is evidence of the Devil himself.

What would YOU add?

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Joseph Kroot and A Jewish Perspective on Organ Donation

Joseph Kroot was full of life and an active member of the BíNai Mitzvah Class at Ohavay Zion Synagogue as well as a seventh grader at Morton Junior High, in 1996.

On Shabbat Bemidbar, Joseph had a cerebral hemorrhage that left him brain dead. Joseph Kroot went on to "save lives" when his family chose to donate his viable organs. Joseph's kidneys helped two women live free of dialysis, his corneas helped two teenagers see, his liver hepatocytes prolonged life until a viable liver could be found, and his heart valves helped two young children live without blood thinners because now they will not need mechanical valves in their hearts. Joseph may not have found the cure for cancer, but he followed the positive mitzvah of Pikuach Nefesh, the "Saving of a Life."

      -- Kathie Kroot, Joseph's mother

Kathie discovered that there are differing thoughts and still many misconceptions about her faith and organ donation, and organ donation in general. She has generously given In Repose permission to reprint her article, A Jewish Perspective on Organ Transplantation HERE  on the Resouce Forum on In Repose.

Kathie says about her son Joseph,

"We know that Joseph did not live a long life, but his life was full. He was kind, generous, a little impish, and Jewish. He could not read well, but his corneas are now reading. He didn’t find the cure to cancer, but he did follow the Jewish mitzvah of pikkuah nefesh and "saved lives." We are reminded of the ring given to Schindler in Schindler’s List, stating the Talmudic saying, "He, who saves a life, saves the world." What an honor for our Joseph"

Kathie, as a mother, my most sincere condolences. I am sure you still miss Joseph very much. My brother was an organ donor at the time of his death as well. May both of their souls be blessed for those final earthly gifts.

Wiccan Lawsuit Settled

Is the symbol frightening to you?  It is to many people.

This is called a pentacle and it is a symbol of the Wicca religion. To many, this is a symbol of evil and of witchcraft, not of a benign faith.

The five points of the star symbolize earth, wind, fire, spirit and water. Wiccans call their religion nature-based and say that it is not affiliated in any way with the occult. They claim to have no god to worship, and worship only nature itself.

Until today, the United States government has refused fallen soliders the right to place the pentacle on government provided headstones in military cemetaries.

The Bush Administration has finally agreed, after a decade of struggle and lawsuits, to add the pentacle to be added to the list of 38 approved symbols. It now joins the Christian cross, the Jewish six-pointed star, the Islamic crescent, and the symbols for atheists, Hindus, humanists, Sikhs and members of such lesser-known religions as the Eckankar, Serbian Orthodox and United Moravia faiths.

Even though the pentacle had been allowed for some time to be added to  dog tags and military chaplains were advised about the facts regarding  this religion of its nearly 1300 service members who claimed it as their faith, accusations of Wicca not qualifying as a "true" religion have been bandied about within Conservative Right for years.

George Bush, in 1999 as governor of Texas admonished military officials for allowing troops at Fort Hood to hold Wiccan services.  "I don't think witchcraft is a religion," Bush reportedly said. "I would hope the military officials would take a second look..."

Our first amendment says " Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."

The amendment doesn't say "some" religions, it says simply "religion".

When an American solider gives the ultimate gift of his or her life to this country to protect, in part, the Constitution of this great country and their freedom to practice ANY religion, one should hope that his or her final wishes about their headstone should be honored.

Read the Washington Post Article HERE

Record YOUR final wishes at InRepose.com

Photo courtesy of Candice Courtney her website here.