Occult is a label given to a number of organizations or orders, and the teachings and practices as taught by them. The name also extends to a large body of literature, and spritual philosophy.

The word occult comes from the Latin occultus (clandestine, hidden, secret), referring to the 'knowledge of the secret' or 'knowledge of the hidden' and often popularly meaning 'knowledge of the supernatural', as opposed to 'knowledge of the visible' or 'knowledge of the measurable', usually referred to as science. The modern term's meaning is often imprecisely translated and used as a term for 'secret knowledge' or 'hidden knowledge', in the sense of meaning 'knowledge meant only for certain people' or 'knowledge that must be kept hidden'. For most practicing occultists, however, it is simply the study of a deeper spiritual "reality" that cannot be understood using pure reason or physical sciences.

Occultism

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Occultism is the study of occult or hidden wisdom. To the Occultist it is the study of Truth, or rather the deeper truth that exists beyond the surface: 'The Truth Is Always Hidden In Plain Sight'. It may be considered by some to be a 'grey' area, perhaps larger than any other in the realm of religion. It can deal with subjects ranging from talismans, magic (alternatively spelled and defined as magick), sorcery, and voodoo, to ESP (Extra-sensory perception), astrology, numerology, lucid dreams, or even religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism.

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L.A. Times - Religious News

LAPD names its first Islamic chaplain
Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700
Police leaders hope that the new chaplain, who has a history of building bridges between Muslims and law enforcement, can help officers understand his community better. American Muslims have never been much of a presence in the Los Angeles Police Department, accounting for less than 1% of its nearly 10,000 officers.
Live: Warped Tour at the Pomona Fairplex
Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700
It's a case of deja vu as Bad Religion and NOFX headline in Pomona. Sideshow annoyances aside, the marquee names and promising newcomers prove there's plenty to enjoy in the annual punk road show. It's either a testament to the Warped Tour's longevity or a knock on its creativity that Bad Religion and NOFX, the bands headlining this 15th installment of the youth-skewing summer punk rock road show, could have played at any point in the outing's history.
Northern Ireland Protestant paramilitary groups to disarm
Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700
Holdouts Ulster Defense Assn. and the Ulster Volunteer Force say the time has come for peace and that they have decommissioned or will soon all their weapons. Lasting peace in Northern Ireland took another step forward Saturday when major Protestant paramilitary organizations announced that they had decommissioned some or all of their weapons, following a similar move years earlier by the opposing Irish Republican Army.

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly

July 3, 2009: Faith Communities and Disability
stephanie winkler Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:37:55 -0000
Reverend BILL GAVENTA (Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities): In every faith community there is a scriptural basis for welcome and hospitality. But you’ve also got congregations who live in cultures where people with disabilities have been hidden and ostracized and devalued in lots of ways, and too often faith communities sanctify prejudices in the community [...]
July 3, 2009: Aravind Eye Hospital
stephanie winkler Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:30:09 -0000
[media=434] FRED DE SAM LAZARO: Aravind is the world’s largest eye care center, a one-stop shop that even makes many of the lenses and instruments used by its surgeons. It looks like any of India’s high tech centers where rich Indians and medical tourists can get first-world care at third-world prices. The surgical error rate is [...]
July 3, 2009: Interview: Rev. Dr. Brad Braxton
stephanie winkler Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:24:07 -0000
[media=433] Read more of Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly’s July 1, 2009 interview in New York City with Riverside Church senior minister, the Rev. Dr. Brad Braxton: I would say it’s a time of relief, at least for me personally, to know that this moment has the potential to teach so many lessons. So it’s not relief as [...]

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