Answers to some children's questions part 21 || Sunday classes children's ministry || 2025 || Dangerous teachings (Doctrines) - Part 9

 

New Age movement 

1) It assembles all religions trying to blend them or put them together into a harmony 

2) There is extreme focus on mysterious and mystic experience like: 

a) To imagine our own reality 

b) To go beyond the limits of time i.e. transcendental 

c) Sleep deprivation

d) Focusing- to experience all reality as unified 

3) It omits these teachings:

a) Man is a sinner and needs a Savior 

b) He is dependent on God for everything 

c) punishment is real and everlasting 

d) Jesus is the only way 

4) Their interpretation of the Bible:

a) God is an impersonal force 

b) God is all and All is God! 

c) No sin but ignorance (incorrect understanding of the truth) and knowledge is what saves not Jesus. 

d) Hell is simply a state of mind

e) Jesus was one of many great personalities who showed Christ consciousness quite better than any other. He was only shower of the Truth.

f) Christ consciousness is a higher state of self. 

g) A TRUE MIRACLE is not incarnation or resurrection but our self-realization that we are divine! 

h) Man has infinite potential (like becoming a Superman) 

i) He is one with universe 

j) Salvation is to realize we are divine. It is to awaken! To attain enlightenment! 

Now my question to you 🙂

Does any statements listed above sound familiar to your ears? Like, have you heard those statements or beliefs anywhere? 

Well, if not! Let me help you. Its Eastern mystical philosophy! Most average Hindu teachings have those statements for you! 🙂 You know? Meditation and Yoga are becoming popular in the west? Yeah! Those are rooted in these teachings and are far dangerous for our soul! 

The New Age movement is a collection of different Eastern-influenced philosophies and practices that centers around the occult, moral relativism, and inner divinity.

There is no official hierarchical structure or doctrine within the New Age movement since it is a collection of views held by a disparate group of individuals from many different backgrounds. It was more prevalent in the 1980s and 1990s but has had less recognition in recent years. 

Its two basic beliefs:

1) Evolutionary Godhood: to move ahead into new spiritual dimensions. They teach using astral projection and crystals for unusual spiritual experience. This soon lead an individual to see himself as God. This could be like being Dr. Manhattan of DC universe who is capable to create and alter realities. 

2) Global unity: Man with man, Man with Nature and Man with God. The result is a hope for One world religion. "Man with Nature" makes them think that they are no more different from other living creatures. This is seeing or experiencing a kind of oneness with nature which is straightforward unbiblical teaching. 

All these are stealing and redefining from God. 

The Bible has these to say:

1) God is the creator while nature is creation and man has been created to co-rule over the nature with God (Genesis 1:1, 26-28; Ps. 24:1)

2) Man is created in his own image. It is to mean resemblance and representative of God on earth. In addition, Man's purpose is to be like Christ rather to be like God. It was devil's suggestion. (Rom. 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18; Gen. 3:4-5)

3) Man became a sinner and couldn't help. It was an offence to God which he couldn't resolve. Sin separated them from God and demanded eternal death as penalty. But God made a wonderful provision in his love and grace to save mankind through his own Son Jesus who became the Savior. (Rom. 3:23; Isa. 59:2; Rom. 6:23; John 3:16; 1 Tim. 2:5)

4) Christ is not consciousness. It is rather a title which means anointed one. Jesus is the Christ. We are not meant to be Christs but to be like Jesus and this work is done in co-operation with Holy Spirit not our self-efforts. (Matt. 1:16; Acts 10:38; 1 John 2:20; Eph. 4:13; Gal. 5:22-23; Phil. 2:13)

5) The heaven and hell are real spaces although we have no vast details. Either of these places are our final destination. There is judgement and unfortunately no reincarnation. Any sort of mystical experiences are from deceptive works of bad spiritual circle. (Matt. 25:46; Rev. 21:1-4; Luke 16:19-31; Heb. 9:27; 2 Cor. 11:14; 1 Tim. 4:1)

Make sure to stay away from the New Age teachings. Most of which includes Hindu philosophy that redefines God, nature and Man and reduces everything to oneness. These might sound sweet but once we consume it, we would realize that we are in great trouble and need help! This creates nothing in our life but only confusions. Live, walk and fight with power of Holy Spirit who is there to guard you! Put your focus on Jesus who says I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. Once you get cut off from him, you become a wanderer by not knowing the way, you become confuse of everything by not knowing the Truth and you gain death of your self by not receiving the life. Jesus came not to offer these but to be these for you! 

Further materials to go through:

a) New Ager Distorts the Meaning of Christ: https://youtu.be/gfNfExXO72c?si=gVJgMmLq-FXA7R1Z

b) Jesus according to New Age movement: https://youtube.com/shorts/SzP13c1fFPc?si=8Wf-LxA6WMvDfdeV

Resources concerned:

1) https://carm.org/new-age-movement/more-on-the-new-age-movement/

2) https://carm.org/new-age-movement/what-is-the-new-age-movement/

3) https://carm.org/new-age-movement/biblical-responses-to-the-new-age-movement/