Being a Christian is not easy. Not easy at all, and if you are a Christian reading this today and you are thinking – “being a Christian isn’t hard” – then you’re probably doing it wrong.
We are called to be in this world but not of it – John 15:18-19 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love it’s own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.
And in this calling lies the question – do we stand up for the truth? Do we stand up for what we believe in according to the word of God? Do we dare to go against the grain of society in order to shed light on that which is dark?
I believe we do – because if we don’t who will?
There are many forms of spirituality out there today. Many of which are deceptive in their teachings and deceptive in the underlying spirit.
I am interested in absolute truth. What is real. What is solid and what is biblical.
We are all spiritual people and we are living in a spiritual world. What I think is important is that people become aware of the fact that not all forms of spirituality are safe. Not all forms of spirituality are pure. That there is light and dark in this world and that pertains to the spirit world also.
What concerns me deeply is this rapid advancement of the New Age Movement. It is every were. As we took to the streets a few weeks back – putting up fliers inviting anyone and everyone out to our Monday night meetings, we noticed that every bulletin board was filled with posters offering palm readings, classes in meditation, tarot card readings, yoga classes, divination techniques and on and on.
We put up our posters all over the neighbor hood, only to find them torn town and removed the next week. Replaced by more new age posters. It has become so widely accepted and desired, while Christianity and the Bible have become rejected.
So what exactly is the New Age Movement/Religion?
The New Age borrows from and synthsizes many views:
Humanism - Man is inherently good.
Relativism - There is no absolute reality or moral standard.
Subjectivism - There is no absolute, objective external truth. Truth is based on personal experience and perception.
Pluralism - All spiritual beliefs are equally valid.
Adaptations of Eastern Religions:
Hinduism - All is one; one is all (monism). God is an impersonal force, part of the universe, and/or beyond knowing. Material reality is an illusion and is inferior to spiritual reality. Reincarnation: the soul returns to another body after death. Spiritual growth is the constant process of evolving.
Buddhism - Suffering is caused by desire. Detachment from desire is practiced to end suffering. The self/identity does not exist. Spiritual insight is gained through meditation techniques such as centering and mindfulness.
Taoism - One reality, the Tao, is split in opposite forces. These opposite forces are yin and yang. There is a life force, chi (or qi, ki). Health and spiritual growth come from balancing the chi (basis for most alternative healing).
Postmodernism - Man is good; there is no objective truth; there are no absolutes and no authority.
Occultism and Paganism - The earth/nature is exalted as the source and sustainer of life. There is one divine force or life force linking people, nature and the universe. Access to and manipulation of this force is possible. Divination techniques such as astrology, numerology, spell casting, tarot cards, and psychic techniques are usually practiced. Rituals are performed according to seasons and moon phases in the belief that this harmonizes one with nature.
What is really dangerous about the New Age is the fact that it is deeply rooted in Eastern Spirituality. Why is this dangerous? Well here is a break down of the Eastern Roots for you.
HINDUISM: (India)
A term for a system of beliefs derived from religions based on the Vedas, a collection of texts and songs. These beliefs were a mixture of myths and traditions developed over time which finally came together in a unified philosophy. These beliefs were brought into India by the Aryans between 2000 and 1000 BC There was no written language before the 4th century BC, so religious stories and myths were transmitted verbally, mostly in poetry. ?Hindu? is the Persian word for India.
Hinduism does not have one doctrine or one god, but many doctrines and gods. It has many branches, also called sects.
Main beliefs are: reincarnation, karma (results of previous lives in the present life), enlightenment (realizing the true, divine self), material reality is an illusion, the rational mind is a barrier to spiritual enlightenment, meditation to realize the true self, and spiritual liberation by evolving over many lifetimes until one can merge with the Hindu godhead, the Absolute. This merging will result in a loss of personal identity and self because the true self is God, or ultimate reality.
One of the major ways to seek enlightenment is through one of the forms of yoga, which loosely translated means “to unite with.” All yoga, including hatha yoga, has one purpose: to transcend your awareness as a separate individual and merge with an impersonal God, or a universal force or oneness.
BUDDHISM: (China, Japan, Southeast Asia)
This movement started in India but quickly spread through China and other Far Eastern countries. It never took root in India. Buddhism was a reaction against many ideas of Hinduism including the caste system (people divided according to class standing caused by their karma), the idea of a true self, searching for ultimate meaning or reality, and the idea of gods or even an impersonal God.
Buddhism teaches that suffering is caused by desire and therefore liberation is to detach from desire. Buddhism teaches that there is no self at all, only a collection of impressions. The goal of meditation is to transcend the illusion of self.
Tibetan Buddhism is a mixture of the Buddhism brought into Tibet with the indigenous animistic religion, Bon. Tibetan Buddhism includes practices similar to the occult and to sorcery. Tibetan Buddhism emphasizes a meditation focused on the breath. There are four main branches of this religion.
ZEN BUDDHISM: (Japan)
Buddhism entered China in the 6th century, where it was called ch’an. Later it entered Japan, becoming Zen Buddhism. Zen emphasizes living in the moment, not looking for rational explanations, seeking the true nature of all reality and understanding truth without using words. Meditation is done with attention on the breath. The purpose is to eventually become detached from your identity, emotions and intellect in order to realize your true nature, the Buddha nature.
Zen does not like to use words, so it resists any description or analysis. Zen is supposed to be grasped in a way that goes beyond the rational mind. Riddles called koans such as, “What is the sound of one hand clapping?” are supposed to trigger your understanding of the truth that is not grasped with the rational mind.
TAOISM: (Mostly China)
Taoism comes from the Tao, which means the way or the Universal Path. This belief teaches that the Tao is the ultimate reality and the origin of all things.
Yin and Yang merged into the philosophy of Taoism. Yang is the principle of activity, maleness, light, dry, & heat while Yin is the principle of receptivity, stillness, femaleness, darkness, moistness & cold. The way to harmony and peace is to balance the Yin and Yang forces. There is no concept of good or evil in this belief. The universe is just a manifestation of opposite forces which eventually merge and become their opposites, since all is part of one source. This is the meaning behind the well-known black and white yin-yang symbol.
Eastern Spiritual Ideas in North America:
Pantheism - All is God; God is all
Monism - All is one; one is all
Polytheism - Many gods; God manifesting in many forms
*Pantheism, Monism and Polytheism are also in Wicca/witchcraft groups
Dualism
1) Material/matter versus immaterial spirituality
2) Two equal forces (such as Yin-Yang, or male/female)
Reincarnation - The soul incarnates many times to learn lessons
Chi/qi/ki - A life force pervading the universe; the basis for most alternative healing
These beliefs translate into contemporary spiritual thinking as:
1. God is part of everything and everyone
2. God is an impersonal force or energy; God is ultimate reality
3. The identify of self is an illusion; we are really part of God
4. The mind is a part of self and is a barrier to spiritual truth
5. The material world is an illusion we created or a denser form of energy
6. There is no absolute reality/there are many realities/there is an ultimate reality which is an impersonal God
7. Reincarnation is how we learn lessons and grow in each lifetime until we realize our divine nature and can merge with God (the oneness/universe/life force)
8. Experiences are valued over objective reality or rational conclusions
9. There is no evil, only ignorance
The Biblical response to New Age spirituality
There is one God. He is a personal, eternal God Who has revealed Himself through Christ and in the Bible. (Is. 45:5, 46:9; Luke 22: 67-70; John 1)
God is distinct from His creation. He is everywhere but not in everything or a part of everything. (Gen. 1; Job 38:4-41)
There is absolute truth and absolute reality. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” (John 14:6)
There is evil and good. (Gen. 3; John 3:19-21)
God created us as individuals with unique identities. Our identity and self is real. (Genesis 1; Ps. 139:13-16; Matthew 10:29-31)
Truth is based on God’s word, not on experience. (2 Tim. 3: 16,17)
We live only one life; we do not reincarnate. (Heb. 9:27)
Our salvation is in Christ only. (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Colossians 1: 13,14)
Since I am not ashamed to stand up and say that there is one way – and that’s Jesus, John 14:6, Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. I am going to call out a few of the most popular figures with New Age/Eastern ideas:
Jack Canfield (editor of Chicken Soup for the Soul books)
Madonna
Oprah Winfrey
M. Scott Peck
Beastie Boys Adam Yauch
Brad Pitt
singer Jewel
George Lucas
Dr. Deepak Chopra
Steven Spielberg
Joseph Campbell
ex-Beatles George Harrison & Paul McCartney
Whats even more disturbing is that fact that Oprah is calling herself a Christian these days…but that is a whole other blog post and it is actually Adams specialty!
Anyways if you had the time and desire enough to read through this entire post – blessing to you! My hope and prayer is that you learned something, were encouraged, and ultimately that you become bold in the faith to start standing up for the truth. Like I said – if we don’t, who will? It’s dark world we are living in and if we stand for nothing, we will fall for anything!
Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
We are called to be in this world but not of it – John 15:18-19 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love it’s own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.
And in this calling lies the question – do we stand up for the truth? Do we stand up for what we believe in according to the word of God? Do we dare to go against the grain of society in order to shed light on that which is dark?
I believe we do – because if we don’t who will?
There are many forms of spirituality out there today. Many of which are deceptive in their teachings and deceptive in the underlying spirit.
I am interested in absolute truth. What is real. What is solid and what is biblical.
We are all spiritual people and we are living in a spiritual world. What I think is important is that people become aware of the fact that not all forms of spirituality are safe. Not all forms of spirituality are pure. That there is light and dark in this world and that pertains to the spirit world also.
What concerns me deeply is this rapid advancement of the New Age Movement. It is every were. As we took to the streets a few weeks back – putting up fliers inviting anyone and everyone out to our Monday night meetings, we noticed that every bulletin board was filled with posters offering palm readings, classes in meditation, tarot card readings, yoga classes, divination techniques and on and on.
We put up our posters all over the neighbor hood, only to find them torn town and removed the next week. Replaced by more new age posters. It has become so widely accepted and desired, while Christianity and the Bible have become rejected.
So what exactly is the New Age Movement/Religion?
The New Age borrows from and synthsizes many views:
Humanism - Man is inherently good.
Relativism - There is no absolute reality or moral standard.
Subjectivism - There is no absolute, objective external truth. Truth is based on personal experience and perception.
Pluralism - All spiritual beliefs are equally valid.
Adaptations of Eastern Religions:
Hinduism - All is one; one is all (monism). God is an impersonal force, part of the universe, and/or beyond knowing. Material reality is an illusion and is inferior to spiritual reality. Reincarnation: the soul returns to another body after death. Spiritual growth is the constant process of evolving.
Buddhism - Suffering is caused by desire. Detachment from desire is practiced to end suffering. The self/identity does not exist. Spiritual insight is gained through meditation techniques such as centering and mindfulness.
Taoism - One reality, the Tao, is split in opposite forces. These opposite forces are yin and yang. There is a life force, chi (or qi, ki). Health and spiritual growth come from balancing the chi (basis for most alternative healing).
Postmodernism - Man is good; there is no objective truth; there are no absolutes and no authority.
Occultism and Paganism - The earth/nature is exalted as the source and sustainer of life. There is one divine force or life force linking people, nature and the universe. Access to and manipulation of this force is possible. Divination techniques such as astrology, numerology, spell casting, tarot cards, and psychic techniques are usually practiced. Rituals are performed according to seasons and moon phases in the belief that this harmonizes one with nature.
What is really dangerous about the New Age is the fact that it is deeply rooted in Eastern Spirituality. Why is this dangerous? Well here is a break down of the Eastern Roots for you.
HINDUISM: (India)
A term for a system of beliefs derived from religions based on the Vedas, a collection of texts and songs. These beliefs were a mixture of myths and traditions developed over time which finally came together in a unified philosophy. These beliefs were brought into India by the Aryans between 2000 and 1000 BC There was no written language before the 4th century BC, so religious stories and myths were transmitted verbally, mostly in poetry. ?Hindu? is the Persian word for India.
Hinduism does not have one doctrine or one god, but many doctrines and gods. It has many branches, also called sects.
Main beliefs are: reincarnation, karma (results of previous lives in the present life), enlightenment (realizing the true, divine self), material reality is an illusion, the rational mind is a barrier to spiritual enlightenment, meditation to realize the true self, and spiritual liberation by evolving over many lifetimes until one can merge with the Hindu godhead, the Absolute. This merging will result in a loss of personal identity and self because the true self is God, or ultimate reality.
One of the major ways to seek enlightenment is through one of the forms of yoga, which loosely translated means “to unite with.” All yoga, including hatha yoga, has one purpose: to transcend your awareness as a separate individual and merge with an impersonal God, or a universal force or oneness.
BUDDHISM: (China, Japan, Southeast Asia)
This movement started in India but quickly spread through China and other Far Eastern countries. It never took root in India. Buddhism was a reaction against many ideas of Hinduism including the caste system (people divided according to class standing caused by their karma), the idea of a true self, searching for ultimate meaning or reality, and the idea of gods or even an impersonal God.
Buddhism teaches that suffering is caused by desire and therefore liberation is to detach from desire. Buddhism teaches that there is no self at all, only a collection of impressions. The goal of meditation is to transcend the illusion of self.
Tibetan Buddhism is a mixture of the Buddhism brought into Tibet with the indigenous animistic religion, Bon. Tibetan Buddhism includes practices similar to the occult and to sorcery. Tibetan Buddhism emphasizes a meditation focused on the breath. There are four main branches of this religion.
ZEN BUDDHISM: (Japan)
Buddhism entered China in the 6th century, where it was called ch’an. Later it entered Japan, becoming Zen Buddhism. Zen emphasizes living in the moment, not looking for rational explanations, seeking the true nature of all reality and understanding truth without using words. Meditation is done with attention on the breath. The purpose is to eventually become detached from your identity, emotions and intellect in order to realize your true nature, the Buddha nature.
Zen does not like to use words, so it resists any description or analysis. Zen is supposed to be grasped in a way that goes beyond the rational mind. Riddles called koans such as, “What is the sound of one hand clapping?” are supposed to trigger your understanding of the truth that is not grasped with the rational mind.
TAOISM: (Mostly China)
Taoism comes from the Tao, which means the way or the Universal Path. This belief teaches that the Tao is the ultimate reality and the origin of all things.
Yin and Yang merged into the philosophy of Taoism. Yang is the principle of activity, maleness, light, dry, & heat while Yin is the principle of receptivity, stillness, femaleness, darkness, moistness & cold. The way to harmony and peace is to balance the Yin and Yang forces. There is no concept of good or evil in this belief. The universe is just a manifestation of opposite forces which eventually merge and become their opposites, since all is part of one source. This is the meaning behind the well-known black and white yin-yang symbol.
Eastern Spiritual Ideas in North America:
Pantheism - All is God; God is all
Monism - All is one; one is all
Polytheism - Many gods; God manifesting in many forms
*Pantheism, Monism and Polytheism are also in Wicca/witchcraft groups
Dualism
1) Material/matter versus immaterial spirituality
2) Two equal forces (such as Yin-Yang, or male/female)
Reincarnation - The soul incarnates many times to learn lessons
Chi/qi/ki - A life force pervading the universe; the basis for most alternative healing
These beliefs translate into contemporary spiritual thinking as:
1. God is part of everything and everyone
2. God is an impersonal force or energy; God is ultimate reality
3. The identify of self is an illusion; we are really part of God
4. The mind is a part of self and is a barrier to spiritual truth
5. The material world is an illusion we created or a denser form of energy
6. There is no absolute reality/there are many realities/there is an ultimate reality which is an impersonal God
7. Reincarnation is how we learn lessons and grow in each lifetime until we realize our divine nature and can merge with God (the oneness/universe/life force)
8. Experiences are valued over objective reality or rational conclusions
9. There is no evil, only ignorance
The Biblical response to New Age spirituality
There is one God. He is a personal, eternal God Who has revealed Himself through Christ and in the Bible. (Is. 45:5, 46:9; Luke 22: 67-70; John 1)
God is distinct from His creation. He is everywhere but not in everything or a part of everything. (Gen. 1; Job 38:4-41)
There is absolute truth and absolute reality. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” (John 14:6)
There is evil and good. (Gen. 3; John 3:19-21)
God created us as individuals with unique identities. Our identity and self is real. (Genesis 1; Ps. 139:13-16; Matthew 10:29-31)
Truth is based on God’s word, not on experience. (2 Tim. 3: 16,17)
We live only one life; we do not reincarnate. (Heb. 9:27)
Our salvation is in Christ only. (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Colossians 1: 13,14)
Since I am not ashamed to stand up and say that there is one way – and that’s Jesus, John 14:6, Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. I am going to call out a few of the most popular figures with New Age/Eastern ideas:
Jack Canfield (editor of Chicken Soup for the Soul books)
Madonna
Oprah Winfrey
M. Scott Peck
Beastie Boys Adam Yauch
Brad Pitt
singer Jewel
George Lucas
Dr. Deepak Chopra
Steven Spielberg
Joseph Campbell
ex-Beatles George Harrison & Paul McCartney
Whats even more disturbing is that fact that Oprah is calling herself a Christian these days…but that is a whole other blog post and it is actually Adams specialty!
Anyways if you had the time and desire enough to read through this entire post – blessing to you! My hope and prayer is that you learned something, were encouraged, and ultimately that you become bold in the faith to start standing up for the truth. Like I said – if we don’t, who will? It’s dark world we are living in and if we stand for nothing, we will fall for anything!
Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
