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Opus Dei. Any thoughts?

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posted on Dec, 15 2006 @ 03:55 PM
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There are some interesting things about the whole "Opus Dei" cult.

A. It is an approved and supported group within the Roman Catholic church.

B. The infamous spy-traitor Robert Hensen was a dedicated and active member of Opus Dei.

C. There is an anti-cult activist group with a site, odan.org..., that claims that Opus Dei uses deceptive recruitment techniques and practices mind-control.

D. The writer Scott Hahn has come out with a book promoting himself as a member of Opus Dei (which generally discourages this sort of thing) and has also made a name for himself as a Catholic apologist (he is a converted Protestant preacher) by exploiting the fiction of Dan Brown that claimed Opus Dei members are professional assasins who are fighting against a goddess-influenced version of Christianity that seeks to deify Mary Magdalene instead of Jesus Christ.

Throw Mel Gibson and the rock star Madonna into this mix and it's a hoot!


But on the serious side, what is going on here? What's with Opus Dei and the CIA, anyway?

[edit on 15-12-2006 by rosetta]



posted on Dec, 15 2006 @ 04:14 PM
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Opus Dei, Knights of Saint Colombus, Royal Arch, Royal Blacks, Brotherhood of Assassians etc etc.....

IMO are all the same. Each with thier own hidden agenda and rituals. They are all working under the same purpose thou, to protect the basis of thier religion and spread the word of God.

All different religions trying to protect the one common denominator...God, or The Great Architect if you prefer.



posted on Dec, 16 2006 @ 05:34 PM
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hmmmm motives. Well, a members pay a lot of money to be a member. Considering what in America is offered of being a member doesn't make sense.
Learn how to pray
Lectures
Prayer regime
Mass regime

The percentage of money made you most pay is quite high. Most establishments owned by Opus Dei hires opus members and filter money back into them self. A huge percent of members are lawyers. Why the attraction of Catholics that are lawyers to become members? Ha, the law.

We as groups or individual persons all have agendas, good or bad there is a goal. Some goals are extremely difficult to accomplish without manipulations of people and systems.

There is only one other group that is interested in religion and law as much. Oh yes most of them have a strong budget as well.

Pax


[edit on 16-12-2006 by yeht]



posted on Dec, 16 2006 @ 06:27 PM
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I have a legitimate question here..

Why is it that people cannot leave other people alone? Everytime I turn around there is some theory, usually unauthenticated, against different groups of people..

If it's not the Freemasons
It's scientologists
or Christians
or Occultists
or Jews
or Muslims
or Buddhists
or Hindus

Why not leave people alone? Now it's Opus Dei that are the "secretive" boogeymen. My God, does it never end?


Don't get the idea that I don't think that there is a conspiracy going on, but I think that 98% of the time we look in the wrong direction..



posted on Dec, 16 2006 @ 11:26 PM
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human behavior..

Most people have the means of finding answers but rather talk romantics.
There is no proof in denial or theorem.



posted on Dec, 17 2006 @ 07:00 PM
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I have a legitimate question here..

Why is it that people cannot leave other people alone? Everytime I turn around there is some theory, usually unauthenticated, against different groups of people..


People desire the truth.

Beyond that, this is a conspiracy website. I understand your plea, and I agree for the most part, but if we didn't talk about these things and weave out the truth, then what's the point of this website. Also with groups, or people that won't give us the truth, it's obvious they're trying to cover something up, and that is why we won't leave them alone.

Of course I am not saying that about every group, especially Opus Dei. To the best of my knowledge, Opus Dei is just a bunch of Catholics that are stronger in their beliefs than most, but then again I haven't gone any further than their website to study them.



posted on Dec, 17 2006 @ 07:49 PM
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Originally posted by SpeakerofTruth
I have a legitimate question here..

Why is it that people cannot leave other people alone? Everytime I turn around there is some theory, usually unauthenticated, against different groups of people..

If it's not the Freemasons
It's scientologists
or Christians
or Occultists
or Jews
or Muslims
or Buddhists
or Hindus

Why not leave people alone? Now it's Opus Dei that are the "secretive" boogeymen. My God, does it never end?


Don't get the idea that I don't think that there is a conspiracy going on, but I think that 98% of the time we look in the wrong direction..



Mankind is a tribal social animal by nature. Every tribe thinks that their tribe is the best and the other tribes are lesser creatures. It doesnt matter if that tribe is your family, your ethnic group, your sports team or your religion... your tribe is always better than the other tribes. It has been this way since the first men sat around a campfire tens of thousands of years ago and will be this way 10,000 years in the furure.

Those who realize that we are all of the same tribe reach enlightenment by denying their nature, and that is not an easy thing to do.



posted on Dec, 17 2006 @ 07:58 PM
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Mankind is a tribal social animal by nature. Every tribe thinks that their tribe is the best and the other tribes are lesser creatures. It doesnt matter if that tribe is your family, your ethnic group, your sports team or your religion... your tribe is always better than the other tribes. It has been this way since the first men sat around a campfire tens of thousands of years ago and will be this way 10,000 years in the furure.

Those who realize that we are all of the same tribe reach enlightenment by denying their nature, and that is not an easy thing to do.


What if you didn't follow what you thought was best. Wouldn't that be denying intelligence.

If you're a Jew, you're going to believe that your belief is the best, if you didn't, then you shouldn't be a Jew. That still doesn't mean you put others down though.

If you don't know what's best for you, then you end up following someone.



posted on Dec, 17 2006 @ 08:08 PM
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True enough.

Although I think my way is the best I think it is the best FOR ME and may not be best for you. If your way does no harm to you or others than I have no problem with it. Unfortunately many people do not practice this way of living. I myself have found myself slipping into secular tribalism from time to time although I usually see the error of my ways...human nature rears its ugly head.



[edit on 17-12-2006 by RWPBR]



posted on Dec, 18 2006 @ 07:58 PM
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I agree exactly with you PBR.



posted on Dec, 20 2006 @ 10:29 AM
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Originally posted by rosetta

D. The writer Scott Hahn has come out with a book promoting himself as a member of Opus Dei (which generally discourages this sort of thing) and has also made a name for himself as a Catholic apologist (he is a converted Protestant preacher) by exploiting the fiction of Dan Brown that claimed Opus Dei members are professional assasins who are fighting against a goddess-influenced version of Christianity that seeks to deify Mary Magdalene instead of Jesus Christ.

[edit on 15-12-2006 by rosetta]


I guess is the exact opposite: you have to say that you are an OPUS DEI member



posted on Dec, 20 2006 @ 11:14 AM
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Originally posted by rosetta
"Opus Dei" cult.

Opus Dei isn't a cult. It's a sect under the Roman Catholic Church umbrella.


It is an approved and supported group within the Roman Catholic church.

So?


The infamous spy-traitor Robert Hensen was a dedicated and active member of Opus Dei.


So? Hensen used Opus Dei as a cover for his being a spy. BTW - Henson and I have mutual friends. They are REAL Opus Dei people, unlike him who used the group as a cover.


There is an anti-cult activist group with a site,

So? There are tons of fundamentalist whack sites that falsely claim the Roman Catholic church, and all the subgroups within it, are cults. They are wrong, but of course that doesn't stop them from blabbering.


The writer Scott Hahn

So? Scott Hahn and his wife Kimberly are very good writers. Have you read any of their work? Didn't think so.


Throw Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson isn't Opus Dei. He isn't even Roman Catholic. He's St. Pius X - a group that is SEPARATE from the Roman Catholic Church. They aren't in communion with Rome.


and the rock star Madonna p

She isn't Opus Dei either. She's gone into Kaballah.


and it's a hoot!


Actually, I found just about everything you posted to be a hoot and/or wrong.



posted on Dec, 20 2006 @ 11:16 AM
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Originally posted by thexsword
Opus Dei is just a bunch of Catholics that are stronger in their beliefs than most,


Exactly true. Opus Dei has morning and evening prayers. Opus Dei says the Rosary and tries to go to Mass daily (if possible). Opus Dei also goes to confession - usually at least once a month.

There's your freak'n conspiracy. They feel called by God to pray more and to confess their sins.

Geeeze ....



posted on Dec, 20 2006 @ 01:23 PM
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If Opus Dei is not a cult then neither is Scientology, the Moonies or AMWAY.

If it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck then.....



posted on Dec, 21 2006 @ 05:36 AM
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Greetings Fellow Eearthlings;

Does the name Josemaría Escrivá rings a bell?

Perhaps not - since I have seen, that nobody even mentioned his name, and we have debate club about Opus Dei.

So let's see, who he this founding father of Opus Dei is, shall we?


Opus Dei

Escrivá himself has also been a source of criticism. His opponents point out that Escrivá's personal mortification practices were even more extreme than the those typically performed by Opus Dei numeraries— in one incident, Escrivá flailed himself over a thousand times. Opponents likewise criticize Escrivá's maxim on suffering: "Loved be pain. Sanctified be pain. Glorified be pain!" Critics assert that Escrivá and the organization supported the Fascist governments of Francisco Franco and Augusto Pinochet, and it has even been alleged that Escrivá expressed sympathy for Adolf Hitler. According to a former Opus Dei priest, Escrivá once remarked that Hitler had been "badly treated" by the world and he further declared that "Hitler couldn't have been such a bad person. He couldn't have killed six million [Jews]. It couldn't have been more than four million."

Well that sure is a wonderful person!

Loved be his Pain!

Glorified be his Name!

Santcified be the Fascists Franco, Augosto!

All hail the wonderful Hitler, who has been Badly Treated for his life work!




posted on Sep, 18 2008 @ 01:10 PM
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Originally posted by SpeakerofTruth
I have a legitimate question here..

Why is it that people cannot leave other people alone? Everytime I turn around there is some theory, usually unauthenticated, against different groups of people..

Why not leave people alone? Now it's Opus Dei that are the "secretive" boogeymen. My God, does it never end?


Don't get the idea that I don't think that there is a conspiracy going on, but I think that 98% of the time we look in the wrong direction..



Hi SpeakerofTruth,

I experienced the sick methods of the Opus Dei personaly and what its even worse is, that they took place at the elementary school of my youngest son.

It all started with the new headmistress. After almost 2 years without any head, we were really happy to get one for our school. But soon after a week the first problems arrived. She took over the religious education. Our kids came depressed and intimidated out of her lessons, some of them even cried.

They had to put their heads onto the table and to say "Im a sinner Im a sinner..."
They had to confess their sinns, imagin that, children of the age between 6-10.
She told them that if they arent baptised they will go strait to hell, and other religions are devilsmade. She explaint to the kids, that their parents are not important to them, just Jesus.

Parallel to this, she tried to get rid of the unbaptised children, muslims and atheists. Thank god that we are living in a democracy, and the parents and teachers vote against so.
She started to change things the way she could control them best and mobing our teachers one after the other got sick, she tried than to infiltrade new teachers out of OD. I could keep telling for hours.

It took almost 1 year to get rid of this person. She was covered from the very top of the catholic church in Cologne and other churchclose important persons out of finanz and politics . I was frightend to find out who is involved in the OD. They tried to make a strong catholic respectiv OD ruled school. It was a nightmare and I almost lost my believe in justice about it.

But we were bulldogged and we fought for our rights. We involved the press and the tv stations. Found important people which supported us and the bigger the pressure became the more the power crumbled. But it was a very hard way.

Some teachers are still not ready to return to their job, a lot of parents have moved they kids to different schools.



At some point tolerance is leading to blindness.



posted on Sep, 18 2008 @ 01:54 PM
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As for the Hitler rant, let me remind you why anyone close to God (the priest your referring to) would say that Hitler was “Badly Treated.”

Firstly, lest quote some scripture from Christ. Christ said “It is better to be hot or cold than lukewarm.” What does that mean?

It means that while Hitler performed many evils, he was not alone. It wasn’t even just Germany that supported the attacks on Jews. It was many millions of people who also supported attacking the Jews who were outside Germany. Even to this day you hear many Muslims who want to annihilate or kill all the Jews.

But history want to pin the murder of the Jews entirely upon the shoulders of one evil man. A holy priest obviously realizes that this is wrong. Do we pin all the sins of your entirely family upon your actions? Do we blame your parents for sins that you do of your own volition?

People speak of Hitler as if he was the one who personally shot or burned every Jew in Germany, but that is not what happened. The German Army killed the Jews. I don’t even know if Hitler himself actually killed any Jews by his own hand. But the entire world choose to sin in judging him solely responsible for what happened during World War Two. This is wrong, Biblically speaking, and of course, any priest worth his weight would had told you this.

The fact that this priest exclaimed the truth that “Hitler was treated Badly” only proves that he is just priest, not the other way around. This priest isn’t trying in any way to say that Hitler’s action were not wrong. This priest was only doing what is right in trying to get other people to stop putting the sins of an entire war upon a single individual.

Charles Manson is a murder. But do we hold him responsible for all the murders of the 1970's? No. This priest was simply trying to bring accuracy and accountability back to the truth that many people share the blame, not just one person. An entire generation of people were racist during the 1930's and 40's. Blaming the Jews for all the problems of the world is something that millions of people did back then and still do today.

In fact, what you people are doing in blaming Opus Dei for many problems and secret in society is no different. It is the people that want to make false accusations going Opus Dei that are doing exactly what Hitler did. You people who posted these false claims against Opus Dei are doing exactly what Hitler did to the Jews, but you don’t want to see it. You’re the ones trying to falsely demonize a group of people that you know nothing about.

How does it feel to do exactly what the Nazis did? I hope that your proud of yourself in demonizing a religious group that has done nothing to you. So, are you going to advocate that people start rounding up Opus Dei in FEMA camps now? Why not? That’s the next step that Hitler would take.

It is not for us to judge others. The only sins of this thread are the false accusations against Opus Dei. Hitler would be proud of you sir! Except that he would say that your attacks should be targeted elsewhere.



posted on Sep, 18 2008 @ 02:36 PM
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I have family members that are in Opus Dei. There are many different types of membership - from just being an active member as part of the community - all the way to that flogging stuff you may have seen in the DaVinci code. No one in my family is at that extreme.

I'd be more than happy to ask them some questions about it, and anyone has specifics.



posted on Sep, 18 2008 @ 07:48 PM
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Originally posted by thexsword
To the best of my knowledge, Opus Dei is just a bunch of Catholics that are stronger in their beliefs than most


This is my experience too.

I happen to know the woman who instituted Opus Dei in Australia, and they simply seem to be a subset of Catholics who are especially devout in terms of their tithing and worship.




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