The New Age Movement ,
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The New Age •
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The term “New Age” refers to the soso -called -called “coming Aquarian age” of peace and harmony and unity with “God” which is supposed to replace the age of the Pisces ase on as ro ogy, new agers e eve new ages every 2000 years
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The New Age movement is truly a “buffet” of beliefs and practices Adherents pick and choose what they want to believe (for the most part)
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Most New Agers believe that everything and everyone is part of the “force” (like Brahman) People have unlimited inner power and need to discover it. 1000s of groups work together for a common New Age cause (e.g. Amnesty International, Zero Population Growth, World Goodwill, New World Alliance) http://www.carm.org/new--age http://www.carm.org/new -age age--what -what
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The basic beliefs of New Agers come from Hinduism and Buddhism (along with Eastern mysticism and paganism) It also includes Transcendentalism ideas taught y oreau an merson This movement focused on the unity of all creation, the inherent goodness of humanity, that divine truth is known in the heart (not Word), rejected organized religion and miracles (focus on rational thinking), and focused on the divinity of the individual
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New Age beliefs were also influenced by mediums and contacting spirits Another belief is the power of the mind to heal the body (Christian Science) or power of positive n ng There was also a push from Native American religions to focus on the environment Just as Hinduism is a family of religions, the New Age movement defies definition
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A New Age person may be a Hindu, Buddhist, Wiccan, astrologer, or might have a focus on various causes like holistic healing or UFOs (channeling aliens) e sur ace express on ma ers no What matters is that underneath there is a unifying philosophy that there is a “force,” humanity is divine, reincarnation and karma are real, and enlightenment is the goal Very similar to Hinduism with influences from witchcraft and the occult (mediums, etc.)
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Most New Agers hold to the divinity of nature (Romans 1), and that spiritual power can manipulate natural forces Many in the New Age movement believe that anyone rom a ens o ew ge eac ers mus rescue earth from the evils of Christian beliefs through this movement
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A CNN poll revealed that 30% of Americans believe in reincarnation New Age beliefs have impacted just about every aspect of life Medicine – – holistic health, Deepak Chopra and population control Education – – meditation in the classroom and “values clarification” Politics – – U.N. push for one world government or religion (Robert Muller), Global Education Associates
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Since the close of World War I, Europe and the civilized nations of the world have sought to unify the nations for the good of mankind. President Woodrow Wilson called for a New or r er, an near y every es ern ea er since has issued some sort of call for a new world system. Winston Churchill, some seventy years ago, made it clear when he said, “The purpose of the New World Order is to bring the world into a [one] world government.”
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After 1,600 years of fighting among the nations of Europe, we have watched as these nations have come together in the last fifty years, in what was originally called the “Common ” A coalition of the United Nations has created the World Bank, the World Health Organization, the International Criminal Court, and the International Court of Justice.
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Today, the United Nations has a world constitution, a world currency, a world income tax, a world military force, a global identification number, and what they call a religion
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There is a push for a NewNew -Age Age--kind kind--of unity, a one--world agenda one
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Science – – The Tao of Physics by Capra
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Psychology – – the human potential movement
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Ecology – – the Green movement
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– – Music – – The Beatles, Hair
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Religion – A – A Course in Miracles (deceptive use of Christian words like God, Christ, atonement, etc.) Creation is illusion, no Word from God, all is God, we are all “Christs,” sin, judgment, and hell don’t Promoted by Oprah in 2008 http://kimolsen.wordpress.com/2007/12/10/a-biblical http://kimolsen.wordpress.com/2007/12/10/abiblical-response--to response to--a-course course--in in--miracles/
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Oprah also promoted A promoted A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle ( Are Are You Ready to Be Awakened? You Awakened? You are a god) See critique of this on our website under Media, Spiritual Growth & Apologetics (info on The Shack http://www.ccctucson.org/information.asp?TopicI D=76 Quote, Illustrated Guide to World Religions, Religions, 174174-75
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Shirley MacLaine is one of the most popular New Age promoters (although she says she resents this label) She popularized the movemen n e ss-
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People are searching We can share the Gospel with them
New Age Writings
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Perception – Perception – humanity’s problem is not moral, but like Hinduism, it is intellectual We have forgotten our true, divine nature We have forgotten that we are connected to the Universal Mind (an impersonal God/Force) Barbara Hubbard said, “The fatal human flaw is the illusion that we are separated from each other, from nature, and from the creative processes of nature herself.” This is a pantheistic and monistic view (all is one)
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In her book, THE BOOK OF COCO -CREATION, she writes: “Out of the full spectrum of the human personality, oneone -fourth is elected to transcend and oneone-fourth are destructive, defective seeds. In the past they were permitted to die a natural death. Now, as we approach the quantum shift from who is an inheritor of godgod-like powers - the destructive oneonefourth must be eliminated from the social body. Fortunately, you are not responsible for this act. We are. We are in charge of God’s selection process for planet Earth. He selects - we destroy. We are the riders of the pale horse, Death.” Psychologist Barbara Marx Hubbard is a member and futurist/strategist of Task Force Delta; a United States Army think tank.
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In The Revelation: A Message of Hope for the New Millennium she writes: [In 1966] I saw, perhaps most fundamentally of all, that the vast effort of humanity to “be fruitful and ” generation. One more doubling of the world population will destroy our life support system. Our Mother will not support us if we continue to grow in numbers! We must stop. New Age ideas in the movie Avatar movie Avatar
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Everything is divine Again, like Hindus, most New Agers believe that everything flows from one divine essence and all are a part of this essential reality This is “the force” They believe this is a Cosmic Mind, Consciousness, often called the Universal Self
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Most New Agers find some way to get in touch with this “force” This shows humanity’s desire to be in relationship with God, though quite misguided here Getting in touch with or manipulating this “energy” can be done through psychic means A few miles from here on Broadway – – Eckankar (co (co--worker with God [DEFINE!]) “religion of light and sound.” Office in MN
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From their website: Each of us is connected to God through Divine Spirit (the ECK), which can be heard as Sound and seen as Light. Eckankar offers a spiritual toolkit to help you ex erience the Li ht and Sound of God. They say the Light and Sound come from the Holy Spirit (whom they see as the force). Belief in reincarnation “People can experience them by looking and listening within themselves and through Soul Travel.” “The ability of Soul to transcend the physical body and travel into the spiritual worlds of God. Soul Travel is taught only by the Living ECK Master.”
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Humanity If the Cosmic Mind is all (monism) then humans are part of this force and are divine
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The goal of Yoga, meditation, and mindmind expanding techniques is to experience oneness with the force Ultimate goal is absorption into the Universal Mind after reincarnations
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The power of the mind (Joel (Joel Osteen teaches the New Age doctrine of “positive confession”) http://www.letusreason.org/popteac29.htm External reality is diminished when all is seen as one an a ranscen en o s en e So, the individual is elevated in his sense of shaping reality Since the basic “stuff” of the universe is the Mind, we can use our minds to have power over reality
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“The New Age claims made about the power of the mind range from believing that positive thoughts or affirmations manifest themselves in physical health and fulfilled dreams to the idea that, through the individual ‘actualizes’ – – brings into reality – – one of the many possible, but yet unrealized realities.”
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Joel Osteen quotes http://www.letusreason.org/popteac29.htm Summary of all Osteen books and sermons: Think and speak positively and God will give you everything you want (you’re sovereign, not God)
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Reincarnation New Agers like the idea of their modified view of reincarnation It allows the possibility of learning lessons They don’t like the idea that God judges after one lifetime They like the idea of evolving through perfection However, this often leads to irresponsibility in this life (“I’ll just get it right next time around”) But, notice – – it is “salvation by works, human effort”
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Spirit guides New Agers encourage people to get in touch with their “spirit guides” These can be the dead, aliens, spirits of animals, ange s, e c. Through occultic rituals (crystals, tarot cards, etc.) they seek to channel these forces as their mentors
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Spirit guides “Metaphysically, the quartz crystal can be easily programmed to help provide a positive outcome. It can clear away negative energy from the aura and . can be useful in long distance healing through imaging and meditation.” – Michael McKnight
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Spirit guides “The channeling of such beings fills the void that is left by the New Age movement’s concept of Ultimate Reality, which is that of an impersonal … , as personas to relate to such a reality. Shirley MacLaine wrote, ‘When I go within I look for communication and guidance…and in general have a friendly exchange with someone or something I perceive to be more advanced than I perceive myself.’” – – Illustrated Guide, 179 NYU – – prayer
