NEW AGE MOVEMENT
Religious Scholars and historians from the early sixties warned of the New Age Movement and correctly predicted the growth of the occult. Spearheads of the current New Age teachings were Theosophy, Unity School of Christianity, Hinduism, Christian Science, Spiritism, Behaiism and Rosicrucianism. Today almost 60 million Americans dabble in some form of New Age occultic thinking. Time Magazine has had cover stories (as well as other national magazines, newspapers, radio and television) proclaiming the New Age and the world of the occult, one showing Shirley MacLaine and another, a masked high priest of the church of Satan. Time also noted that there are 2,500 New Age or occultic bookstores in the USA (in 1989). Merely the “tip of the iceberg” showed itself in the early ‘50’s, but the in the 1960s it began to grow bold and then surfaced in full bloom in the 1980s.
C. S. Lewis saw the battle lines clearly drawn and wrote of the final conflict between religions: Hinduism and Christianity would offer the only options ultimately because Hinduism would include all beliefs and religious systems, and Christianity excludes all others by holding the supremacy of Jesus as the only begotten Son of God, risen from the dead and claiming “all authority.”
Ron Carlson in his unpublished book on the movement asserts, “The New Age Movement is too new, too old, too fluid, too broad, too strange, to assign concrete definition, but it does possess certain symbols and characteristics that allow us to enter the metaphysical world of New Age thought. It is a journey fraught with paradox, inconsistencies, conflicting doctrines, ancient and emerging beliefs, and quite frankly, practices and philosophies that are often alien and bizarre to the traditional western mind …moving with almost dizzying speed, but it has no name and eludes description.” New Age is self-centered in nature, a combination of eastern mystic thought and practice coupled with western secularism and psychotechnologies. By it, you can discover spiritual fulfillment without ethic or moral requirements; spiritualism without commitment.
Ancient roots of New Ageism trace to the occult. The word occult comes from the Latin word for secret and mysterious. The Bible forbids occultic practices on the basis that they come from satanic power (cf Eph. 6:11-12 and Deut. 18:9-14). When this origin is understood, New Age is anything but new age! The occult could be called a substitute faith that can be
101 | P a g e
found throughout the history of world religions. In the Bible there were warnings hundreds of years before Christ concerning occult practices, in such passages as Isaiah 47 where special attention is given to astrologers. “Sorcerers” and “magicians” are spoken of in the book of Daniel. In 2 Kings 21 the Hebrews receive judgment for her failure to obey God concerning the occult. One is quickly reminded of the pathetic situation described in the Book of Judges where “every man did what was right in his own eyes.” The New Age Cult is but a revival of the ancient practices of Sumerian, Indian, Egyptian, Chaldean, Babylonian and Persian religious traditions of men.
Helena Blavatsky was one of the early and prominent promoters of basic Hindu philosophy while manifesting a distinct opposition to the Bible and Christianity. She did this through the Theosophical Society which she founded in the later 1800s. The “Age of Aquarius” is one of the formidable voices for New Age thinking, insisting there are many revealers of truth such as Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius, Zoroaster, Moses, Krishna, etc. Jesus Christ is lowered to the role of “one of many equally good ways,” and most certainly is not as He claimed to be: “THE way, THE truth and THE life; no one comes to the Father BUT BY ME” (John 14:6).
Alice Bailey is an important figure in the movement, having become deeply involved with Madame Blavatsky in the Theosophical Society by writing more than 20 books. Even though her writings are important, however, obviously they cannot be held as an official guide for the New Age movement… nor can any other single writer or philosophy represent the movement. By its very definition it is all-inclusive, nebulous, big, variable and fluid. Unlike the Methodists, for example they have not accepted creed book or discipline.
Because there is no one authority or accepted tradition common to all the philosophies of the New Age, we shall quote from only a few to give contrasts with the Word of God, the Holy Bible
For the more serious student, additional recommended studies would include the following:
The New Age Rage, by J. L. Burrows.
The Universe Next Door, by James Sire.
The New Age Cult, by Walter Martin.
Unmasking the New Age, by D. R. Groothius.
The Emperor’s New Clothes, by K. Kilpatrick.
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New Age Tradition
Word of God
• GOD
“I have created a role for myself this time around whereby I would be at the forefront of the New Age spiritual movement, heralding the giant truth that one individual is his or her own best teacher, and that no other idol or false image should be worshipped or adored because the God we are all seeking lives inside one’s self, not outside.” (Shirley MacLaine) “A higher power, whatever that may be to you.” (Common references in the Twelve Step Programs of Alcoholic Anynomous, etc., where a “god of your choice” is offered. ) God is “Father, Mother, Child.” Mahareeshi Mahesh Yoga in his meditations speaks of studying his Hindu scriptures and transcendental meditation for the purpose of getting in contact with “higher beings or god” on other levels of spiritual reality. God is self. In Hinduism, the goal is to become enlightened to the point of divine-merging with the “one.”
• GOD
“There is one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all an in your all.” “There is one Spirit.” (Ephesians 4:4-6)
“Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lors is one.” (Deut. 6:4; Mark 12:29)
“Beside me there is no God.” (Isaiah 41:6)
“For though there be those that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth… there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 8:5-6)
• JESUS CHRIST
The New Age teaching, though varied, has basic areas of agreement. In common they hold that though Jesus was basically a good person, yet He is NOT the one and only Savior of the world, is NOT the only way to Heaven, is NOT deity, is NOT the truth, is NOT the life.
• “I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me.” (John 14:6)
• He is our great God and Savior. (Titus 2:13)
• He has all authority in heaven and on earth. (Matthew 28:18)
• He receives worship that is due to God alone, because He is God incarnate. (John 20:28)
• He is King of kings, Lord of lords, the Creator of all things. He The Father calls Him “God.” (Hebrews 1:1-8); Colossians 1:15-20
• MAN
Man as the image of God is already saved with an everlasting salvation.” (Mary Baker Eddy in Miscellaneous Writings, p. 183)
• MAN
“All have sinned and come short of the glory of God…there is none righteous, no not one.” (Romans 3:23, 10)
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New Age Tradition
Word of God
Salvation depends upon man looking inward at his own righteous spiritual nature and recognizing that he is a god. Man is intrinsically divine, according to Madame Blavatsky. Man is basically good; he just needs more knowledge.
Sin is missing the mark, transgressing the law of God (1 John 5:17). The process that leads all persons of accountable age to sin is: Tempted by our won evil desire, enticed, desire gives birth to sin; and sin when is full grown, gives birth to death, spiritual separation from the perfect Jehovah God. (Jams 1:13-15)
• SIN AND SALVATION
The New Age movement denies, for the most part, the biblical doctrine of sin and substitutes reincarnation as the means of atonement, ignoring the significance of the cross. They choose not to study the Holy Bible as the inspired Word of God, and choose not to “work the works of God” (John 6). “Man is his own satan just as man is his own salvation. (David Spangler, Reflections on The Christ, p. 39) The listings of sin and works of the flesh such as fornication, drunkenness, lying, stealing, etc. as found in Romans 1 and Galatians 5, are not necessarily “sins” to the New Age “spiritual person,” unless by his own mind’s standard they happen to be so. A person can be fornicating or murdering habitually and still be “spiritual”.
There is very little talk of sin in New Age philosophy. Rather, the love concept is emphasized and no thought is given to the fallen condition of man and his separation from God by his sin.
Salvation is by, through and of self.
• SIN AND SALVATION
Without faith in Jesus Christ, it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6); John 3:16).
Without repenting of sin, all men will perish (Acts 3:19; Luke 13:3, 5).
Without confessing faith in Jesus Christ as the only begotten Son of God (the “one and only Son of God”) Jesus will pot confess us before the Father in Heaven (Matthew 10:32-33)
Without being baptized (immersed) in water by the authority of Jesus Christ we cannot have the forgiveness of sins, salvation (Acts 2:38); Mark 16:15-16; John 3:3-5). This puts a person “into Christ,” into the kingdom of God. (Romans 6:3-5; John 3:3-5)
• SACRED WRITINGS
New Agers employ the tools of the occult; tarot cards, crystal, Ouija boards, mediums or channelers, astrologers and fortune tellers. In reality, they seek “the god of this age.” They focus on various manuals
• SACRED WRITINGS
All scriptures is God-breathed,” and supplies man all his needs in doing “every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Search the Scriptures daily.” (Acts 17:11)
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New Age Tradition
Word of God
and books written by their leaders, not focusing on the sacred Holy Bible, inspired by the Holy Spirit of God. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Man does not live by bread alone, buy by every word that comes from God’s mouth.” (Jesus, Matthew 4:4)
If anyone considers himself or herself to be spiritual, “let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command. If he ignores this, he himself we be ignored.” (The New Testament, I Corinthians 14:37) “All spiritual blessings” are to be found in Christ.” (Ephes. 1:3)
• HIGH PRIEST
Shirley MacLaine profeses to be the High Priest of a new religion, and others make the same or similar claims.
• HIGH PRIEST
Jesus Christ is the ONE and ONLY High Priest. Read the Book of Hebrews, particularly chapters 7 and 8.
• CONVERSION
There are four steps to transformation as articulated by Marilyn Ferguson:
1. Entry Point. For one it might be psychedelic drugs; for others it may be a book, a psychic experience, a UFO encounter, a seminar. Whatever shakes a person out of their old way of thinking and into a greater dependence on intuition and inner self.
2. Exploration. Explore what is out there: astrology, yoga, the occult, dietary purification, seminars, the vast inner frontiers of the human mind. A change from objective to subjective thinking; naturalism instead of supernaturalism.
3. Integration. Go get the knowledge; every person may adopt a different code.
4. Awareness. Recognized your “new self.” Total bliss. Total nothingness in the realization of God-consciousness.
Hinduism and Buddism and others
• CONVERSION
The way of salvation and entrance into the body or church of Christ is to follow the primary commands of Jesus in His New Testament. We are thus translated out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of the Son of His love (Colossians 1:13). See the process above.
There is salvation “in one else, for there is no other name other heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) Also see Ephesians 1:17-23
105 | P a g e
New Age Tradition
Word of God
deny self and seek to lose self, where most New Agers elevate and exalt self…a serious conflict of interest. The New Age has yet to harmonize the loosing of self with the finding of self…but when each person makes the rules for himself, anything is acceptable.
Religious Scholars and historians from the early sixties warned of the New Age Movement and correctly predicted the growth of the occult. Spearheads of the current New Age teachings were Theosophy, Unity School of Christianity, Hinduism, Christian Science, Spiritism, Behaiism and Rosicrucianism. Today almost 60 million Americans dabble in some form of New Age occultic thinking. Time Magazine has had cover stories (as well as other national magazines, newspapers, radio and television) proclaiming the New Age and the world of the occult, one showing Shirley MacLaine and another, a masked high priest of the church of Satan. Time also noted that there are 2,500 New Age or occultic bookstores in the USA (in 1989). Merely the “tip of the iceberg” showed itself in the early ‘50’s, but the in the 1960s it began to grow bold and then surfaced in full bloom in the 1980s.
C. S. Lewis saw the battle lines clearly drawn and wrote of the final conflict between religions: Hinduism and Christianity would offer the only options ultimately because Hinduism would include all beliefs and religious systems, and Christianity excludes all others by holding the supremacy of Jesus as the only begotten Son of God, risen from the dead and claiming “all authority.”
Ron Carlson in his unpublished book on the movement asserts, “The New Age Movement is too new, too old, too fluid, too broad, too strange, to assign concrete definition, but it does possess certain symbols and characteristics that allow us to enter the metaphysical world of New Age thought. It is a journey fraught with paradox, inconsistencies, conflicting doctrines, ancient and emerging beliefs, and quite frankly, practices and philosophies that are often alien and bizarre to the traditional western mind …moving with almost dizzying speed, but it has no name and eludes description.” New Age is self-centered in nature, a combination of eastern mystic thought and practice coupled with western secularism and psychotechnologies. By it, you can discover spiritual fulfillment without ethic or moral requirements; spiritualism without commitment.
Ancient roots of New Ageism trace to the occult. The word occult comes from the Latin word for secret and mysterious. The Bible forbids occultic practices on the basis that they come from satanic power (cf Eph. 6:11-12 and Deut. 18:9-14). When this origin is understood, New Age is anything but new age! The occult could be called a substitute faith that can be
101 | P a g e
found throughout the history of world religions. In the Bible there were warnings hundreds of years before Christ concerning occult practices, in such passages as Isaiah 47 where special attention is given to astrologers. “Sorcerers” and “magicians” are spoken of in the book of Daniel. In 2 Kings 21 the Hebrews receive judgment for her failure to obey God concerning the occult. One is quickly reminded of the pathetic situation described in the Book of Judges where “every man did what was right in his own eyes.” The New Age Cult is but a revival of the ancient practices of Sumerian, Indian, Egyptian, Chaldean, Babylonian and Persian religious traditions of men.
Helena Blavatsky was one of the early and prominent promoters of basic Hindu philosophy while manifesting a distinct opposition to the Bible and Christianity. She did this through the Theosophical Society which she founded in the later 1800s. The “Age of Aquarius” is one of the formidable voices for New Age thinking, insisting there are many revealers of truth such as Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius, Zoroaster, Moses, Krishna, etc. Jesus Christ is lowered to the role of “one of many equally good ways,” and most certainly is not as He claimed to be: “THE way, THE truth and THE life; no one comes to the Father BUT BY ME” (John 14:6).
Alice Bailey is an important figure in the movement, having become deeply involved with Madame Blavatsky in the Theosophical Society by writing more than 20 books. Even though her writings are important, however, obviously they cannot be held as an official guide for the New Age movement… nor can any other single writer or philosophy represent the movement. By its very definition it is all-inclusive, nebulous, big, variable and fluid. Unlike the Methodists, for example they have not accepted creed book or discipline.
Because there is no one authority or accepted tradition common to all the philosophies of the New Age, we shall quote from only a few to give contrasts with the Word of God, the Holy Bible
For the more serious student, additional recommended studies would include the following:
The New Age Rage, by J. L. Burrows.
The Universe Next Door, by James Sire.
The New Age Cult, by Walter Martin.
Unmasking the New Age, by D. R. Groothius.
The Emperor’s New Clothes, by K. Kilpatrick.
102 | P a g e
New Age Tradition
Word of God
• GOD
“I have created a role for myself this time around whereby I would be at the forefront of the New Age spiritual movement, heralding the giant truth that one individual is his or her own best teacher, and that no other idol or false image should be worshipped or adored because the God we are all seeking lives inside one’s self, not outside.” (Shirley MacLaine) “A higher power, whatever that may be to you.” (Common references in the Twelve Step Programs of Alcoholic Anynomous, etc., where a “god of your choice” is offered. ) God is “Father, Mother, Child.” Mahareeshi Mahesh Yoga in his meditations speaks of studying his Hindu scriptures and transcendental meditation for the purpose of getting in contact with “higher beings or god” on other levels of spiritual reality. God is self. In Hinduism, the goal is to become enlightened to the point of divine-merging with the “one.”
• GOD
“There is one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all an in your all.” “There is one Spirit.” (Ephesians 4:4-6)
“Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lors is one.” (Deut. 6:4; Mark 12:29)
“Beside me there is no God.” (Isaiah 41:6)
“For though there be those that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth… there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 8:5-6)
• JESUS CHRIST
The New Age teaching, though varied, has basic areas of agreement. In common they hold that though Jesus was basically a good person, yet He is NOT the one and only Savior of the world, is NOT the only way to Heaven, is NOT deity, is NOT the truth, is NOT the life.
• “I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me.” (John 14:6)
• He is our great God and Savior. (Titus 2:13)
• He has all authority in heaven and on earth. (Matthew 28:18)
• He receives worship that is due to God alone, because He is God incarnate. (John 20:28)
• He is King of kings, Lord of lords, the Creator of all things. He The Father calls Him “God.” (Hebrews 1:1-8); Colossians 1:15-20
• MAN
Man as the image of God is already saved with an everlasting salvation.” (Mary Baker Eddy in Miscellaneous Writings, p. 183)
• MAN
“All have sinned and come short of the glory of God…there is none righteous, no not one.” (Romans 3:23, 10)
103 | P a g e
New Age Tradition
Word of God
Salvation depends upon man looking inward at his own righteous spiritual nature and recognizing that he is a god. Man is intrinsically divine, according to Madame Blavatsky. Man is basically good; he just needs more knowledge.
Sin is missing the mark, transgressing the law of God (1 John 5:17). The process that leads all persons of accountable age to sin is: Tempted by our won evil desire, enticed, desire gives birth to sin; and sin when is full grown, gives birth to death, spiritual separation from the perfect Jehovah God. (Jams 1:13-15)
• SIN AND SALVATION
The New Age movement denies, for the most part, the biblical doctrine of sin and substitutes reincarnation as the means of atonement, ignoring the significance of the cross. They choose not to study the Holy Bible as the inspired Word of God, and choose not to “work the works of God” (John 6). “Man is his own satan just as man is his own salvation. (David Spangler, Reflections on The Christ, p. 39) The listings of sin and works of the flesh such as fornication, drunkenness, lying, stealing, etc. as found in Romans 1 and Galatians 5, are not necessarily “sins” to the New Age “spiritual person,” unless by his own mind’s standard they happen to be so. A person can be fornicating or murdering habitually and still be “spiritual”.
There is very little talk of sin in New Age philosophy. Rather, the love concept is emphasized and no thought is given to the fallen condition of man and his separation from God by his sin.
Salvation is by, through and of self.
• SIN AND SALVATION
Without faith in Jesus Christ, it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6); John 3:16).
Without repenting of sin, all men will perish (Acts 3:19; Luke 13:3, 5).
Without confessing faith in Jesus Christ as the only begotten Son of God (the “one and only Son of God”) Jesus will pot confess us before the Father in Heaven (Matthew 10:32-33)
Without being baptized (immersed) in water by the authority of Jesus Christ we cannot have the forgiveness of sins, salvation (Acts 2:38); Mark 16:15-16; John 3:3-5). This puts a person “into Christ,” into the kingdom of God. (Romans 6:3-5; John 3:3-5)
• SACRED WRITINGS
New Agers employ the tools of the occult; tarot cards, crystal, Ouija boards, mediums or channelers, astrologers and fortune tellers. In reality, they seek “the god of this age.” They focus on various manuals
• SACRED WRITINGS
All scriptures is God-breathed,” and supplies man all his needs in doing “every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Search the Scriptures daily.” (Acts 17:11)
104 | P a g e
New Age Tradition
Word of God
and books written by their leaders, not focusing on the sacred Holy Bible, inspired by the Holy Spirit of God. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Man does not live by bread alone, buy by every word that comes from God’s mouth.” (Jesus, Matthew 4:4)
If anyone considers himself or herself to be spiritual, “let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command. If he ignores this, he himself we be ignored.” (The New Testament, I Corinthians 14:37) “All spiritual blessings” are to be found in Christ.” (Ephes. 1:3)
• HIGH PRIEST
Shirley MacLaine profeses to be the High Priest of a new religion, and others make the same or similar claims.
• HIGH PRIEST
Jesus Christ is the ONE and ONLY High Priest. Read the Book of Hebrews, particularly chapters 7 and 8.
• CONVERSION
There are four steps to transformation as articulated by Marilyn Ferguson:
1. Entry Point. For one it might be psychedelic drugs; for others it may be a book, a psychic experience, a UFO encounter, a seminar. Whatever shakes a person out of their old way of thinking and into a greater dependence on intuition and inner self.
2. Exploration. Explore what is out there: astrology, yoga, the occult, dietary purification, seminars, the vast inner frontiers of the human mind. A change from objective to subjective thinking; naturalism instead of supernaturalism.
3. Integration. Go get the knowledge; every person may adopt a different code.
4. Awareness. Recognized your “new self.” Total bliss. Total nothingness in the realization of God-consciousness.
Hinduism and Buddism and others
• CONVERSION
The way of salvation and entrance into the body or church of Christ is to follow the primary commands of Jesus in His New Testament. We are thus translated out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of the Son of His love (Colossians 1:13). See the process above.
There is salvation “in one else, for there is no other name other heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) Also see Ephesians 1:17-23
105 | P a g e
New Age Tradition
Word of God
deny self and seek to lose self, where most New Agers elevate and exalt self…a serious conflict of interest. The New Age has yet to harmonize the loosing of self with the finding of self…but when each person makes the rules for himself, anything is acceptable.