follow-up to Help from Bethany QUESTION from Kim December 18, 1999 Dear John-Paul:
In reading your most helpful response to Bethany, one thing stood out as potentially problematic for me. In my past life, I had quite an extensive library of titles dealing with New Age and, even, some occult religions. I used these books to try and formalate a personal religious philosophy. When I came to my senses and back into the Church, I gathered these up and put them in a box. I then put the box in my garage until I had decided what to do with these books. I know that I did not burn them, although I did destroy some videotapes on similar topics. Then, I had to move suddenly and in the move I either donated these books along with some other items to a local charity or I may have given them to the local public library. At any rate, the point is, I didn't burn them. Am I still attached to them in some way? Is there anything further that I can do about this? I am Catholic and have confessed my interest/participation in these areas. I know I am forgiven, but is there something more that needs to be done on my part? Thanks for answering.
ANSWER by John-Paul Ignatius on December 19, 1999 Dear Mrs. Kim:
You are okay. The primary reasons to burn the material are two-fold.
1) Burning them is a dramatic image that helps people to detach from the items. But one can certainly detach from the items without burning the material. However, when someone refuses to burn them, that is a clue to still being attached. You did not refuse to burn them, you were finished with them, didn't know what to do with the stuff, pack them away, and then gave them away. It would have been better to not give them away for others to read, but your actions were innocent.
2) The second reason to burn them is so others cannot get their hands on them.
Anyway, from what you are saying, you did detach yourself from the material and rid that material from your life. That is what one must do especially when they have been involved in withcraft or other occultic activities.
Praise God that you have returned to Him!
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