Religious
Asceticism
(Self Mortification)
The Serious Consequences of its Abuse
Originally published on November 10, 1995
PURPOSE
The purpose of this document is to alert the well meaning faithful
about the dangers associated with the misuse or Religious Asceticism.
BACKGROUND
Ascetic practice, a common characteristic of many religions, may be
defined as:
The
practice by which the body [the physical component of a human
being] is subjected to the soul
[the spiritual component of a human being].
This is attained through the voluntary
denial of physical pleasures, superfluous needs and bodily comforts.
The most common practice is periodic fasting. The most severe,
spiritually dangerous and not
of Divine origin (1) form of asceticism is self
flagellation and/or any type of self inflicted wounds.
Because certain individuals derive a perverse sexual pleasure from
flagellation and/or any type of self inflicted wounds, then abstaining
from normal sexual pleasures to indulge in deviant sexual pleasures,
instead of edifying the soul, it contributes to its destruction.
As Campbell Oman (2) proposes, it is quite
possible that the first original practice of asceticism came into being
from a desire of self humiliation before the invisible powers - to
invoke them as well as to expiate the neglect of their obligations.
Throughout the centuries, those who with great devotion devoted most of
their lives to observation and meditation, realized that through the
practice of asceticism they obtained unexpected merits and
benefits of supernatural origin and magnitude.
The purpose of this brief survey is to: (a) Illustrate how those
benefits, obtained by means of ascetic practices, can be, and are being
utilized to secure material benefits, precisely denying the original
intent of such practices; and (b) Assist and encourage the faithful to
avoid such pitfalls.
Take careful note of this - This misapplication of supernatural graces,
sooner or later, will
bring upon the abuser, and even the innocent victims of such deviation,
grave consequences.
DETAILS
Abuses of Divine Graces
Once again, the system of sublime merits which was provided by God in
His Omnisapient Creative Design for man, has been placed at the service
of evil by fallen man. We shall use two common examples of the misuse of the Creative Design of
God, in an effort to convey this concept.
Tasting Ability
The system created for a human to be
able to discern tastes provides, among other benefits, the secondary
opportunity of giving great pleasure in the tasting of something that
is very pleasant to that particular individual.
The misuse of the Tasting
Ability results in: Obesity, a multitude of biochemical
disorders and a psychological dependence on oral satisfaction.
Erotic Capacity
The most sublime of the
physical-spiritual capacities of a human is the system designed by God
so that, in union with the Supreme Creator, the human race may be
perpetuated. Thus, man becomes an integral participant of creation
itself.
In one single system God combined: (a) The biological system to produce
another human being; (b) The system to profoundly bond the
physical-spiritual relationship between a man and a woman who, by
becoming "one flesh", co-create, with Divine participation, a new human
being; and (c) A pleasurable and relaxing method to physically express
an intense spiritual communion with the spouse.
The misuse of the Erotic
Capacity results in: Complete moral and physical decadence to
the extreme of promoting the abortion of the result of a sexual
union/experience because it is considered a mere a disposable
byproduct... just as it has become in today's allegedly civilized world.
Consequences of the Abuses
The use of any of the mechanisms created by God to sustain His Creation
outside the intended
context, i.e., against the Divine designs, will
yield, sooner or later, detrimental results.
Most specifically: The
use of ascetic practices for the purposes of accumulating material
wealth and consolidate temporal power is against Divine Laws. (3)
When we pursue the accumulation of material wealth and the acquisition
of temporal power, regardless under which guise it is done to hide the
true intentions, we are refusing to be dependent on God and base our
security on the material world. This is precisely the reverse of the
Divine Plan for humanity. (3)
This behavior also violates the First Divine Commandment (4),
deny all the Divine Blessings (5) and bring upon
the abusers all the woes which our Lord Jesus Christ willed upon the
spiritually deviant (6).
Details about the great abuse being
perpetrated utilizing Religious Asceticism
When the human body is subjected to a rigorous physical fitness
program, it assumes great strength and physical development. This is
the logical result of the system created by God for the physical body.
Such physical strength and endurance may be used to serve good or to
serve evil. The decision on how to utilize such gifts rests in our
hands.
Once the physical body is subjected to the spiritual body as the result
of ascetic practices, the soul grows
and automatically acquires certain supernatural benefits and powers
which may be used to serve either good or evil.
If the austerities practiced are done under the mantle of piety and
religiosity, the apparent holiness that accompanies such behavior, not
only draws popular admiration, but also much temporal power. Many
ambitious and power hungry men are drawn to ascetic practices with the
only purpose of acquiring and enjoying such earthly advantages.
The spiritual benefits associated with ascetic practices may be used
strictly to serve evil and against God. Let us not forget that Lucifer
fell when he rebelled against God but, the power inherent to his
original condition before his
fall was not lost after the fall. He kept it and uses
it for evil.
Now, perhaps for the first time in your life, you will understand why
Jesus, through Matthew, alerted us thus:
Not
every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of
heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he
shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. Many will say to me in that
day: Lord, Lord, have not we prophesied in thy name, and cast out
devils in thy name, and done many miracles in thy name? And then will I
profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work
iniquity. [Matthew
7:21-23]
A Flagrant and Serious Example
If the ascetic practices are legitimized
through the falsification of pious intentions, the results are worse.
For example - Ecclesiastical Masonry (7), which,
as an invisible cancer, has penetrated the furthest recesses of the
fabric of the Roman Catholic Church until finally it has taken control
of its temporal Nervous System: The Vatican.
The leaders and sympathizers of the Ecclesiastic Masonry (7)
give the appearance of being very religious and pious, thus, by the
time the other members and the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church
realized what was taking place, it was too late. They find themselves
already enmeshed in their cancerous fabric and any overt action by them
to protect themselves and protect the integrity of the Church will give the impression of
disobedience and ecclesiastical scandal.
This is why when the real antiChrist manifests itself, it has to be
recognized for what he really is: The falseChrist.
That is: He who appear to be but is not.
Why does God allow
this situation to develop?
For the same reason that He allows other evil to be manifest in the
world: Because the free will that God granted His human and spiritual
creatures "shall not be violated" by order of His Divine Decree.
CONCLUSION
It is inevitable to note that, of all religious organizations within
and in the periphery of the Roman Catholic Church, there is one which,
according to a multitude of reports and personal observations, appears
to exhibit all of those characteristics (8).
We say appears because discretion is the byword of its
members and sympathizers. Therefore, like with the detection of sub
atomic particles, their presence and influence may only be detected by
inference and, shall we say, their subtle interference in world
affairs. (9)(10)
It may be a coincidence but, by functioning essentially independently
of the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy and surrounding the Supreme Pontiff
with its members, to the point of constituting the official voice of
The Vatican, the Opus Dei has essentially gained control of the Roman
Catholic Church, thus, propitiating the fulfillment of certain Biblical
prophecies related to The End of These Times (11).
EPILOGUE
(added on August 29, 2001 and updated on February 26, 2012)
H.H. John Paul II was entrapped by such deceit. By the time he realized
what happened it was too late for him to back out. Maria del Carmen
Tapia and others have been able to free themselves from the enemy's
yoke after many years (12)
but, unfortunately, H.H. John Paul II was not able to do so.
In there lies the secret of the living Martyrdom of his transitional Pontificate.
For those who have been led to believe that the Pope is a superhuman
creature and not subject to the failings of all humans, we suggest that
they become familiar with the Church History and Tradition, beginning
with the history of all Popes (13)
from the time Peter became the first Roman Pontiff in the year 42 A.D.,
approximately nine years
after (14) the Ascension of Our Lord
Jesus Christ.
May those who have ears to hear, hear!
NOTES
(1)
Jeremiah 41:5, Leviticus 19:28, Deuteronomy 14:1, 1 Kings 18:26-28,
Mark 5:1-5
(2)
"Místicos, Ascetas y
Santos de la India" John Campbell Oman, Editorial Posada, S.A.,
México, 1987. Original: London 1903.
(3)
Matthew 6:24-34
(4)
Exodus 20:2-3; St. Luke
10:26-27; St. Matthew 22:36-40; St. Matthew 6:19-21;24,27,31-34; etc.
(5)
Luke 6:20-23; etc.
(6)
Luke 6:24-26; etc.
(8)
"Las Puertas del Infierno", Sección
9 Ricardo
de la Cierva, Editorial Fénix, Toledo, 1995
(11)
Revelations 13:11-13;
Daniel 9:24-27; St. Matthew 24:15
(14)
Please note that there was
not "an official" Pope and yet the world survived because the true Foundation
Rock is Jesus Christ
Who Was, Is and Will Ever Be Forever, Amen!
En Español: Abuso del Ascetismo Religioso
Originally published on
November 10, 1995
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