Christian propaganda against reiki

Not sure if its in the right forum, but here it is:

I am not sure why, but I did a search on google and came across many christian sites that are trying to link reiki to demonic and satanic ideas.
Reading the site it is very obvious to anyone with common sense that they obviously do not know what they are talking about, but I am sure it will scare away many potential practitioners with this propaganda - it made me laugh at first... here is a link, there are many and easy to find, some so full of fantasy.... I'll let you all read for yourself - at any rate this is a full on propaganda war hehe, and I think if it is responded to it will only feed into this distorted perspective.

http://www.christianreiki.eu/Page1_eng.htm
http://www.spiritbattleforsouls.org/id27.html
http://www.sign2god.com/folders/demonic-possession.html
http://www.probe.org/site/c.fdKEIMNsEoG/b.4222355/
http://www.songoftheprophet.com/Reiki.html
http://www.jesus-reiki.eu/Reikidemons/page3.htm

I think that one possible answer is explored quite well in the movie "The Man From Earth" written by Jerome Bixby.

fshortt wrote:
- at any rate this is a full on propaganda war hehe, and I think if it is responded to it will only feed into this distorted perspective.

I feel we must not overlook the fact that there are a growing number of Christians who take a quite different view of Reiki

And there are several websites which now seek to promote a Christian-centred understanding and acceptance of Reiki

such as:

Reiki for Christians

Christian Reiki Healing

Christian Reiki

Christ the Healer

cheers for that Buck, will check it out.

f

Very true James, we can only hope that sanity will prevail.

Pope John Paul II supported reiki
http://www.reikilinetour2009.com/poland-history.html

My cousin is a christian and doesn't understand reiki at all. She will not even consider anything that God hasn't "approved".
I said "Jesus was a healer" and she hung up.

queen of clean wrote:
My cousin is a christian and doesn't understand reiki at all. She will not even consider anything that God hasn't "approved".
I said "Jesus was a healer" and she hung up.

My experience with the christian
faith that I was brought up in
was very strict.We were taught how
to think what we could and could
not do and that stifled many ways
of experiencing my world. As a
doubting Thomas I broke away from
organized religion and had to learn
what life was like beyond the
confines of my religion. I had much
catch up to do and my path in life
changed for the better. Formal Reiki
came much later.



I know other folks who are not practicing
any religion and they are skeptical of
Reiki....... One person told me
"it sounds too simple". They overlook the
simplicity of the cycle of life

fshortt wrote:Not sure if its in the right forum, but here it is:

I am not sure why, but I did a search on google and came across many christian sites that are trying to link reiki to demonic and satanic ideas.
Reading the site it is very obvious to anyone with common sense that they obviously do not know what they are talking about, but I am sure it will scare away many potential practitioners with this propaganda - it made me laugh at first... here is a link, there are many and easy to find, some so full of fantasy.... I'll let you all read for yourself - at any rate this is a full on propaganda war hehe, and I think if it is responded to it will only feed into this distorted perspective.

http://www.christianreiki.eu/Page1_eng.htm
http://www.spiritbattleforsouls.org/id27.html
http://www.sign2god.com/folders/demonic-possession.html
http://www.probe.org/site/c.fdKEIMNsEoG/b.4222355/
http://www.songoftheprophet.com/Reiki.html
http://www.jesus-reiki.eu/Reikidemons/page3.htm

All Religions use symbols and written guidelines.
They call on the spirits(holy ghost)and some bless
them selves with the sign of the cross. Chanting,
candles, ceremonies, money donations, beads, icons
and rituals are part of their daily worship.

'it sounds too simple'.....I have to admit this was my view also when i first heard about Reiki, but the truth is, it is that simple!

I may have mentioned this before, but a couple of years agao I went to our local Parish Centre ( Cristain based)to enquire about renting a room there to offer reiki....it was quite hilarious how those in charge of the centre, recoiled in horror at the mention of the word Reiki, and said they felt it was in opposition to healing through Christ...I attempted to offer some reasuurances but their views were very rigid, so I left them with their religious ignorance. But I have since heard that Reiki has been practiced in that same centre, so....their minds have opened a little over the past couple of years....

Pachamama wrote:...it was quite hilarious how those in charge of the centre, recoiled in horror at the mention of the word Reiki, and said they felt it was in opposition to healing through Christ...

Well, to be fair from their perspective, I think that if one looks at Reiki from the outside that it would appear to be a weird spiritual system whose practitioners revere this old photo of a Japanese guy and use spooky squiggly symbols that possess healing powers. Usui and Christ seem to be on the same level.

And to be fair to us from our perspective, aren't these the same groups who went into an uproar when Dan Brown's fictional story, The DaVinci Code was released, proclaiming that it wasn't true??? (It's always a shock to me to learn fictional stories aren't true....)

Buck wrote:

Well, to be fair from their perspective, I think that if one looks at Reiki from the outside that it would appear to be a weird spiritual system whose practitioners revere this old photo of a Japanese guy and use spooky squiggly symbols that possess healing powers.

And of course there are all the 'weird-and-wonderful' other practices which have found their way into various Reiki lineages: crystals, toning, kuji in, smudging, banishing rituals, the invocation of Buddhist deities, etc, etc; and then all those "Reikis" which bear no connection to Usui-sensei, other than in name...

Is it any wonder these people are confused?

Buck wrote:Usui and Christ seem to be on the same level.

Oh, you've really done it now.

"How to inflame the Fundamentalists, 101"

[quote="Rlei_ki"]

Buck wrote:

Buck wrote:Usui and Christ seem to be on the same level.

Oh, you've really done it now.

"How to inflame the Fundamentalists, 101"

that's exactly what came to my mind when
I first heard of Reiki. Then I was told that Reiki
was not religious. However if one believes that
"Christ" lives within us then one might believe that
"Usui" also lives within us. Reiki's 5 precepts
supports human kindness that promotes mindfulness.

Rlei_ki wrote:

Buck wrote:

Well, to be fair from their perspective, I think that if one looks at Reiki from the outside that it would appear to be a weird spiritual system whose practitioners revere this old photo of a Japanese guy and use spooky squiggly symbols that possess healing powers.

And of course there are all the 'weird-and-wonderful' other practices which have found their way into various Reiki lineages: crystals, toning, kuji in, smudging, banishing rituals, the invocation of Buddhist deities, etc, etc; and then all those "Reikis" which bear no connection to Usui-sensei, other than in name...

Is it any wonder these people are confused?

Buck wrote:Usui and Christ seem to be on the same level.

Oh, you've really done it now.

"How to inflame the Fundamentalists, 101"

hehe perfect!

on a serious note thought, my father's family was practicing catholics in Ireland, and my grand-uncle a priest all his life (was given to the church as a child) and they have no problem with reiki. I taught both my grandmother and grand-uncle to do reiki so they could keep it up when I was not there. It helped them a lot toward the end of their lives.
Personally, the only christians I have had issues with is 'born-again-version'. In culture with a long tradition of catholic practice and beliefe there have been no issues in my experience, but rather an open curiosity. Now this might only be my experience, but i think there is something to this. If you are confortable in your own beliefs, then something like Reiki will never be seen as a threat, but rather welcomed and integrated where it can be.

??

f

chi_solas wrote:
All Religions use symbols and written guidelines.
They call on the spirits(holy ghost)and some bless
them selves with the sign of the cross. Chanting,
candles, ceremonies, money donations, beads, icons
and rituals are part of their daily worship.

Sure, but they all (the Semitic 3 big at least) believe they have the one and only truth and any competing similar ideas must be from Satan and Demons (emblematic enough, those words are also borrowed from other religions' deities or neutral spirits).

Of course there are many Christians who do not feel offended by Reiki. Probably the fundamentalists are a small minority, but they tend to be loud (as most extremists do).

queen of clean wrote:
My cousin is a christian and doesn't understand reiki at all. She will not even consider anything that God hasn't "approved".
I said "Jesus was a healer" and she hung up.

Ouch! that's touchy.... hope you guys are ok with eachother now


f

Buck wrote:

Pachamama wrote:...it was quite hilarious how those in charge of the centre, recoiled in horror at the mention of the word Reiki, and said they felt it was in opposition to healing through Christ...

Well, to be fair from their perspective, I think that if one looks at Reiki from the outside that it would appear to be a weird spiritual system whose practitioners revere this old photo of a Japanese guy and use spooky squiggly symbols that possess healing powers. Usui and Christ seem to be on the same level.

And to be fair to us from our perspective, aren't these the same groups who went into an uproar when Dan Brown's fictional story, The DaVinci Code was released, proclaiming that it wasn't true??? (It's always a shock to me to learn fictional stories aren't true....)

What are you saying??? Isn't Star Wars and Jedi real????

f

fshortt wrote:

Rlei_ki wrote:

Buck wrote:

Well, to be fair from their perspective, I think that if one looks at Reiki from the outside that it would appear to be a weird spiritual system whose practitioners revere this old photo of a Japanese guy and use spooky squiggly symbols that possess healing powers.

And of course there are all the 'weird-and-wonderful' other practices which have found their way into various Reiki lineages: crystals, toning, kuji in, smudging, banishing rituals, the invocation of Buddhist deities, etc, etc; and then all those "Reikis" which bear no connection to Usui-sensei, other than in name...

Is it any wonder these people are confused?

Buck wrote:Usui and Christ seem to be on the same level.

Oh, you've really done it now.

"How to inflame the Fundamentalists, 101"

hehe perfect!

on a serious note thought, my father's family was practicing catholics in Ireland, and my grand-uncle a priest all his life (was given to the church as a child) and they have no problem with reiki. I taught both my grandmother and grand-uncle to do reiki so they could keep it up when I was not there. It helped them a lot toward the end of their lives.
Personally, the only christians I have had issues with is 'born-again-version'. In culture with a long tradition of catholic practice and beliefe there have been no issues in my experience, but rather an open curiosity. Now this might only be my experience, but i think there is something to this. If you are confortable in your own beliefs, then something like Reiki will never be seen as a threat, but rather welcomed and integrated where it can be.

??

f

'if you are comfortable in your own beliefs, then something like Reiki will never be seen as a threat, but rather welcomed and integrated where it can be'

Hmmm I completely disagree, I'm glad that you have come to that conclusion through your own experience, but I think your view may be a little naive. How many traditional indigenous beliefs and peoples have almost been wiped off the face of the earth, because of 'more civilised' folk seeing their customs and healing practices as a threat?....those people had been practicing their ways for thousands of years and were completely comfortable with their way of life....their experience doesn't quite reflect your personal logic. Also your post implies that any Reiki practitioner who is met with a little hostility or fear, is experiencing that because they themselves are not comfortable in their own beliefs.... Again I disgaree...

Hi Pachamama,

I think you may have misunderstood my words, and I would like to clarify if you do not mind.

Pachamama wrote:

'if you are comfortable in your own beliefs, then something like Reiki will never be seen as a threat, but rather welcomed and integrated where it can be' (frank)

Hmmm I completely disagree, I'm glad that you have come to that conclusion through your own experience, but I think your view may be a little naive. How many traditional indigenous beliefs and peoples have almost been wiped off the face of the earth, because of 'more civilised' folk seeing their customs and healing practices as a threat?....those people had been practicing their ways for thousands of years and were completely comfortable with their way of life....their experience doesn't quite reflect your personal logic.

In my quote above, I am not referring to colonisation (physical or beliefe) as this has to do with political power, and not spiritual motivated. As an example, Norway was christened by the sword (meaning believe or die) in the year 1100, the old ways (shamanic practices) were punishable by death. Yet, my great-grandmothers family kept the practices hidden from the priests, and the system and beliefe structure it was built upon has survived until today. Priests and the new religion was not feared because of the beliefs inherent in it, but because they wielded swords.

I do agree that belief is powerful and can have positive as well as negative outcome (just see what happened in Norway this summer through one man with some crazy but strong beliefs).

Through my friend and college network, there are multiple faiths (muslim, christian, hindu, buddhist, shinto, new age, shamanic and on and on...) but there is no conflict, as people respect the others belief for what they are.... beliefs that make sense to them, and have the modesty to know that they do not know the truth of the matter. Believing the earth is flat, or only 6.000 years old, does not make it so, and my point with this is, it comes down to the personal believer to be open or locked in his/her beliefs.

Pachamama wrote:
'more civilised' folk seeing their customs and healing practices as a threat?

this has more to do with power struggles than spiritual beliefs, in my opinion, and is a colonialist approach where religion acted as the house of power over the people, this is the reason I mentioned that the same thing happened in my country, and to my family. This 'threat' as you call it does not go away, but goes underground - well documented around the world.

Pachamama wrote:
those people had been practicing their ways for thousands of years and were completely comfortable with their way of life....their experience doesn't quite reflect your personal logic.

and many (if not wiped off the face of the planet) continue to do so today, just not in public....the threat was not from an dissonant belief, but from the actions of (power-hungry) men with fire and domination in their eyes. In the north of norway, the old ways are practiced side by side with christians, and the shaman even gets to borrow the church at times.

Pachamama wrote:
Also your post implies that any Reiki practitioner who is met with a little hostility or fear, is experiencing that because they themselves are not comfortable in their own beliefs.... Again I disgaree...

No, not at all, the reason people are experiencing hostility is because someone is hostile towards them, and fear if their life or health is perceived to be in danger, not because they are not comfortable with their beliefs. On the contrary, the person or people who act hostile to another's belief is the one who has issues with belief. Many will find solace in gathering around others that hold similar or same belief system, and might see minorities with different beliefs as a threat to their beliefs, this is based on their insecurity or in their hunger for dominance.


Hope this clarifies where I am coming from, and what I am talking about. let me know if something is not clear.

kindly
f


(Edit: sorry for late reply, have been away for some time)

Thanks for trying to clear things up f...it's difficult to fully express a point within this medium...and as such, misunderstanding abound frequently.... I often read posts wrongly, or don't understand the point trying to be made, I can be a bit fick at times!!

Dear MattiT,
I have read your post carefully. I am Jewish. This means that I am a Semite, at least if you believe the Bible, or the European anti-Semites. I mean especially Germany in the 1930s and 1940s.
I do not believe that we have the "one and only truth" as you say.
Our basic book is the Bible, or more specifically the Hebrew Bible. But we believe that the Bible cannot be understood on its own. We need interpretation. For me, the interpretation starts with the Rabbinical interpretation. We may disagree with them, but that is where we start. The basic texts in the Rabbinical interpretation are in the Mishna. There we find (Avot IV,1) "Who is the wise man?" "He is the one who learns from everyone." Since many people have different interpretations of the truth, and since we are told to learn from everyone, then we must obviously learn from these different interpretations of the truth.

So I think it is obvious that whatever other "Semitic" religions might think, we Jews do not claim to have the "the one and only truth". We are willing to learn from every truth, no matter where we might find it.

To give one example, the Christians had a big problem with the heliocentric theory of the universe, that is to say the theory that the Sun and not the Earth was at the centre. We had no problem with this. We have always been open to science. We have always understood that the Bible cannot be interpreted literally.

As for Reiki, which is our main interest here, yes, some religious Jews have rejected Reiki for reasons similar to those of some Christians. But many of those with whom I am acquainted have nothing against Reiki. I certainly have nothing against it.

Very best,
Yeruham