The Enneagram is bad for your Christian health.

The Enneagram : don't fall for it. Jean S. Charles 25 March 06

A world of illusion in which you have the short end of the stick; you are the zombie.

Today I wish to clearly explain in simple terms and practical examples, why the Enneagram is bad for your Christian health. In the past I have vehemently opposed the use of this tool without saying why, other than itπs a Sufi method of discerning personality types and itπs not from the Church magisterium. Putting your trust in such technique is detrimental to your faith. You'll see why in a minute or two.

The Enneagram technique tries to describe the personalities of Godπs favorite creature, Man, by drawing parallel with creatures he has dominion on. The Sufis (a sect of Mohammedan mystics- actually magicians) came up with nine animals to be the models. It is obvious that they are wrong and very primitive in their approach.  It is not different from Astrology, in its sinfulness.  The latter looks up to the sky, the former looks down to the animals species to decipher the mysteries of  human life. They don't know the truth so they search and come up with something.

We could say itπs just a game, but it isnπt; it isn't meant to be. It comes from a ≥mystical≤  point of view . And because it comes from these magicians it carries with it the spirits that roam in their realm. These spirits are not of the angel variety.

So letπs say the Enneagram tells you that you are an Elephant and you stupidly believe it. Youπve just ≥pigeon-holed≤ yourself into the psychological and spiritual casting of that animal and the character traits it is supposed to have. What a pity! Suppose now you start behaving like the elephant, in all aspects of your life: occupation, family, marriageäetc You are doomed and surrounded with the spirits of this lineage. They will influence your life for sure. The spirits have no moral values; and the elephant has no concept of sin whatsoever. Your salvation is now on the back burner. Youπre out of the Graces of God and donπt even know it. Unless you repent from this superstition, your prayers get more and more muffled by this sin. You have distanced yourself from Jesus even if you go to church every Sunday. You will not feel like to go to penance, your spirits won't let you.

From there you become sympathetic to such belief and might buy yourself a "Teddy Elephant." Though youπre not aware of it, you just got your ≥Golden Calf≤. Or you might get yourself a Ganesh, the Hindu Elephant God. You are on a slippery slope. You might start to believe in the Chinese calendar for example; you go to a Chinese restaurant, you take one home from under your veggie-fried-rice plate. You take it home with you. It makes sense to you. You are deep into superstition and donπt even realize that your faith in God is eroding. This is graver than consulting the tarot cards or the Vikings runes. And you feel satisfied that you now know ≥who you really are≤ as they put it. The Chinese calendar goes even further and even tries to be your match maker with the opposite sex. What if your wife or husband , fiancÈe, does not fit the category youπre supposed to be married with in the Chinese calendar? Your marriage is now on the rock or your engagement ring is no longer binding. You are now anti-church, anti-conventional. You may even proudly call yourself "liberal". Church is boring to you. You have rights but no duty.

Now that your ego is inflated , you have an appetite for power, the same merchant (say Richard Rohr) who sold you the Enneagram idea has a whole bag full of tricks for you, all promising you more power. He or she uses clever techniques to control your psyche: hypnotism, meditation, music, initiation (strips you naked in public), makes you walk a labyrinth traced on the grass  (for more confusion) he may even say that the Labyrinth is from some Cathedral from way-back.

At this stage, he may change your name and clothing ≠like the Hindus do-or give you a proud title. Your illusions providers smile all the way to the bank while you, gullible you, like a lost idiot heed to their whims.

They have created a world of illusion in which you have the short end of the stick; you are the zombie. They actually will tell you right upfront ≥life is an illusion. ≥ In this illusion they put themselves on top and you at the bottom. Theyåll be your hi ranking Guru with the promise that some day you too will achieve the level of Cosmic Christ. You will be like a god. Now notice the permanent smile on their face. They've got you . They have taken your soul (metaphor).