Beauty and the beast

In the previous post we suggested that New Age thinking and teaching is infiltrating the churches on a significant scale. We ended with “The Florida Phenomenon”, promising to evaluate some of the teachings in this movement, which is closely associated with the ‘New Apostolic Reformation’ (NAR).  Recent developments appear to have led to a major split in the evangelical church.  The magazine ‘Christianity Today’ may have downplayed the controversy in favor of the movement, but there are quite a few websites with serious -mostly well documented- criticism about NAR’s teachings and its practices.  And for every page of criticism, there seem to be a hundred readers’ replies, which are either very concerned about the developments or very upset that the movement is being criticized.
 

No More Christmas! (two theological theories)

Two key theories in the movement are (1) the kenosis theory and (2) the dominion theory.  The kenosis theory may have had its origins in the late 19^th century in Gottfried Thomasius, who wrestled with the apparent tension of the humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ. He used Philippians 2: 7 (‘Christ emptied himself’; kenoo = to empty out) to propose that Jesus voluntarily gave up (some of) his divine attributes, like his omnipresence and omnipotence.* Adherents to this theory today agree that Christ was both fully human and fully divine, but not at the same time.  In the NAR this is a key doctrine.  “New apostles”, like Bill Johnson of Bethel church (Redding, Fla.) propose that the young Jesus was not divine.  A special anointing of the Spirit (at his baptism in the Jordan River) empowered Jesus to live a sinless life and to do mighty miracles for God.  We, or some of us with the same kind of anointing, can do the same kinds of things.  Therefore -it is suggested- we, too, can and should heal the sick, give sight to the blind, and raise the dead- just as Jesus did.  In fact, some members of the Bethel church have been at a local morgue to try this, and there are stories circulating that some have been raised from the dead.  Christ’s purpose (we are told) was that we should follow Him in doing signs and wonders for God!  The consequences of this teaching should be obvious: Jesus is no longer unique: others –with the same kind of anointing- can achieve the same things!  Does this mean that we, too, can become without sin and acquire divinity…?  This is what the New Age teaches**; Jesus is one of many yogis; others have accomplished the same kinds of things as he!

The dominion theory claims that Adam and Eve lost their dominion over God’s creation.  Consequently, the enemy became the (true) prince of the world.  Through Jesus’ ministry, however, he recovered the kingship, and he gave it to the church. Now it is our task to assure that God’s Kingdom is established on earth.  We should not wait, in confident expectation, for Christ to return to make all things new. He has given us the power to do this, and Christ will not return until we have accomplished it!  If we want Christ to return, we’d better join the “signs and wonders” movement, because this is the way that it will happen! 

Bob DeWaay summarizes Johnson’s message (in his book “When Heaven Invades Earth- a practical guide to a life of miracles”) as follows: “God always wants to do abundant and remarkable miracles but is kept from doing so by the fear and unbelief of the church.  God waits the arrival of specially anointed and enlightened Christians who will enable Him to bring at long last an invasion of heaven to earth before the return of Christ.”

Somehow, when I read the letters of Jesus to the seven churches, it seems that the real Christ has a different message as he warns against false teachings and idolatry, rather than urging us to do signs and wonders!   

Take off that armor! (no more testing)

The evangelical church has always maintained that the Holy Spirit uses the Word, and that we must use the Word to test the spirits to see whether or not they are from God.  If the enemy wants to deceive the church, he must first turn off the alarm systems.  Needless to say, this is what is happening today.  The masses are deceived by sensational reports, but they have little interest in systematic Bible study.  They are like the people of Galilee, who loved to see great miracles while they had little interest in the Word of truth.  Where Bible study is despised and preaching becomes short and shallow, the focus is shifted from the cross of Christ and a transformed life of growing in godliness to involvement in community projects or hyped-up revival meetings.  Apparently, at Bethel church one of the popular sayings is, “God has only nice things to say”; no wonder former members report that the word ‘repentance’ was never used.  Pastor Johnson repeatedly downplays reliance on God’s Word for knowing God and the NAR seems to have little respect for the Bible.  Johnson writes, “Those who feel safe because of their intellectual grasp of Scripture enjoy a false sense of security. None of us has a full grasp of scripture, but we all have the Holy Spirit. He is our common denominator who will always lead us into truth. But to follow Him, we must be willing to follow off the map- to go beyond we know.”

Whereas Paul urges the church to put on the full armor of God so we can stand strong against the devil’s schemes, the “apostles of the new reformation” assure us that the Holy Spirit will always protect us.  We need not worry about deceptive spirits, they seem to suggest, while Paul urges us to be on our guard against the spiritual powers of the darkness!  Where Paul sees demons, the NAR sees only angels of light.  In fact, they talk more about angels than about Jesus Christ; when His name is used, it’s often like a (constantly repeated) mantra.  Johnson argues that heaven has started to invade the earth, and his wife reports how she and her friends drove across Arizona and New Mexico on a mission to wake up angels. They take this serious, so I begin to wonder, “What is going on?  Are they called to mobilize fallen angels or deceiving spirits for the last battle?” 

…12The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east. 13And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; 14for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.… (Revelation 16)

Some have criticized the movement or its leaders as the anti-Christ (as they reject that Jesus came to earth as the Christ), but the NAR replies: No, the term ‘Christ’ refers to the anointing. Therefore the real anti-Christs are those who are opposed to the anointing, the baptism of the Holy Spirit and its associated miracles!

Embracing the enemy

Once the alarm systems have been turned off, the enemy must convince us that there is no true antithesis. The NAR and their partners are convinced that we must learn from the New Age, because it knows of methods and techniques that can help us to perform mighty signs and wonders. They are convinced that the New Age actually stole most of their techniques from the church, so it is our duty to take it back.  Although the New Age is still seen as an enemy, or at least as competition, the theology and methodology of NAR begins to look very similar to that of the New Age!

There is nothing new under the sun. Marilyn Ferguson wrote thirty five years ago (in her book ‘The Aquarian Conspiracy’) “My definition of Christianity has expanded over the years. After I became involved in meditation, for example, I experienced the vision of Christ more vividly than I ever had through sermons and dogma. You would be surprised, I think, to know how much of the New Age Movement centers on Christ Consciousness Many Christian churches are seeing that direct spiritual experience offers a revitalization for modern Christianity.”  The only new difference is that today these ideas are no longer exceptional; they have become the common perspective of many or most mainstream churches.

Take stock and mobilize your church!

When you scan the Internet, you will find that every popular preacher has been called a false prophet or the antichrist!  For every issue of biblical tension (like: The Bible is the Word of God, yet it was written by humans. Christian faith is God’s gift, while it is our responsibility. We are saved by faith alone, while faith without works cannot save us.), there will be those who emphasize one side of the truth, criticizing those who emphasize the other side.  I, too, have been called a false prophet and a heretic. When the church of Christ is thoroughly divided, only the enemy stands to gain!  Therefore, we must be cautious before we judge. 

And yet, we are called to test the spirits to discern what is in accordance with God’s Word!  We do have many warnings in the Scriptures, and we would be foolish not to heed those just because we hate to slander.  We must also realize that Satan is clever enough to mix in a good dose of walk and talk that looks very genuine. When Jesus was tested in the wilderness, the enemy also started his attacks by quoting from Scripture.  As churches begin to neglect idolatry and pussyfoot around sensitive issues, they will lose the power of God’s presence. When that happens, the members reach out to programs and courses to experience the presence and the power of God.  Yet, this will not work!  It is like Eli’s sons, bringing the ark of God onto the battle ground. 

How are these things impacting your church, and how can we equip and protect the faithful ones?  I can only offer some suggestions.

• ·         Don’t think it does not affect your church. Even the most conservative or orthodox churches has members and groups or courses (inside the church or followed in parachurch organizations) that impact the members in these ways. Just keep your eyes and ears open when it comes to shifting interests and new courses that are offered or embraced!
• ·         Although anything relating to the ‘mystical’ can be used as a portal to the New Age, not everything may be bad in or by itself.  We are leading a course on ‘Experiencing God’, where the warning is always heard to test (what appears to be) the Spirit’s leadings by the Word of God.  Also, we may use ‘lectio divina’ and certain forms of chanting in our worship, but we must be careful when these involve ‘emptying ourselves’ in submission to whatever spirit seeks to enter us or using mantra-like phrases in ongoing repetition. 
• ·         Yoga and TM must always be treated with the greatest suspicion, and just because ‘it feels good’ and ‘it helps me to relax’, this does not mean it pleases God or cannot be used by the enemy to lead us into darkness.  We may pray, ‘lead us not into temptation’, but if we do not heed his warnings and continue to go there, we cannot trust that God will never let us go.
• ·         Matthew 24 and 2 Thessalonians 2, among other passages, give us serious warning about real things.  Yet, our Lord reminds us that those who are the true believers (‘the elect’) will remain true to the faith.  Although all the false teachings seem to destroy the Body of Christ, it’s actually the dead or dying church that is swept away. “Where the dead body is, there the vultures will gather!” (Matthew 24: 28)
• ·         Be prepared for backlash. The impact of this (NAR) global movement is so great that many have been charmed by it to such an extent that they may respond in great anger when they see their heroes being criticized.

* Similarly, popular evangelical authors like Philip Yancey, in their efforts to solve the tension between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility, have argued that God has voluntarily given up his omnipotence, taking a real risk in order to give full freedom to human beings in their response to the will of God.  This thinking has further deteriorated into Clark Pinnock’s Open Theism, where one cannot be sure whether or not God’s plans will ever be fulfilled.

**”Autobiography of a Yogi”, by Paramahansa Yogananda

Major sources:

Bob DeWaay         An Invasion of Error, in response to the book “When Heaven Invades Earth”

John Lanagan        The New Age Propensities of Bethel Church’s Bill Johnson,

in response to the book “the Physics of Heaven”

The Last Battle

Canada, 1993-94

When the movie “The Lion King” was released, it became an instant hit, and no wonder. It was beautiful in animation, giving a popular story with great music. Yet, as I was studying and teaching about cultural trends at the time, I saw it as a grand strategy to promote a pantheistic worldview.  It seemed to me that we were being told that the age of reckless hedonism (“There is no environmental problem”) was over. Through shaman Rafiki, we heard the warning of the ancestor’s spirit to take responsibility for the state of the planet.  In the same year I read that native tribes of the Amazon should be seen as “keepers of the flame”.  In their harmonious co-existence with the natural and spiritual world they set an example for humankind today, as we have all but destroyed our common living space.  I shared my concerns about the movie with some colleagues at the Christian high school where I taught at the time.  I got little support; one colleague thought I was suffering from a conspiracy syndrome, and the music teacher had her choir sing the Lion King’s theme song, “The Circle of Life”.

A year earlier, the Alberta government sponsored magazine “Environment Views” had a special issue about religion & environment. The lead article suggested that the church should do what Jesus had done for Jewish culture, and turn it around in a new direction to heal ourselves and our planet.  The first paragraph of the article decried the fact that one Christian pastor had complained about a recent Edmonton ecumenical religious service (on World Environment Day), where all religious leaders were invited to unite in positive thoughts and prayers for the wellbeing of Mother Earth. The pastor had protested that public funds were used to promote neo-paganism.  The author expressed his amazement how Christian leaders of today can still be so stubborn not to unite with “other traditions” and how they still “fail to recognize the legitimacy of earth-based spirituality”.

The Netherlands, 2002?

Meanwhile, one of my own sisters had become a true disciple of the New Age.  She learned about spiritual powers and she consulted with spirits of ancestors and animals. One time, she wrote to the whole family that we should understand the Bible from the ‘proper’ perspective. The ascended Jesus had recently spoken through medium Kim (Michaels?), lamenting that the church had never really understood his message!  We were never meant to separate ourselves from other religions, and we were supposed to discover the god-spirit inside ourselves!  I took the trouble to study “Jesus’ new revelation” and discovered that Kim’s Jesus made no mention of a sacrificial death on the cross.  The death and resurrection of our Lord, always at the heart of the Gospel, was not even mentioned by this ‘ascended Jesus’!  How could any serious Christian with a love for God’s Word believe such nonsense?

Toronto, 1998

After my job at the Christian high school was terminated, I took summer courses Biblical Greek in Toronto.  I was one of two senior students in the course.  The other one was Tony, a Pentecostal brother who was just retired from the Toronto police force.  During the first week of the course it was pretty quiet on campus, but by the second week more courses had started, so lunch time chapel meetings were held.  These would start with Praise & Worship music, and then –after prayer- one of the teachers/professors would deliver a message.  I remember standing beside Tony at the first chapel meeting. I felt like one of God’s chosen frozen, while Tony’s whole body was engaged in worship.  So, I was determined to loosen up and more fully participate in Praise & Worship.            

The next day, however, as my body started to move with the music, I noticed that Tony was standing still. Well, I thought, perhaps he has a bad day or stomach cramps or something.  When it was time for the message, a young woman came to the stage; apparently she taught a course in contemporary worship styles. She told us a story… There once was a girl in Africa with some kind of problem.  I think she was rejected by her village, I don’t quite remember. But, as she stood at the river, the heavens opened and a voice spoke to her, telling her that she was special. She should look for the (divine) power within herself!  As she returned to the village, everybody realized that she had changed…  I was amazed, shocked!  When I looked around, I noticed that a senior Presbyterian pastor was just leaving the room.  I looked at Tony; he was shaking his head.  What was a New Age prophet doing here, at a Christian seminary?  And why was she accepted to teach the church leaders about worship?  Tony was just as upset, and he said, “As soon as I entered the room today, I knew a bad spirit was present!”  Tony and I tried to talk to the seminary leaders and to some students, but we got no support.  Either, they could not or would not see any danger in what was happening!  (In our church -where I was just placed under discipline- they would preach from the pulpit that Pentecostals are not Christians. Yet, Tony had a spirit of discernment that I lacked. I had to hear the message before I realized the presence of the enemy!)

During the nineties, the city of Toronto was also the location for an amazing new phenomenon, initially called “The Toronto Blessing”.  The events associated with the TB were sensational and controversial.  Certain people reportedly had spiritual powers, so that anybody they touched lost (partial) control over their bodies, falling down, hysterically laughing, barking like a dog, etc.  Many people said that it felt liberating and empowering, while others criticized the events, claiming that people who were so touched by “the Spirit” were not changed in any biblical way of repentance and devotion towards God.  Others noted that very similar experiences were never reported in the Bible, while they did exist in ancient demonic practices. The common teaching in Toronto seemed to be, “Don’t pray so much. Rather, empty yourself, and let ‘the Spirit’ fill you.  Don’t try to understand it, just surrender body and mind to the experience!”  Recent converts from Eastern religions and New Age seem to be unanimous in their assertion that the bodily reactions are the same as used in ancient eastern paganism (and the New Age)*. 

South China, 2008

After starting a small church plant, we met a group of young Chinese professionals who lived at Buddha Mountain.  After worshipping with us for some months, they expressed a desire to start a ministry in their own city.  One of them, Maureen**, told us that she had studied at a Bible college in Florida.  Apparently they could not find a house church in their city with 6 million people, so we encouraged them to start a worship group.  We visited them on a monthly basis to offer teaching and advice, but almost a year later we noticed strange reactions from the group.  They kept making comment about my length, and then they shared their excitement: Jack, whom we had baptized earlier, had grown a whole inch in answer to their prayers!  I was surprised and tried to point out that their focus was wrong: It does not matter how tall our bodies are; God wants us to grow spiritually!  The leader insisted that I should not discourage these young Christians. This was part of the course (supplied by the Florida church where she had studied), and in this way, they learned to realize the power of prayer!  We were not convinced, so later we had another meeting with the leaders, voicing our concerns.  Unfortunately, they were determined to continue on their path.  Three or four years later, that church group collapsed. A righteous remnant joined another house group, where the preaching appears to be sound. Last year we met Maureen on the bus; she did not want to talk with us.

Florida

Where did this excitement in answered prayer and this failure to build the church originate? It was only recently that I have learned the background.  Interestingly, “the Florida Phenomenon” (as I shall call it here) has strong links with the Toronto Blessing!  And, despite of serious criticism from reliable sources, the TB’s kind of experiences are gaining popularity in all nations and denominations!  While the movement is growing, most people who have become excited about these manifestations have refused to test these with the Bible.  After I shared some criticism on Facebook, several close Christian friends from various nations and denominations responded like this, “Look how much good these churches are doing, how dare you say something critical about them?”  Dazzled by the massive impact and intrigued by their personal experiences, Christians all over the world have lost all spiritual discernment and refuse to test the spirits at work, to see whether or not they are from God!

What is ‘good’ in the sight of God? And, did not all oppressive utopia movements start with a display of ‘good things’?  Study how Hitler or Mao got to power (giving the masses what they wanted), and how people learned to accept such men as gods, even when the massacre began!  In one more post I hope to examine the teaching behind the Florida Phenomenon. 

*http://web.archive.org/web/20050309020450/http://www.niksula.cs.hut.fi/~ahuima/toronto/kundalini.html

**not her real name

On the train to Amsterdam

In the previous post I introduced four major themes in New Age thinking.  Another significant theme is the idea of wholism or holism: “The whole is greater than its parts”.  Anybody who has lived in Asia or is familiar with its culture will realize that there is a different perspective on human life.  Although modernization and Christianity are impacting these cultures today, the prevalent view in China and surrounding countries still seems to be that all citizens must be prepared to willingly sacrifice their lives for the good of their families and communities, their country and her leaders.   Westerners are often shocked to learn how (in the past) their most celebrated leaders openly bragged about the many lives (of their own citizens) sacrificed for the glory of the nation (the way that the leaders envisioned it should be).  
 

Shortly after I had read a number of books by New Age leaders or about the movement, we were visiting our families in the Netherlands.  After a few weeks we took the train to Schiphol International Airport (outside Amsterdam).  Somewhere on this trip a young woman, sitting across from me, tried to start a conversation.  Apparently, she was encouraged by the fact that we were conversing in the English language.

I explained that we were Dutch Canadians, and she shared she lived in Norway. She was on her way home after attending a New Age conference.  She was obviously excited about the experiences gained at this event.  I told her that I was a Christian, and that I was somewhat familiar with the movement.  I told her that I agreed with the New Age on the existence of a (highly relevant) spiritual reality, and that it is possible to communicate with it.  Apparently she was not so familiar with the source of New Age ‘knowledge’, so I told her what I had learned about the topic, regarding mediums and shamans, séances and spirit-revelations.  Yet, I also shared my concern: In what way can we test the spirits whether they are good and true?  Apparently there also exist deceiving spirits who seek to use humans for their own intentions, eventually bringing them and others to lose their responsibility and perhaps even their identity.  She told me that at times she shared that fear; perhaps she was not yet totally convinced by the New Age teaching or in the grip of its power.  So, I told her that the Bible claims to be the tool to test the spirits to see whether they are from our Father-God.

Next, I shared my concern about the New Age perspective on human life in the scope of the wellbeing of the planet.  As ‘the devil’s advocate’, I painted a scenario, based on the doctrine of “the whole is greater than its parts”. 

‘The time may come that the global environment will be on the brink of disaster, or at least that the majority of humankind has been persuaded to think so.  When this happens, populations will rise up against their governments, realizing how their leaders have refused to put the wellbeing of the planet before their personal interests and the economic interests of their own nations.  Millions will rise up in the belief that if their leaders refuse to do the right thing, surely they themselves must do the right thing and take radical action to protect our Mother Earth.’

I looked at her; she nodded. So, I continued…

‘At a time like this, I believe, New Age will show its true colors.  Since the whole is greater than the parts, and the wellbeing of the planet is far more important than the lives of human beings…  Since death for those who rape Mother Earth would serve the survival of the planet and prevent their further accumulation of bad karma, we should terminate the lives of those who have persistently contributed to large-scale destruction and exploitation.’

She frowned. She was not ready to use violence … Not yet…

 ‘Look, I realize that this is new to you.  But think: When the planet’s enemies cross over to the spirit world, this would make them repentant and desiring –in their next life- to undo the evils of their past… So, perhaps the time has come to ‘forcefully reform’ those who threaten the planet’s life: the oil barons and those in government who support them, the business people who know about the destructive nature of their industries, and all those who live as if their personal wealth gives licence to exploit the planet and to steal from future generations!  Furthermore, this would give a clear warning signal for other global citizens, as we educate them to be good children of our Mother Earth.’

She looked more relaxed now.  Perhaps she was buying into my scheme.

I reminded her that I was a Christian.  I shared with her the Bible’s perspective that we have a Father-God, who has made each one of us in His Image.  He loves us, and He cares for us.  And because of our special connection with Him, each human life is precious in His sight.  There are some things that I am prepared to die for, but I hope I never have the audacity to murder one of His children- deciding in my arrogance who should not be worthy to live.

The train slowed down; fellow passengers began to get up and take their belongings. In just another moment we would arrive at Schiphol International Airport, the terminal of the line.

What goes around... comes around

The New Age movement is not a monolithic or homogeneous entity, but rather something like a swarm-like reality of many seemingly unrelated elements, which still display important common characteristics.  We cannot restrict the New Age to a certain group of people or a particular organization; nevertheless there still seems to be a common force with a distinct purpose.  Although there is no human conspiracy or human mastermind, yet there seems to be a spiritual reality which drives it and steers it.

In two posts I seek to expose some of the themes which seem to dominate the movement so that we may recognize it whenever and wherever we encounter its existence.

1)       the relationship between humans and nature

2)       the relationship between humans, nature, and the spirit world

3)       the relationship between humans in the natural world and in the spirit world

4)       the relationship between human individuals and the greater web of life

1              the relationship between humans and nature

(Voice of the New Age) In the past we have always emphasized that humans were at odds with their natural environment. We saw nature as a wild force to be mastered and tamed into submission.  It was the human mandate to conquer the wilderness so that it would yield its power and resources in the service of us, humankind.  This colonial attitude has resulted in the destruction of natural beauty and the wellbeing of all global citizens.

We now see humankind first of all as just one small, yet domineering part of a complex network of life, where each element has its own place and function, so that all can harmoniously co-habit the planet for its ongoing welfare.  We now look at ecological relationships as examples of harmonious and peaceful habitation of our shared habitat.  Therefore, we must stop seeing ourselves as superior to other animals, and we must learn to place the long-term wellbeing of Mother Earth above our private, cultural, or national interests.

The Gaya hypothesis: Named after the ancient goddess Gaya, our planet is now viewed by many as a large-scale organism which seeks to maintain its own wellbeing and preservation. Where human impact becomes destructive, Gaya may have to fight back in order to protect herself as well as all the organisms that depend on her wellbeing. 

This worldview is fundamentally incompatible with the biblical view! Although we are creatures and part of creation, we are also its students and its stewards.  We are God’s special creation, as we have been created in His image.  Although God did not create the world and everything in it for our benefit but for His glory, yet He told us to care for it, and He encouraged us to use it- to His glory.  Although creation originally was good, in many ways it has been corrupted by the fall, and consequently it is now groaning for the glorious return of its Good Creator and Provider.  Only through God’s intervention can there be restoration of the Rule of God, and only when God’s Kingdom has been fully restored can creation regain all its beauty and harmony.  We don’t live in a godless universe on a spaceship adrift, for the One who created everything beautifully holds it all together in his providential care, and He is working to restore it to His Glory!

2              the relationship between humans, nature, and the spirit world

Science had taken on the role to demythologize the world.  Wherever people noticed anything mysterious or miraculous, scientists would step in to expose yet another fantasy or fraud.  And so, we have been made to believe that there are no spiritual beings (gods or spirits) which control the world and its events.  In the western cities and academic institutions this view seemed reasonable, but in many other areas and cultures western science could not satisfy the full reality of life.   Although science proudly boasted in its superior knowledge, it was in effect terribly naïve when it came to the spiritual reality.  Its methods and its instruments were not designed to see anything beyond the material reality, and the western mind was closed to the possibility of a supernatural dimension.

When I was teaching science in a school with a significant population of “Native Americans”, I would always bring this up as introduction to the course.  On the reserve these students would visit the Longhouse, where the elders taught them how to live with the spirits and how to express thankfulness to the Great Spirit. At school, the going worldview was that such teaching is primitive and backwards.  Although typically our Native students would not dare to protest this implied ethnocentricity, it must have contributed to cultural alienation.  I suggested to my students that perhaps it was not their elders but modern scientists who were ignorant about the reality of spiritual beings.  After showing the importance of recognizing underlying mindsets or worldviews, I could then show them a third way (monotheism, rather than atheism or pantheism) and explain the Gospel in a nutshell.

Ruth Montgomery used to be a skeptical and modern journalist, but after she joined a friend to a séance, she could no longer ignore the supernatural reality. With all her western upbringing, she had no way to make sense of such experiences, and so she faced a paradigm shift.  Like so many others, she began to reject her atheistic worldview while adopting a pantheistic one. She learned how to communicate with the spirit world, where spirits are anxious to prove their trustworthiness.  It often happens that such spirits, through mediums, claim that the skeptic’s ancestors are there- with them.  So, these spirits might give some story of his grandmother’s past, to make him think, “How is it possible that this spirit knows this about my deceased grandmother? It must be true what she is telling me!”

Barney Lacendre was a Native American, who grew up in northern Saskatchewan.  He observed how some people in his community possessed special gifts or powers from their allegiance with the spirit world. So, as a boy already, he wanted to tap into these powers, too. He learned to invite the spirits to come into his life by frequent and persistent ‘prayers’ at night. After some time spirits like those of the robin, the frog, and the horse introduced themselves and invited him to make ‘a covenant’ with them. In return for certain sacrifices, gifts or other acts of allegiance, the spirits would offer their services and powers. One day, Barney’s spirits seemed powerless to bless him on his trap-line. He figured that some enemy had put a spell on it, but in the end this crisis led Barney to discover the power and the love of the One Creator God.  So, Barney broke all his spirit relationships to show his full allegiance to the Holy Spirit, and God used him to preach the Good News to his people.  

3              Afterlife and Reincarnation

The New Age movement is not something new or geographically isolated. It shares its main ideas with Animism, Hinduism, (North American) Native Spirituality, Neo-paganism, Witchcraft, and the Occult.  These traditions are basically all pan-theistic, meaning that “the divine” is seen as an integral part of the material world.  Essentially all elements of the world are to some extent hosting this divine power or presence.  While atheism typically teaches that there is no afterlife and no judgment, pantheism teaches that life is cyclical: ‘What goes around… comes around!’

(New Age voice) Even if we are not conscious about our previous lives, we are reincarnated in an ongoing cycling of life and ‘death’.  In fact, your previous lives may explain specific problems you are experiencing in your life today. Therefore, you are advised to participate in PLR (Past Life Regression) sessions. While under hypnosis, you can have vivid experiences of events or situations which do not originate from your personal experience- at least in your current life as you remember it.  Rather, they originate from your previous lives!  

This experience (brought on by deceiving spirits!?) are considered proof of reincarnation.  So, more and more westerners begin to accept this as a fact.  One of my native students, Victoria*, once shared her experience in my class at a public school for alternative education.  She had experienced PLR, and she embraced New Age teaching. Once -during class- she became very emotional, standing up to warn the other students in class to repent of their selfishness, for they would face judgment and come to regret wasting their lives on earth!  I was amazed, but I understood what she was saying.

Like many evangelicals today, New Age promoters present their message as one of Good News, encouraging love and peace and harmony!  They don’t want to talk about judgment, and so they tell us not to fear death, for there is no Holy Judge waiting at the other side, ready to throw us into a ‘pool of fire’.  Yet, their “gospel” also has a dark side! 

(New Age voice) Reincarnation is not a blessing; it is a curse for all those who have lived selfish lives on earth. When we cross over into the spirit world we must face “the mirror of life”. In it we must observe all what we have done and said or thought. Yet, at that time we are forced to see our lives from “a true perspective”, and we realize our many ‘sins and shortcomings’. While we are there, in this spiritual waiting room, we begin to realize that we have built up a serious debt, which can only be paid off in a future life! For most of these ‘souls’ in the spirit world this presents a serious crisis. According to various sources**, more than half of them hope to return to earth as a severely handicapped person, so that this situation may facilitate them to pay off their debt!  

4              Unity

We already noted how John Lennon and Yoko Ono sought to bring an end to (the old) religion in order to facilitate the rising of The New Age.  Central to the movement is a desire to establish and secure world peace through the oneness of all people and all life. Obviously this does not refer to building God’s Kingdom by reconciling Creator and creation through the work of Jesus Christ.  No, Christianity is usually seen as the problem, rather than the solution. 

(New Age) Look at the Plantagenets, the Crusaders, the Conquistadores, the European colonizers, and the recent American presidents.  Most of them claimed to be Christians, and yet they showed no respect for other nations and did not hesitate to murder many for their own power or glory! Look at the Christians (wrote Lynn White): In their zeal to obey the Cultural Mandate, they exploited and abused Mother Earth! Can’t you see that the Bible and the church cannot help us in the current crisis?

‘Religions divide people and lead to wars!’ This is one of the popular myths promoted (by the enemy) today. The facts that during the last century most people were killed in human attempts to build their own Utopias (Heaven on earth), and that religions are usually hijacked by leaders with political agendas to give themselves an aura of divine sanction, are usually ignored.  And so, Eastern religions, repackaged in the New Age, are presented as the panacea for the planet!  Eastern religions advertize themselves as tolerant and accepting of all other religions, yet they will seek to transform these religions and introduce new definitions for their familiar words, like ‘faith’, ‘god’, ‘love, and ‘salvation’.  Consequently, Jesus cannot be the (only!) Truth or the (only!) Way to God!  Pluriformity and equality of all religions (although they are obviously mutually exclusive) are basic tenets of “the new faith”, which is promoted as the only religion that can secure (or enforce?) world peace!  In Europe and North America, the most frequently heard objection against Christianity is that it is arrogant in insisting that it is the only true religion. (Yet, in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, this is not an issue.)  Interestingly, those who think they are most open-minded on religion, are often the ones that narrowly follow the western popular opinion.

I will try to conclude this topic in another post, “The Whole is Greater than its Parts”.  After that I hope to write about the impact of the New Age on the church today.

*not her real name

**Ravi Zacharias, “Jesus among other gods”, about Hinduism; and in “Ruth Montgomery, Herald of the New Age”

I am not absolutely sure about my sources, for more than 90% of my library is at home in Canada, while more than 90% of the year I am away from home in China.