4/3b Beliefs of the New Age in Comparison to Christian Foundations, Part 2

We began this series with the statement that the New Age movement is one of Five major challenges against the Christian Foundations of our Western culture.  We first discussed Humanism and they went onto Evolution.  Now, in Part two post we continue with the Seven lies of the New Age from an article sent to us by one of our readers.  So here is Part two:

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   LIE # 5 – All religions and religious teachings lead to the same goal. All are equally of merit.

Satan’s primary tactic in opposing God is not to foster atheism but religion.  The goal is not to prove there is no God but to be worshipped as God. “I have not come to found a new religion”, one of the major gurus of the New Age, Lord Maitreya says. “I have come to teach the art of Self-realization.”

He continues “I come to you not like a thief in the night….so that you will not become too excited. Slowly, as you become aware, you can ‘digest’ what is ‘eaten’. In awareness you will know Me. In ‘isms’ you will fight against me.”

The New Age does express a cloudy sort of religion, claiming vague connections with both Christianity and the major faiths of the East, although many New Agers like to say the Jesus spent 18 years in India absorbing Hinduism and the teachings of Buddha to begin His ministry.  New Age teachings have also included an occasional dab of pantheism and sorcery.

The underlying faith of the New Age is a lack of faith in the orthodoxies of rationalism, high technology, routine living, spiritual law-and-order. Somehow, the New Agers believe, there must be some secret and mysterious shortcut or alternative path to happiness and health.

“Ecumenism is essential in creating a ‘Christianity’ which embraces all religions. Psychology plays a major ecumenical role by providing common faith, language and ritual for everyone from atheists, cultists and occultists to Roman Catholics and evangelicals.” (Dave Hunt, “Mystery Babylon Part II,” ‘The Berean Call’, August 1993)

   LIE # 6 – The “ancient wisdom” of Babylon, Egypt and Greece – not the Bible – is the basis of all truth.

Vice President Albert Gore in his book ‘Earth in the Balance’ explains their view: “Ecology and the Human Spirit, reveals himself as a person who believes we should have a ‘mother goddess’ that we can worship”.

He points back to ancient religions and Hinduism and says that they have something good in their worship of “mother earth”, and claims that our modern slogan should be the worship of “mother earth“.  Her continues:  “…..man and nature are one, and that God is part of nature, and nature is part of God

On pages 258 through 259 of his book, he writes how he departed from the Baptist faith and entered in to the New Age Religion. He says “The richness and diversity of our religious tradition throughout history is a spiritual resource long ignored by people of faith, who are often afraid to open their minds to teachings first offered outside their own system of belief.”

“This Pan-religious perspective may prove especially important where our global civilizations responsibility for the earth is concerned.  Native American Religions for instance offer a rich tapestry of ideas about our relationship to the earth. “

(Al Gore, ‘Earth In the Balance, Ecology and the Human Spirit’, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1992.)

   LIE # 7 – Sin and evil do not exist.

Peace and love are the ultimate realities. New Agers deny the existence of a hell (Gehenna fire) and a judgment. They also deny that sin and evil exist. God (The universe) is alleged to be beyond good and evil.

The New Age gospel is not a system of revolutionary principles. It does not promote strife and war, but aims at peace and unity. It seeks not to set the mother against her daughter nor the father against his son, but fosters the fraternal spirit whereby the human race is regarded as one great “brotherhood”. It does not seek to drag down the natural man, but to improve and uplift him.

It advocates education and cultivation and appeals to “…..the best that is within us…..”. It aims to make this world such a comfortable and congenial habitat that Christ’s absence from it will not be felt and God will not be needed.

Depending on which branch of the New Age movement you encounter, there may or may not be a great world leader who will emerge to lead us all to enlightenment. Some New Agers await the advent of the Lord Maitreya while others believe we will all become so godlike that we will not need any leaders.

D.  IN CONCLUSION

The Bible tells of an age when God is going to permit Satan to actually rule in person on this earth! If a New Age leader emerges, he could well be the Antichrist, an enemy of mankind who will be intent on leading the world into terrible rebellion against God and who will be destroyed along with his followers.

Although God’s prophets foretold many explicit signs of Christ’s first coming most people missed Him. Likewise, God has given many definite signs that point to the second coming of Jesus. False Christ’s and false prophets are high on the list.

The question is, do YOU KNOW God in Christ Jesus … as He has revealed Himself in the Scriptures? Have you read His Book? Have you studied it? How can you be sure you know the real God in Christ Jesus if you have not studied what He has said about Himself in the Word of God, the Bible?

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Our thanks to the reader who sent us this article.  It has clarified many of the views we do find around us.  In our next post, we will research more into where the New Age Movement began.  Join us then,

Susanne Fengler, Blog Author

www.christianfoundations-jesus.treeoflife.info

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