Lesson 10: New Age

A Quick Look at New Age

• According to Russell Chandler, "New Age is not a cult or sect per se," but rather "a hybrid mix of spiritual, social, and political forces, and it encompasses sociology, theology, the physical sciences, medicine, anthropology, history, and the human potential movement, sports and science fiction."
• As many as 12 million Americans are active New Age participants.
• Another 30 million are avidly interested.
• There is no definite statement of New Age beliefs, no founder, no central church or headquarters, and no formal structure.
• More than 3000 publishers offer New Age and Occult books.
• Bestselling New Age books include A Course in Miracles, A Return to Love, Out on a Limb, and Celestine Prophecy.

New Age Basic Beliefs

1. God is who or what you want him to be.
2. Truth is what you want it to be.
3. Salvation depends on you. - Since you are a god there is no need for salvation

What New Age borrows from other Religions

• Hinduism - ideas of monotheism, pantheism, and reincarnation.
• Buddhism - Meditation and elightenment (nirvana). Rely heavy on Zen Buddhism.
• Taoism - There is no absolute truth.
• Gnosticism - Dualism
• Native American religions - Belief in the nature spirits. Also, shamanism, healed by spirits.
• Occultism - Belief in a power based on a hidden knowledge about the universe and its hidden forces.

Recap

• The influence of new age spirituality is embeded in all aspects of society.
• Many New Age practitioners are thoughtful professionals who have a common vision to transform society and bring about a new era of harmony and human progress.
• New Age spirituality has characteristics of monism, pantheism, defication of humanity, transformation, ecological centerdness and a belief in a new world order.
• The New Age and the Bible present different realities about God, truth and salvation.

Discussion

What New Age influences do you see today?

Lesson 9: Buddhism

A Quick Look at Buddhism

• There are more than 350,000,000 Buddhists worldwide, although obtaining exact statistics is difficult because there are not organized churches in many regions and the religion is often attributed to all residents in an area.
• Buddhism is most prevalent in the countries of China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia.
• With the growth of Asian ethnicities in the United States, the Buddhist population is increasing in the U.S., with perhaps 500,000 followers. Buddhism is the main religion in Hawaii.

This Way to the Middle

Buddha indentified the key to living in the way of the middle was found in these four noble truths:

1. Life is all about suffering - Life is tough. Existence is painful. And because reincarnation keeps the pattern of birth-life-death in a repeating cycle, the suffering doesn't stop with death.
2. The cause of suffering is our desire and greed. The three roots of evil are desire, hatred and ignorance. Selfish craving is at the root of all suffering.
3. There is a way to overcome our desire and greed. One can transcend the three roots of evil and enter into a state of nirvana and the cycle of suffering will end.
4. The path to happiness and relief of suffering is an eight-step process known as the Noble Eightfold Path.

Whay are there so many statues of Buddha?

Believe it or not people are not worshipping the statue of Buddha. They serve as a reminder of the possibility of enlightenment. Buddhists bring offerings of flowers, incense, candles, etc. to the statues out of respect.

The Way To Nirvana

• Samsura - Life consists of three compopnents - suffering, change and the absence of an eternal soul that survives independent after death.
• Renunciation - True reality involves the renunciation of life as we know it and beleive it to be. Only by letting go of it can we obtain the real meaning of life.
• Reincarnation
• Nirvana - liberation from the cycle of suffering.

Tiratna (Three Jewels)

These are the three fundamental principles upon which the religion is based.

1. Buddha - He found the path to enlightenment and taught it to other people.
2. Dharma - The teaching about the true way of things.
3. Sangha - Community of monks, nuns, laypeople who practice and promote dharma.

What's that again? (Recap)

1. Buddhism got its start in the 6th century when Siddharth Gautama (Buddha) broke away from his isolated, extravagant lifestyle in the palace and was confronted with harsh realities of real life.
2. His great awakening brought understanding that there is a middle way between the extremes of self-denial and self-indulgence. With this truth, he became the enlightened one and was then called Buddha.
3. Buddhists follow the four noble truths that were articulated by Buddha, recognizing that this life is all about suffering that is brought about by our own greed and cravings. Suffering can be overcome by following the 8 fold path, a person can transcend greed and reach a state of nirvana that is the realization of ultimate truth and understanding.
4. Buddhists believve in reincarnation. Following death, rebirth continues. Ideally, with each rebirth you attain a higher level of understanding until you reach nirvana.
5. Buddhism involves an intense dedication to meditation. While prayer in other religions is a search to bring God to humanity, the meditation of Buddhists is a search to find the spiritual nature within the individual.

Discussion

1. What did you notice about God in Buddhism?
2. What do you know (or google) about Zen?

Lesson 8: Hinduism

A Quick Look at Hinduism

• The Word Hindu comes from the Sanskrit Word shindu, meaning river, or more specifically, the Indus River.
• There are appx. 790, 000, 000 Hindus worldwide.
• Thirteen percent of the world's population is Hindu.
• More than 80% of the people of India practice some form of Hinduism.
• Nepal, where 89% of the population is Hindu, is the only nation where Hinduism is the state religion.
• Approxiamently 1 million Hindus live in the United States, primarily in major cities such as New York, Los Angeles and the San Francisco bay area.

Hinduism and Christianity

• Hindu ism states that there are many gods, Christianity states that there is just one God. None of the Hindu gods are personal and you are free to pick the one or ones you want to worship.
• To Hindus, Brahma is the impersonal creator of the world. Brahman is the Universal Soul and ultimate reality. This is an example of "the force". Cristianity believes in the trinity.
• Reincarnation is how Hindus become one with the ultimate reality. Christianity believes that we live once and physically die once.
• Hindus believe that good works will ultimately save you. This is known as karma. People keep going through the cycle of reincarnation because their bad works outweigh their good works. When their good works are more then they will become onewith the ultimate reality. Christians believe that faith in Jesus Christ alone will save the unbeliever. Works is a byproduct of faith.

Recap

1. Hinduism is a major world religion with no founder and no single creed or doctrine.
2. The main goal of Hindu is to break free from the world as we see it to unite with the ultimate reality.
3. Ancient Hindus believe in reincarnation, polytheism and the essential spiritual unity of humankind.
4. The most important Hindu scriptures are the Vedas, composed over a thousand year period beginning in 1400b.c.
5. The three main Hindu gods are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The preists of Brahma climbed to the top of the religous and social order and established the Hindu system of castes.
6. The only way for the individual soul to unite with the Universal Soul is through reincarnation and karma.
7. Moshka occurs when the individual soul finally unites with the Universal Soul. There are three ways to attain it: way of activity, knowledge or devotion.
8. Understanding the beliefs of Hinduism can help you understand many other religions and belief systems of the world.

Discussion

1. How do we explain that there is no force that we absorb into and Christianity is true?

Lesson 7: Mind Sciences

History

The "mind sciences" we will be discussing are Christian Science, the Unity School of Christianity, and the United Church of Religious Science. They will be collectively called the mind sciences because of the similarities between them. The founders of these religions believe that the human mind is the most powerful thing in the universe, even more powerful than God. This idea that the human mind is above everything else did not originate with the mind science cults. You can find this in philosophy, science, politics, and the popular culture. One French philosopher and mathematician by the name of Rene' Descartes (1596-1650) believed that in order to figure out the world, all one needs is reason and math. Descartes believed that the way to prove things exist is to think about them. One example of this is that to prove his own existence Descartes believed that ("I think, therefore I am"). He also believed that God existed because "he" thought about Him. ("I think about God, therefore He exists") Descartes believed that all you need to believe in God is reason, not faith. Another man who influenced this Age of Reason or Enlightenment was Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727). With his new discoveries and inventions (gravity, calculus, etc) the belief that thinking and reason of the mind were the keys to the universe hit a high. Almost overnight, reason became more important than religion.

Another movement from history is that is similar to the mind sciences today is New Thought. This movement took philosophy, science, and religion to a different level by emphasizing metaphysics and mental healing. Phineas Parkhurst Quimby (1802-1866) is considered the founder of New Thought. He believed that all sickness originated in the mind and was a consequence of false beliefs. Quimby believed he could heal physical disease by mere suggestion. Quimby also believed that the person being healed had to be open to the wisdom of God, which he called "the Christ". This isn't the Christ as in Jesus Christ, but an impersonal principle of the mind. Quimby believed that Jesus was a human being who used the Christ principle to heal people and not Jesus Christ the Savior as we know Him as Christians. New Thought evolved into the Divine Science Church which taught:

• God is the sole reality.
• Sickness is the failure to realize this truth.
• Healing comes when you realize that the human race is one with God.

New Thought is basically pantheism, which is the belief that all is God. God is more like a "universal life force" or an "infinite idea" and not a personal Creator who is independent from His creation. They believe that the life of God and life of man are the same which is from Hinduism. Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson were both pantheists.

The "Mind Sciences"

The three main mind sciences are looked upon as cults and share these basic beliefs:

• God is an impersonal principle, or Divine Mind.
• The Divine Mind is all that is real.
• The material world does not exist; it is only a part of the Divine Mind.

Christian Science

Christian Science is the best-known of the mind sciences. It was founded by Mary Baker Eddy who was born in 1821 in New Hampshire. Baker was a sickly child who got involved in spiritualism and occultism as an adult. In 1862, Mary Baker went to eh mind healer Phineas Quimby for spinal inflammation. She claimed that she was healed. Eddy became a student of Quimby's metaphysics and mental healing. After Quimby died, Eddy published a book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures which is believed to have been plagiarized from Quimby. Eddy established the Massachusetts Metaphysical College, where she taught her principles to 4000 students for a period of eight years. In 1879 she founded the Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston. When she died in 1910, the church had a million members, far more than today. Currently there are 2300 Christian Science churches worldwide with 1600 int he United States. Christian Scientists have traditionally forbidden members from seeing doctors. As a result, there have been court cases where some of their members have been charged with manslaughter, child abuse, and murder because of this stance. The church as since, softened its prohibition of medical treatment, although it is still discouraged.

Unity School of Christianity

Charles and Myrtle Fillmore founded this religion in 1891. Myrtle Fillmore was introduced to Quimby's New Thought at a lecture in 1886 by one of his followers. Fillmore had tuberculosis at the time and learned that "a child of God" does not get sick from the lecture. She claims that she experienced a complete healing at this lecture and immediately embraced this belief. Soon after, Myrtle started reading every piece of New Thought and Christian Science literature she could find. Myrtle's husband Charles also studied metaphysics, occultism, Hinduism, and Christian Science. In 1889, he started a magazine called Thought. A year later, Charles Fillmore claimed he had a vision in which a voice said "Unity". He took that and he and Myrtle formed the Unity School of Christianity which took ideas from the other religions. Unity has 300 churches and 100,000 members. It also has a mailing program that sends over 33 million pieces of literature a year.

United Church of Religious Science

The fastest growing of the mind science cults is the United Church of Religious Science, or Science of Mind. This was founded by Ernest Holmes in 1927. Holmes was influenced by some of Quimby's students like the Fillmores. He wrote a 600 page book called The Science of Mind. He also started a magazine called Science Journal. Holmes spread his religion by speaking in person and on radio. He gained admiration from politicians, celebrities, and even some clergy. One of these include Dr. Norman Peale, author of The Power of Positive Thinking.

Overview of Beliefs

These three mind sciences have many similarities. The more we learn about these religions and beliefs, the more we realize that people will go to great lengths to get around the truth of the Bible, which is truth about God, Jesus, humanity, sin and salvation.

The Bible

As Christians, we know that the Bible is the most trustworthy, reliable, and practical scripture. It is the only divinely inspired written message from God to humankind. (2 Tim. 3:16) The mind sciences take a different view:

• Christian Science teaches the Bible is no more important than a regular history book. If the Bible is interpreted literally then it will lead to "unbelief and hopelessness", they believe. The only way to interpret the Bible is spiritually, and to do that you have to use their founder's book Science and Healthy with Key to the Scriptures. Mary Baker Eddy says that her book is the only "absolute Truth."
• The Unity School religion of the Fillmore's believes that the bible is fine, but to capture all the truth, you need to study the holy books of all the religions. They also say that if you don't want to go to that trouble then you can unlock the truth from your own being, or get a copy of the Unity book, the Metaphysical Bible Dictionary.
• Religious Science teaches that there are many holy books, and they are all equal to the Bible as far as divine revelation. Holmes was fond of Hindu scriptures. He taught that ultimately, the Science of Mind is " the culmination of all religions."

God

The Bible reveals that God is the eternal (Isaiah 40:28), holy (Isaiah 6:3), all-powerful (Revelation 19:6), all-knowing (Proverbs 5:21), loving (1 John 4:7-9), creator of the universe (Genesis 1:1). The mind sciences believe very different.

• Christian Science teaches that because God is all and all is God and God is Spirit, only the spirit is real. The material world does not exist-it is an illusion. The trinity does not exist, just the Divine Principle, which is expressed in a trinity of its own: Life, Truth, and Love.
• The Unity School believes that everything visible is a manifestation of God, the one Spirit. God is not a being with life, love, intelligence, and power. God is the Divine Principle that live in everything.
• Religious Science believes that the universe is the body of God, a view called panentheism. Every person is part of the universe, so every person is part of God. Holmes says "Taking the best from all sources, Religious Science has access to the highest enlightenment of the ages."

Jesus

Christianity is the only religion that believes that Jesus Christ is Savior. All other religions and cults have stripped Jesus of His divine nature and try to make him a mere human. The Bible teaches that Jesus was fully God and fully man (Colossians 2:9). The mind sciences believe:

• Christian Science follows Quimby's principle of "the Christ." Jesus was a human who merely possessed the "divine idea: of the Christ. They believe that Jesus didn't save anybody when He died on the cross. We save ourselves through metaphysical principles.
• Unity School teaches that human Jesus was different from the impersonal Christ principle. We are the same as Jesus, except that we haven't yet expressed the Christ principle as fully as Jesus did.
• Religious Science believes that Jesus merely showed us the way. Jesus embodied the Christ "consciousness," and we can do the same thing. They do not believe in death and do not believe Jesus every died on the cross.

Humankind and Sin

Christianity says that God created people in His image (Genesis 1:26-27) but our relationship with God was broken because of sin (Romans 3:23). The mind sciences see humankind differently.

• In Christian Science, humans are part of God because God is everything. We also possess the Divine Mind, which is good and do not sin. Humans once they become one with the Divine Mind, do not sin and do not get sick and die.
• Unity School believes that all is in God, so there is no sin. The only sin is to believe in sin.
• Religious Science teaches that all human beings are divine. We don't sin, just make mistakes. The only sin is to be ignorant of our own divine nature.

Salvation and Death

The Bible teaches that as sinners, all people need salvation. Without it, we will face judgement. Salvation is the only way to be made right with God. The only way to be saved is through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:8-10). As Christians, we will go to heaven to to be God forever in heaven (john 3:16; 14:1-3). Those who reject Jesus will go to hell for eternity. (Revelation 20:15). The mind sciences view salvation very differently.

• Christian Science believes that Life, truth, and love (the trinity of their religion) are the keys to salvation. When you stop believing in sickness and sin, you will be saved. They believe that "Man as God's idea is already saved." They also do not believe in hell and heaven results from correct thinking. Death is merely transition for the mind, which keeps on living to correct the wrong thinking about sickness and death.
• Unity School believes that sins are forgiven when you cease to sin by understanding that you are good. They embrace the Hindu belief in reincarnation and through a series of reincarnations you can become more like Jesus, who embodied the Christ principle. Eventually, you will be saved and won't need reincarnation anymore. There is no hell, in the end everyone is saved.
• Religious Science says that God does not punish sin, so there's no need for salvation. "As we correct our mistakes, we forgive our own sins." Salvation is essentially a matter of the mind. Heaven and hell are merely illusions we create in our own minds. Everyone is already saved, so all we have to do is rid our minds of the illusion and embrace reality. Heaven is already in us, we have to embrace it.

Discussion

1. What is one founder and example of a religion or belief from the mind sciences that most surprised you?
2. Although the mind sciences are considerably small in number, they seem to be popularized in our culture. What are some ways, we as Christians can combat this appeal to the lost?