On Blessing Your Refrigerator
Recently I alluded to Louise L. Hay in connection to refrigerators.
Therein lies a tale.
There was a faculty meeting at a Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) school in Southern California in the late 1980s or early 1990s. One of the church members attended the faculty meeting and suggested that Louise Hay tapes be used at the school. Several faculty members listened to the tapes and unanimously rejected the idea.
For those who are unfamiliar with the LCMS, its congregations tend toward more orthodox Christianity, and thus naturally reject New Age and related stuff. So when Louise Hay, in her meditations, urged the listener to bless the inanimate objects in their homes, including their refrigerators, alarm bells went off all over the place.
I found the exact tape in question (although it's now a CD) on amazon.com:
Morning & Evening Meditations [ABRIDGED] (Audio CD)
by Louise L. Hay...
Price: $8.21 and eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. See details
You Save: $2.74 (25%)
Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Only 2 left in stock--order soon (more on the way)....
Editorial Reviews
Book Description
Morning & Evening Meditations, by Louise L. Hay, is a bestselling audio program that has been on the Hay House top-ten for years. Your customers will buy it over and over to give to friends and family.
Morning & Evening Meditations is an uplifting CD that will help you start your day with a positive outlook and end your day with gratitude.
About the Author
Louise L. Hay is a metaphysical lecturer and teacher and the bestselling author of 27 books, including You Can Heal Your Life, ISBN:0-937611-01-8; You Can Heal Your Life Gift Edition, ISBN:1-56170-628-0; and Empowering Women, ISBN: 1-56170-6094. Her works have been translated into 25 different languages in 33 countries throughout the world. Since beginning her career as a Science of Mind minister in 1981, Louise has assisted thousands of people in discovering and using the full potential of their own creative powers for personal growth and self-healing. Louise is the founder and chairman of Hay House, Inc., a publishing company that disseminates books, audios, and videos that contribute to the healing of the planet. Louise lives in San Diego, California, where she spends her time loving life, gardening, and writing....
[three stars] Half & half, July 12, 2001
Reviewer: "uuma2" (Fullerton, CA USA)...
The morning section just wasn't for me. I have to admit it made me laugh. She starts out telling you to thank your bed and your appliances and send them love because they need love, too. I guess I'm not spiritual enough to be able to send love to my refrigerator or bathroom fixtures. I'd rather send my love to living beings or just out into the universe. After she got done with that part, it was better, but it was half pep talk. I'm more used to guided meditation where the narrator stays out of it. Ms. Hays did a little too much explaining - I guess you might say she was a little too maternal for my taste.
The evening section, on the other hand, was quite nice. It was fairly traditional relaxation exercises with some nice thoughts thrown in. Still a little too explanatory for something you might want to participate in actively every day.
Surprisingly, small "o" orthodox Christians (other than the principal of the school above) have not truly addressed Louise Hay. The material below is from the website of Religious Science New Haven:
Religious Science is the framework which enables the philosophy, Science of Mind, to be taught. Dr. Ernest Holmes formulated the Science of Mind and Spirit in 1927 after years of studying everything he could find to study....
Holmes was once asked by a professor at the University of Southern California for a 25-word definition of Religious Science. The definition he gave is as follows:
"Religious Science is the correlation of laws of science, opinions of philosophy and revelations of religion applied to the human needs and the aspirations of man."...
Norman Vincent Peal [sic] and Dr. Schuler [sic] were both influenced by the work of Dr. Ernest Holmes. The human potential movement evolved from a lot of the work of Ernest Holmes. Louise Hay, a student of Religious Science, went on to work with Aids people and later wrote a book, You Can Heal Your Life, that continues to sell in the millions.
The philosopher, William James, said that New Thought is America’s original and unique contribution to the world’s religions....
Is Religious Science a Christian Church?
Ah, this is the perennial question in Religious Science. There has been no definitive answer. They may never be.
Those ministers who use the bible as an important facet of their teaching feel that Religious Science is Christian. Indeed, Dr. Holmes quotes the bible often in his work.
Those ministers who do not reference the bible or the life of Jesus as an integral part of their teaching and speaking tend to believe that Religious Science is not Christian.
At Religious Science New Haven, straight Science of Mind is taught although there are periodic references to the Bible, to the Buddha, or anyone and anything that can help assist in making the ideas presented clear and easy to understand....
great-quotes.com starts their collection of Christian quotes with one from Hay:
“See God in every person, place, and thing, and all will be well in your world.”
--Louise Hay
They continue by quoting Barry Goldwater:
"I think every good Christian ought to kick Falwell's ass."
--Senator Barry Goldwater, when asked what he thought of Jerry Falwell's suggestion that all good Christians should be against Sandra Day O'Connor's nomination to the Supreme Court
Some background on Falwell's view:
Yet this classic liberal versus conservative clash could be scrambled if Bush chose Gonzales. It would be a historic move -- he would be the first Latino to serve on the high court.
And it would not be the first time conservatives were dismayed by the Supreme Court choice of a popular conservative president.
In 1981, President Reagan came to office having pledged to protect "the sanctity of innocent human life" and to return prayers to public schools. A few months later, when a Supreme Court seat became vacant, Reagan decided to fulfill another campaign promise: to appoint the first woman to the Supreme Court. He chose Arizona state judge Sandra Day O'Connor.
The selection was widely hailed, including by liberal Democrats such as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts.
But Reagan's choice was denounced by some conservatives. The Rev. Jerry Falwell, then head of the Moral Majority, called O'Connor's nomination a "disaster," and the head of the National Right to Life Committee called it a "betrayal."
Over 22 years, Justice O'Connor has fulfilled the predictions of her supporters and her critics. A centrist on most issues, she has cast deciding votes to preserve the right to abortion and to prevent a return to school-sponsored prayers, including at graduation ceremonies.
Regarding the Goldwater connection:
Through coincidence and mutual friends, O'Connor met U.S. Chief Justice Warren Burger on a vacation in late 1979. She stayed in touch with him and he eventually helped bring her name to the attention of the Reagan White House in the spring of 1981, before it began looking for a successor to retiring Justice Potter Stewart.
At the time, O'Connor's credentials did not make her an obvious candidate. She was not on a federal court or top state court, as many nominees in the recent past had been. Instead, she was a judge on an Arizona intermediate court handling criminal and civil appeals. But as a former state senator, she had deep and well maintained political connections to the Republican Party. She was a close friend of Arizona Barry Goldwater, R-Ariz.
For O'Connor, it was a matter of right place, right time. During his recent campaign for president, Ronald Reagan had promised to give the Supreme Court its first woman justice.
O'Connor's nomination was embraced widely, although some opponents of abortion rights warned that she would vote against their cause. O'Connor ended up being confirmed by the Senate, 99-0, on Sept. 21, 1981. She took the judicial oath five days later.
But back to Louise Hay - although she doesn't have a statement of theology, it's obvious where she's coming from:
Since you are no longer doing private counseling, where can I go to get support from a wise teacher like yourself?
For support I recommend you make an appointment with a licensed practitioner from a local Science of Mind church. They’re trained to assist you in knowing the Truth and manifesting what it is you want to experience. This is where I began my journey. Some Web sites to search for a church near you are: Religious Science International and United Church of Religious Science.
I continually study to learn more and there’s a teacher that’s very influential in my life right now: Abraham. Esther and Jerry Hicks have countless tapes of Abraham’s words, which you can find at their Abraham-Hicks Web site. You can also get their book, Ask and It Is Given by Hay House. The main message is how to live your life in joy. The goal is to feel good about yourself all the time. I think of Abraham as an advanced course of Louise Hay. I listen to their tapes almost everyday and their book is beside my bed for late night reading. Many of your favorite teachers are also students of Abraham. I think of Abraham as the teacher of teachers.
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