Karen Armstrong: I Was a Nun Who Couldn't Pray | SuperSoul Sunday | Oprah Winfrey Network

[@mohammadzubayer8084]

Karen Armstrong wrote several Books on Islam,it is translated into Bengali publisher known as Sandash.She is a respected Lady,May Allah Subhana Watala Bless her give her strength in healthy,To speak about the correct path of Islam rather then Fundamentalism,& Fanatic way of Islam teaching.

[@stepup6607]

Especially, the book about Mohamed. when she talked about his biography, and how he lived. She did not lie. She only said the truth.

[@harrypotter347]

She just did not have the vocation, that's all. Good for her she left the convent

[@standev1]

From what I've read about her, she also seems to have abandoned her Catholic faith, and that is not good.

[@standev1]

LetreJete We should pray for her to return to the faith.

[@LetreJete]

True. To do so, however, requires us not to be hoodwinked about how far she is from the faith. At some point, she'll need to recognize that herself. Hence, she is to be admonished as an apostate, not praised as a luminary. You're right, though, overall.

[@standev1]

***** God bless you and convert you. Choose eternal life, don't choose eternal death.

[@rubybegonia9948]

Harry Potter I'll bet she got a good education and that it cost her nada.

[@waynekasmar4401]

Reading "through the Narrow Gate," her autobiographical book up to the day she left her order, is one of the most remarkable books you'll ever read. In some ways even more extraordinary is the follow-up "Beginning the world," which is about her trying to readjust to normal life, the mental and emotional conditioning during the seven years in the order having been so profound she faced a task that seemed impossible. After her first book was an unexpected success her publishers pressured her to do the sequel. But she wasn't happy with it and wrote this third book mentioned here, "the Spiral Staircase," as a more dignified rewriting of it.

[@collegesuccess]

If you can't find God right where you are, you won't find God just by entering and just "saying" external prayers in a convent. This brings to mind a favorite lyric citation of the famous Trappist monk and spiritual master Thomas Merton: "You say you've lost your faith But that's not where it's at You have no faith to lose and you know it!" --Bob Dylan (lyrics: Positively 4th Street)

[@poshmalteser123]

i AM almost obsessed with Karen Armstrong, because the moment I began to read her books, I began to realize how her story was so like mine as a catholic. She has awakened a realization in me,that I have been trying to work out for myself and she has verbalized my very thoughts and feeling so eloquently, and has released me from the indoctrination I have been trying to shed for so many years and now at last at age 71yrs old I have been released of living my faith IN A LEGALISTIC way, which made me so depressed and imprisoned. Thank you Karen Armstrong

[@JonathanDeLeon-em4px]

Unfortunately, Karen Armstrong has never encountered the Holy Spirit. The Charismatic renewal had not yet appeared in the Catholic Church when she entered the convent. She is now an antichrist and apologist for Islam leading people astray.

[@onvn]

Jonathan DeLeon Are you saying the Holy Spirit is non-existent in the life of the Church before the Charismatic movement came along?

[@a_gen]

The spirit lives with her, at least the spirit I see, if the spirit you are calling, is in you, I don't want that spirit. I want the spirit she has, not that "compassionate" spirit you see to have. Holy Spirit. It's in you for sure right? Jesus's way is your way I'm guessing, he's on your side, not on her side, who is actually doing something. I'll continue to pray for you and yours. Blessings

[@LetreJete]

+Carmelina Taplin Rather than reading Karen Armstrong, you might try the diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament. Sr. Faustina was a real nun. I found the saint more authentic than Karen A.

[@wanda6483]

LetreJete You're right. I love the dairy of St. Faustina! It's beautiful and really shows you how much a true calling pulls you in and makes you love Jesus. :) I'm considering religious life myself, and I've read it multiple times.

[@apfelprincess45]

Why does Oprah behave as if this woman and her books are a new discovery? I read Through the Narrow Gate in 1981 and Beginning the World in 1983 and The Spiral Staircase in 2004! All her memoires are at least ten years old and her two earliest books about the convent more than thirty years old! Oprah is way behind the eight ball here!

[@GFSLombardo]

Lots of men and women have left religious life over the years but as few become well known authors and TV personalities the general public has little knowledge of them. Have two former nuns in my family alone . It happens more often than you may think. These people generally enter religious life at a relatively young and impressionable age. It takes many years to become a nun, brother or priest. Karen Armstrong, like many other young people, realized she had made a mistake in her vocation, and asked to leave. In her case, "alls well that ends well". My only qualm with Karen is that she apparently received an all expenses paid higher education at prestigious universities which was obviously very useful in her later career as a writer. Has she ever, in good conscience, attempted to compensate her Order in some way for giving her this educational opportunity which was ultimately paid for by the Catholic people of Australia???

[@luzakedisserylareizaordone5225]

Saludos desde Barrancabermeja Santander Colombia

[@YellowJacket1911]

This woman is amazing!

[@creamofthecrop8286]

If/when a person's heart is in the right place, prayer comes naturally &, although, the enemy of our souls will try to distract us from that privilege, we have the ability to keep our thoughts on communication with our Creator God.

[@allanforsberg2464]

That is too simple an explanation applied to a complex process. Humans do not control prayer. One does not complete a series of rituals and then God is compelled to show up. Instead, God continually offers God's self in love and we either receive or we don't. Prayer is more about what God does than anything we do. If you desire to pray, and spend the time in prayer, our surrender and trust in God will allow the Holy Spirit to be successful. God never forces us; God only offers love. We either open ourselves or turn away. Few understand this process fully.

[@GFSLombardo]

Better a good historian than a bad nun. A modern monastery, nunnery or convent is not a prison, and unlike "The Hotel California" you can check out AND you can leave.....

[@GabrielIqbal]

Karen is far ahead of her time.... love her work....

[@gisellekichi9499]

She went in the convent just to corrupt the noons any real catholic can't never have or talk that way, she left many windows open for the malignen to enter, that's why she couldn't pray or meditate, she have to bee humble and forget about her, to much self center.

[@rosatamayo447]

Ahead of her time?????

[@jarabaa]

I am intrigued that so many commentators here (below) feel entirely authorised by their religious faith to pass judgment - using hostile, dismissive language - on another human being. And to publish their views on another person as a "comment" on this page. I think maybe that explains why the interviewee here left the world of organised religion.

[@honkumia]

Amazing teacher

[@LetreJete]

+Ambereen You have to be pretty desperate to call Karen Armstrong a teacher. You can do better.

[@RolanGenel]

To become nun/priest is a vocation, its seems like God has something plan for you..

[@FiloteaHumilde]

In the Catholic faith, we have what is called "Lectio Divina", or prayerful reading of Scripture. It's easy for the mind to wander off without something to focus it on. When meditating on Scripture, the stories unfold in our minds and hearts. I think perhaps the good sister had the wrong idea of what it meant to pray. Perhaps she was expecting to be expert at it right away. :) Prayer is simply to discourse with God, the Father who loves us, or with His Son, our Lord Jesus who died for us. It is supposed to be a conversation of love with the Triune God who most loves us. It does not need to be complicated. What is required are humility and faith. Meditating on Scripture is similar to what she describes the rabbis of Judaism do. In it the Lord speaks to us. We become familiar with His ways. We get to know Him like a friend. We become intimate with the Lord. He sees our desire to know Him and opens the door. He did say, ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened to you.

[@LetreJete]

+csseic By her own admission in this interview, she was moved by an absurdly narcissistic vision of herself. Getting on Oprah Winfrey no doubt validates that narcissism. A real nun like Mother Angelica of the Annunciation would have left both these two women equally dumbfounded.

[@misbahuddinahmadi1345]

it called ngaji in indonesian islam

[@conscientiousscrupulous8942]

csseic Really I feel really sorry for you, because you Christians are good people, you have passion and affection to Religion and God, but unfortunately, you are misleaded, misguided. Believe me I as a Muslim doesn't hate, even I doesn't hate people who are of nonreligion, even uf they hate me, I don't hate bsck, because it doesn't work like this, and because I want the good for every human being. As only being human being, we should live each other, loce the good for each other, not hate esch other for our choice. But I think that is okay to criticise each other in a positive way, inly trying to show you things as I see them, but if you refuse my point of view, it is not by breaking the neck to be convinced. So I eould like to say it is impissible for God to have a son, a dauhhter, a wife, or any relative, it is impossible for god to have similar, please read the Quran with a good will, without the will if criticism and try to understand it correctly, and don't believe the lies if the medua about islam. please do it and by willing of the Only One God you will be on the right track.

[@moxieman3304]

csseic I agree with you brother, God bless you

[@moxieman3304]

merry carefree I feel sorry for you, nobody is mentioning hate only you muslim woman

[@rammmin1]

Karen is true and honest voice of religion in godless western countries.

[@omermore]

Everyone has its vocation and calling..... her story is her story thats it.

[@Roger21742]

She has written many enlightening books one of them being 'The Case for God'. God had a much better plan for her than just being a Nun.

[@poisedonis]

Hmm, very interesting

[@feaokautai7354]

Thank you for trying any way! PRAYERS bring CHRIST deeply if you give everything to JESUS CHRIST REGARDLESS...CHALLENGES THE UNKNOWN WORLD BEFOŔ YOU....A GREAT FOR SINNERS LIKE US...NOTHING COMPARE...DIVINE!!

[@buddhahoo1]

Satori is so beautiful.

[@shabdiwalihashi9810]

you genius karen shukran.you smart please do more about islam...we love you

[@elizabetharnold8704]

SH ABDIWALI HASHI v

[@bhindakhan6113]

karen you look fantastic now you have got your teeth fixed...what a transformation you look lovely

[@paulward6769]

Cool I did that, for years, revelation comes from God.

[@timfronimos459]

I mean this in the most polite manner but I don't understand why anyone finds Karen Armstrong profound. in fact she is rather boorish to listen to after I heard her initial story there's nothing more to it. okay I get it you're an ex Catholic nun oooh Billions find solace in the Catholic Church and more broadly to Christianity in general.

[@herrbrucvald6376]

I find this story fishy and strange for several reasons. How could she have possibly taken vows after the long required novitiate without successful prayer? Was she praying during that? Or did she lie and not tell her superiors that she couldn't pray? She would never have been allowed to continue and then taken vows if she had said, 'Oh, btw Mother, I hate praying and feel nothing when I try...' And it's patently absurd to maintain that Catholics---unlike Jews---don't gain profound spiritual illuminations from textual study, reading saint narratives and the bible, and so on. While I've read her insipid Islam-apologetics before, I dislike her now even more. Ms. Armstrong should try reading St. John of the Cross if she wants to glimpse ecstasy......

[@LetreJete]

+!mrdunn brucvald Armstrong is a confused person. Her disorder is evident for anybody who can see it.

[@rumblefish9]

seeing her video about Islam... this Karen Armstrong strikes me as a "religion tourist". jumping from religion to religion desperately trying to find that "enlightening".

[@elizabetharnold8704]

!mrdunn brucvald gbgvvc

[@waynekasmar4401]

You want to read her autobiographical book about that time, "Through the Narrow Gate." Not only did she (a naive 17 year old) not really know what she was doing, the people in charge of her were horrendously flawed, and they also had no real idea what they were doing when Vatican 2 kicked in and they were told that their medieval ways of ruling were no longer to be enforced. Things only became worse then. Karen Armstong was an epileptic and the nuns in charge couldn't handle that. As far as they were concerned everything wrong in her life was due to her 'wilfulness.' That included her vomit reaction to the macaroni cheese she was always made to eat, causing her to look like she was starving to death. She left the order only after having a complete breakdown. The life she describes inside the order is incredible. For some, it's like being in a destructive cult. This is one of the most extraordinary books I've ever read. The profound conditioning that she was put under at that time fully explains the craziness of her life then.

[@aroojtariq970]

Jazak Allah khairun Karen. May Allah show the right path to the mankind. And those with negative comments prove with their language and hatred that they r shallow. if u don't agree with someone at least respect and make an effort to first find the truth and upgrade Ur own knowledge it's such a shame the way we disrespect each other's opinion ppl have no tolerance. Read Quran first the only unchanged authentic book in the world proved already then take a courage to debate.

[@gisellekichi9499]

Don't comment you are evil.nobody put negative comment follow the catholics that the only truth and only religion.

[@islammylife4everallahwilli540]

giselle kichi There is no god or gods other then ONE SINGLE MOST POWERFUL ALL KNOWING GOD ALLAH MOST HIGH THE GOD OF ABRAHAM AND MUHAMMAD IS HIS LAST PROPHET AND MESSENGER AND JESUS CHRIST IS HIS PROPHET AND MESSENGER AND OUR AWAYTING MESSIAH. NO SONS..NO DOUGHTERS NO MOTHER OR FATHER...ONE GOD ALONE ALLAH STW... ALLAHU AKBAR

[@wms72]

The Quoran is NOT unchanged. Even Islamic scholars have admitted it has been changed.

[@kyriljordanov2086]

giselle kichi You're both wrong. Eastern Orthodox is the only truth!

[@Subzero-hh8ix]

Only unchanged book in the world? Seriously it's been debunked for so long. Even your own scholars admitted it.

[@Soffity]

Does anyone know what happened to her friend Sister Rebecca, who also had anorexia and was a mess. I do hope she too found another way,,the life Karen describes in “the Narrow Gate” is torture. I’m sure God is horrified at what people do in his name..I don’t even believe in God and it shocked me to the core,

[@natjcreates]

Rebecca has got out too, later, though not without real hardships, and from what I recall from "The Spiral Staircase", even started a family. Read it, it's a remarkable memoir! I'm currently re-reading those 2 books, and I'm in awe again. There's so much I can learn from Karen as a writer.

[@BronxCat]

i think O likes to look down on our church

[@styapramana]

💙💙💙💙💙💙 Hmmhhh,,,,,,,,, ONCE AGAIN. OPEN UR MIND WIDELY,,,,,,, 💘®️™️✈️

[@juanamaciel67]

Hello my Friend there's a book called the beautiful side of evil, ,authors name is Joanna it's been years but I'm sure even with that limited info ull find it, ,

[@wms72]

She wanted to be "Buddha-like," so she joined a convent???? She sounds crazy.

[@simonmontgomery5341]

What can you do with an Oprah who wants to flee the law?

[@cezarpoetica8155]

God bless the 3 Abrahamic religions & may the orthodoxies cool it.

[@juanamaciel67]

she said that she pictured herself a saint ... so the reasons she became a nun were only for her enlightenment for her glory ... not for the love of Jesus who redeemed our sins ... it wasnt her vocation... and i truly believe God didnt honor her effort because it was wrongly motivated ... i pray she sees how deprived we all are and all need a Savior ... My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ thankyou for saving my life...

[@mbahdamactivity2125]

like this

[@gygye]

Just too bad that Oprah felt the need to invite this woman after the beautifull show on Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. Devil at work here. This woman( Karen Armstrong) is not inspired by the Holy Spirit .

[@dosia1boby794]

Ginette you sooo rigth

[@dosia1boby794]

Is she mocking secret life of others -good she left just shut up about things they are hidden from you

[@genevaayte5302]

You weren't called, that's all. Get over it.

[@mollyyukomcguire]

There's nothing she needs to get over. She has recognized that and has an incredibly fruitful career in religious scholarship instead! :)

[@AnneliedeWet]

Karen Armstrong is a brilliant teacher. Many comments here are some of the most miserly minds and stony hearts I have encountered in a long time. Grey, joyless, boring.

[@Fedko3037]

What an horrible woman.

[@rebekahmehaffey5889]

This lady is sadly mislead ☹️

[@susieenglish302]

Go atheism!!

[@ibnmuhammadalmimoni4415]

Atheism is not the answer of why you are here in our world. We came into existence and believe me not by coincidence. We were created by Allah. He neither begets nor is born.