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New Age in Religion
Excerpt from For Many Shall Come in My Name
(1991, 1st edition, Solid Rock Books )
New Revised, Updated Edition Coming March 2007
"The rise of centering prayer is causing many churches to become
agents of transformation. Those who practice it tend to embrace this
one-world-religion idea."--Ray Yungen, 1991
One of the main reasons many Christian pastors fail to take the New
Age movement seriously is that they are not adept at effectively
measuring its real strength. They are accustomed to assessing the
prestige and influence of a spiritual movement by its number of
churches, attendance records, or television and radio programs. Since
they do not see New Age churches on every corner, they tend to
discount any cause for alarm.
Just as business, health care, education, counseling, and other areas
of society are being influenced by those who have had transformation
experiences, so is American religion. This influence is becoming so
widespread it now appears that mainstream religions, are playing a
prominent role in spreading New Age consciousness. Many people would
be quite surprised to find that meditation has made its way into both
Catholic and Protestant churches on a large scale. Although some would
argue that it is not New Age meditation but rather a form of prayer, I
would beg to differ.
Upon close examination, the methods used (mantra, breathing) are
identical to New Age techniques. Only the connotation is changed.
Countless times I have come across such terms as "holistic
spirituality" or "combining the mystical traditions of both East and
West." Frequently, the Hindu or Buddhist source of these "spiritual
exercises" will be proclaimed openly.
Centering Prayer
In the book, Finding Grace at the Center, which was written by several
proponents of centering prayer, the following statements are made:
We should not hesitate to take the fruit of the age-old wisdom of the
East and capture it for Christ. Indeed, those of us who are in
ministry should make the necessary effort to acquaint ourselves with
as many of these Eastern techniques as possible. .. Many Christians
who take their prayer life seriously have been greatly helped by Yoga,
Zen, TM, and similar practices, especially where they have been
initiated by reliable teachers and have a solidly developed Christian
faith to give inner form and meaning to the resulting experiences.'
In view of this, it is no wonder that I encountered a woman in a
Christian bookstore who enthusiastically told me that in her church
"we use a mantra to get in touch with God."
Being touted as an "ancient prayer form" the "centering prayer"
employs a mantra (called the "prayer word") that allows one to empty
the mind by chanting "Jesus," "God" or "love" rather than "om" or
"Krishna."
Centering prayer groups are flourishing in mainstream religious bodies
today. Many times those who embrace these practices are the most
active and creative people in the congregation. They are seen by many
as bringing a new vitality to the church.
One widely popular book on this is Sadhana: A Way To God by Anthony de
Mello. Sadhana, according to de Mello, means spiritual path. This book
is very open in its acknowledgment of Eastern mysticism as an
enrichment to Christian spirituality. De Mello lets his readers know
at the very beginning just where he is coming from:
A Jesuit friend once told me that he approached a Hindu guru for
initiation in the art of prayer. The guru said to him, "Concentrate on
your breathing." My friend proceeded to do just that for about five
minutes. Then the guru said, "The air you breathe is God. You are
breathing God in and out. Become aware of that, and stay with that
awareness."
The following statement by de Mello could have been made by any New
Ager:
I want you now to discover the revelation that silence brings.
Silence, of course, is the "blank" mind that you have been reading
about. This word is used as a buzz word by many in metaphysics. When a
person is in this state, they are "open" to the "Universe."
De Mello explains what it is like to experience "silence," which is
the logical progression in the Sadhana process--the altered state of
consciousness:
There will be moments when the stillness of the blank will be so
powerful that it will make all exercise and all effort on your part
impossible. In such moments it is no longer you who goes in quest of
stillness. It is stillness that takes possession of you and overwhelms
you. When this happens, you may safely, and profitably, let go of all
effort (which has become impossible, anyway) and surrender to this
overpowering stillness within you.
Sadhana has had an enormous impact on both clergy and laity. One
source revealed:
This book has come to be recognized universally as a masterpiece in
the art of teaching people how to pray. After its first publication in
1979, it ranked among the top U.S. Catholic best sellers for many
years. Just to read it is a captivating and challenging experience.
More than 20 translations have been published. Now all over the world
this classic text has been acclaimed as the best how-to-do-it book on
prayer available in any language.
It is often used as a textbook to teach people how to "pray." Catholic
parishes, nursing facilities, hospitals, retirement centers, and
religious communities are using it on a regular basis. It has been
highly praised by church leaders and theologians. The back cover of
the book includes the following statement made by a leading church
figure: "This book...is perhaps the best book available today in
English for Christians on how to pray, meditate, and contemplate."
I'm sure many of these people would be surprised if they learned what
the Hindu connotation of Sadhana meant. A dictionary on Hinduism
reveals the following:
Siddhis [psychic power] are also considered to be the direct or
indirect result of a quest for enlightenment or knowledge. The pursuit
of any method for attaining to such knowledge is termed sadhana,
'gaining;' the person practicing sadhana is called a sadhaka (fern.
sadhika),... Since siddhis are magical in character, the terms sadhana
and sadhu are also frequently used for sorcery and sorcerer
respectively.
The literal meaning for Sadhana: A Way to God, according to this
definition, would then be "Sorcery: A Way to God!"
Meditation is also being taught within the parochial school systems,
generally at the high school and college levels. Students at Catholic
schools have revealed to me that mantra meditation is part of their
curriculum and that these classes are lead by priests. One Catholic
high school textbook entitled Your Faith and You: A Synthesis of
Catholic Belief revealed the following in the chapter titled "Prayer,
Seeking Union With God":
Numerous Catholic retreat houses offer "Yoga retreats" or teach Zen
meditation methods. But these techniques are totally removed from the
Buddhist or Hindu faiths. They are often used by Christians to help
them develop a conscious faith relationship with Christ in prayer.
Likewise, the Buddhist or Hindu uses these same techniques to enter
into a deeper union with God as his own religion has taught him to
believe in him.
I wonder how it is possible that Christians can use the "same
techniques" that Buddhists and Hindus use to reach their gods without,
in fact, reaching their gods.
Metaphysical meditation remains exactly the same no matter what name
you tag it with. Changing the mantras does not make it "Christian."
What is happening is that this melding of meditative practices is
producing some major changes in Christendom. Many are being taught
that centering prayer is the most direct route to God. This in turn,
is producing what one writer termed "full Christianity." He explained:
Indeed today Catholics practice Zen meditation. There are Christian-
Hindu monasteries in India. And Father Raimundo Panikkar has suggested
that Indian philosophy might prove a better base for Christian
theology than Aristotle. Thomas Merton predicted that the 21st century
would belong to two things: Christianity and Zen. Today these great
traditions as well as others are meeting one another in a spirit of
humble inquiry. Perhaps it is just this coming together of our world
traditions that will provide the spiritual impetus needed to usher in
a new age of the Spirit.
Filling the Vacuum
Why are the mainstream denominations so open to meditative and
holistic practices? David R. Griffen, professor of theology at a
United Methodist college in Clairmont, California, stated:
A spiritual vacuum exists in organized religion that might he filled
by theologies that draw--for better or worse--from what is called
parapsychology, paranormal studies, psychic phenomena and, somewhat
pejoratively, the "New Age" movement.
New Agers have become very much aware of this "spiritual vacuum" and
have directed their efforts toward filling it. Metaphysical leader
James Fadiman made the following observation:
The traditional religious world is just beginning to make changes, but
it's a slow process--denomination by denomination. When religious
institutions begin to lose members year after year, they eventually
become aware that they're not meeting peoples needs. Before long
they're scurrying around looking for innovative programs and
improvements.
Even atheists have observed this trend. Science-fiction writer Richard
E. Geis commented in his personal journal that:
The mainstream Christians are lip-service religions in the main,
convenience religions, social religions, and they are the ones most
subject to erosion and defections and infiltration and subversion. A
large and successful effort seems to have been made by the occultists'
New Age planners to dilute and alter the message of most of the
mainstream Christian religions.
This is made evident by a quote which appeared in a newspaper
interview with the owner of a New Age bookstore. She revealed:
A lot of people come in who are very Christian. They are looking, by
whatever means, to move closer to God on an individual basis.
This shows that a great number of people who consider themselves to be
Christians have a rather dull and dreary attitude toward their faith.
They are looking for something to fill the void.
Christian Tolerance
The following is a good barometer of Christian tolerance to New Age
ideas. Psychologist M. Scott Peck has written a phenomenal best seller
on psychology and spiritual growth entitled The Road Less Traveled.
The book contains many useful insights and suggestions for dealing
with life's problems, which is why it has generated the interest it
has. But the book also incorporates the central theme of the Ancient
Wisdom:
God wants us to become himself (or Herself or Itself). We are growing
toward godhood. God is the goal of evolution. It is God who is the
source of the evolutionary force and God who is the destination. This
is what we mean when we say that He is the Alpha and the Omega, the
beginning and the end.
...It is one thing to believe in a nice old God who will take good care
of us from a lofty position which we ourselves could never begin to
attain. It is quite another to believe in a God who has it in mind for
us precisely that we should attain His position, His power, His
wisdom, His identity.
Madame Blavatsky and Alice Bailey could not have said it any better.
Peck reveals where he is coming from when he says, "But (The Road) is
a sound New Age book, not a flaky One." This book, which has been on
the New York Times best seller list for over 400 weeks, has been
incredibly popular in Christian circles for years. Peck himself says,
"The book sells best in the Bible Belt." By viewing the continuing
influence of Peck in American religious circles, one would find the
following significant:
Peck has enthusiastically endorsed some blatantly New Age books,
Living in Love With Yourself by Barry A. Ellsworth, and The Coming of
the Cosmic Christ by Matthew Fox. Of the former, an account of a man
getting in touch with his Higher Self and seeing "god in everyone," he
says: "The book's vulnerability is both touching and beautiful...a
book to be closely read." Of the latter, which echoes the New Age
"mystical" theme, he states:
Fox's most daring pioneering work yet, stimulating us to the kind of
resurrection of values and practice required for planetary salvation"
The source of Peck's spiritual paradigm can be seen in the following
information taken from a magazine article about him: "Peck himself
moved gradually from an interest in Eastern mystical religions toward
Christian mysticism.
Another example is a spiritual resource and retreat center that
advertised, "Discover the healing power within you." This center
promoted such things as Zen, yoga, Reiki, and self-hypnosis for
"spiritual growth." What astounded me, though, was the endorsements
from a number of Protestant religious leaders on the back of their
brochure. One senior pastor recommended it for "inner growth and
renewal." Another one, who was a counselor at a pastoral care center,
stated that it "encourages people to embrace wholeness." Most
surprising, the president of a large denominational college "highly
recommended" the leadership of this institute.
A Global Religion
What is happening to mainstream Christianity is the same thing that is
happening to business, health, education, counseling, and other areas
of society. Christendom is being cultivated for a role in the New Age.
The entity, Raphael, explains this very clearly in the Starseed
Transmissions:
We work with all who are vibrationally sympathetic; simple and sincere
people who feel our spirit moving, but for the most part, only within
the context of their current belief system.
He is saying that they "work," or interact, with people who open their
minds to them in a way that fits in with the person's current beliefs.
In the context of Christianity this means that those meditating will
think that they have contacted "God," when in reality they have
connected up with Raphael's kind (who are more than willing to
impersonate whomever the person wishes to reach so long as they can
link with them).
This ultimately points to a global religion based on meditation and
mystical experience. New Age writer David Spangler explained it the
following way:
There will be several religious and spiritual disciplines as there are
today, each serving different sensibilities and affinities, each
enriched by and enriching the particular cultural soil in which it is
rooted. However, there will also be a planetary spirituality. There
will be a more widespread understanding and experience of the holistic
nature of reality, resulting in a shared outlook that today would be
called mystical. Mysticism has always overflowed the bounds of
particular religious traditions, and in the new world this would be
even more true.
The rise of centering prayer is causing many churches to become agents
of transformation. Those who practice it tend to embrace this one-
world-religion idea. One of the main proponents of centering prayer
had this revelation:
It is my sense, from having meditated with persons from many different
traditions, that in the silence we experience a deep unity. When we go
beyond the portals of the rational mind into the experience, there is
only one God to be experienced ... I think it has been the common
experience of all persons of good will that when we sit together
Centering we experience a solidarity that seems to cut through all our
philosophical and theological differences.
Religion, therefore, would be like a dairy herd. Each cow may look
different on the outside, but the milk would all be the same. The
different religious groups Would maintain their own separate
identities, but a universal spiritual practice would bind them
together. Not so much a one-world church as a one-World spirituality.
Catholic writer Mathew Fox has called this "deep ecumenism." He
believes that all world religions will eventually be bound together by
the "cosmic Christ" principle, which is another term for the Higher
Self.
As incredible as this may sound, it appears to be happening now.
Lighthouse Trails Publishing
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