PE420/620-D
Module 12
Learning Guide
Worldviews 3
Eastern Pantheistic Monism, New Age & Occult
Before you start...
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Post to last module’s forum (compulsory but not graded for distance students)
Do the pre-reading for this week (see Unit Guide p6 + non-text uploads on Moodle)
From the reading, come prepared to share a question, challenge, implication & application
Bring along something for show and tell re: current examples of our focus for the module.
1. INTRODUCTION
In this session we’ll be hearing from guest lecturer Peter Grice, the Director of “Think Christianity”
(www.thinkchristianity.org)—a world-view and apologetic based organisation that brings Christian thought
to life. Peter has put some fantastic material together called Telos, a multi-year-level curriculum for training
students in how to critically think from a Biblical perspective. Tonight, Peter will be speaking on a range of
worldviews collectively termed ‘monism’, including Eastern Pantheistic Monism (where all is ‘one’), New
Age, Syncretism, and the Occult.
After we recap the readings and practice engaging “The Big Story”, Peter will combine lecture with a range
of activities that will take the rest of the session. In this document you’ll find some notes I’ve put together
as a resource (particularly for Distance Students, including reflection activities), but the primary lecture
notes have been supplied by Peter, and are uploaded to Moodle.
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this module are to:
1. Consider contemporary expressions of Monism, New Age, Syncretism, and the Occult.
2. Form a cogent response to one or more of these worldviews, drawing on a range of apologetic
approaches.
OUTCOMES
On completion of this module, the student shall be expected to explain the main tenets of the considered
worldviews, and offer a simple but multifaceted reply.
SESSION FLOW (lecture runs 6:15-9:00pm, breaks from 7:05-7:10pm, and 7:55-8:05pm)
6:15
7:10
8:05
Big Story + Open Questions on Readings (20 minutes) + Eastern Pantheistic Monism (30 minutes)
Eastern Pantheistic Monism continued (20 minutes) + Activities (25 minutes)
New Age, Syncretism and Occult, lecture + activities (55 minutes)
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2. BIG STORY “CAUGHT OUT” RESPONSES + READING REVIEW
Class Activity 12.1
Using the post-it-notes from module one, two students will each
select one of the five circles from “The Big Story”, then
randomly choosing a paper slip from that circle. Each student
will take up to 1 minute to respond to this question or objection,
as if in conversation with the person who posted the slip.
Afterward, the class can unpack what worked or didn’t work in
this response, and other directions one could take.
Class Activity 12.2
In response to the pre-reading for this module, students will be picked to share on one of the following:
-a question—something you don’t get, or want to clarify
-a challenge—something you disagree with, or want to nuance
-an implication—“so what” for our apologetic practice
-an application—something useful right now in your context
Also, did you come across an example of Monism, New Age, Syncretism, or the Occult in the media or
conversation this last week? Bring it up as a “show & tell” item.
3. EASTERN PANTHEISTIC MONISM
Resource 12.1
Under Moodle Module 12 you’ll find Peter Grice’s Lecture Notes, which contain loads of interesting links
and articles for discussion: “Module 12: A Crash Course in Monistic Pantheism, New Age & Occult.”
Also, you may find some of the Lausanne Occasional Papers helpful for both understanding and
reaching out to people who hold a variant of eastern pantheistic monism:
LOP14: Christian Witness to Hindus.
LOP15: Christian Witness to Buddhists.
LOP16: Christian Witness to Traditional Religionists of Asia and Oceania.
LOP31: The Uniqueness of Christ and the Challenge of World Religions.
Finally, perhaps the story of Ravi Zacharias’s conversion to Christianity will be useful:
Zacharias, Ravi. Walking From East to West: God in the Shadows.
Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006.
What signs have you seen in our culture that both Eastern religions (Hinduism and Buddhism in
particular), and New Age/occultic syncretism, are making inroads?
What experiences have you personally had with these belief systems? What are the key similarities,
and differences, between eastern and western pantheism?
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Reflection Activities 12.1 & 12.2
Journal at least 30 (meaningful!) words in response to the following questions, based on the
particular pages of Peter Grice’s lecture notes, and tick off the related box on p. 12 of the unit guide.
12.1 Based on pages 1-2 and 7-12, how would you describe ‘monism’ to a Christian friend wanting to
understand his Thai neighbour’s Buddhist beliefs? What key features would you highlight, and how is
it similar to and different from Marxist thought (i.e., ‘dialectical materialism’)?
12.2 What is the biggest difference between Eastern Pantheist Monism and what Jesus taught? What
questions might you ask, or apologetic might you give to defend and commend Christianity?
3.1
Pluralism ... some thoughts1
John Stackhouse helpfully distinguishes three definitions, or
types, of pluralism.2 First, “Pluralism as Mere Plurality . . . means
the state of being ‘more than one.’” Second, “Pluralism as
Preference . . . affirm[s] that ‘it is good that there is more than
one.’” Third, “Pluralism as Relativism” comes with several
varieties: affirming the equality of all options; questioning our
ability to judge; or nihilistically denying good and evil, truth and
falsity. Concerning contemporary culture, Stackhouse notes that
while pluralism is not new, “the scope of pluralism is greater
than ever. . . . The amount of pluralism is extraordinary. . . . The
pace of change is unprecedented. . . . [And] widespread doubt
about whether anyone has the answer, and whether we could
recognize it if they did, is new.”3 Youth culture surely offers
“Exhibit A.”
Millennials constitute “America’s most racially and ethnically diverse, and least-Caucasian generation,” less
than two-thirds white.4 Ninety percent have friends of a different race.5 An influx of immigration,
combined with media exposure that gravitates to the new and unusual, has proliferated ethnic and lifestyle
adolescent social identities. The old-school hierarchical system—cheerleaders and jocks, preppies,
geeks/nerds, then alternatives—has morphed into innumerable groups and variations on a theme—
“Skaters” embrace hip-hop, “Goths” advocate environmentalism, “Rednecks” seek tutoring, “Lebs”
(Lebanese cliques) don Adidas—each mixing and matching where “status inequality is relatively muted.”6
1 The notes in 3.1 & 3.2 come from David M. Benson, “The Thinking Teen: An Exploration, Evaluation and Application of Three
Apologetic Strategies in Commending the Bible to Contemporary Western Adolescents” (MCS Thesis, Regent College, 2009).
2
John G. Stackhouse, Jr., Humble Apologetics: Defending the Faith Today (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002), 3-11.
3
Ibid., 36-37.
4
Neil Howe and William Strauss, Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation (New York: Vintage Books, 2000), 15.
5
Ibid., 220.
6 Murray Milner, Jr., Freaks, Geeks, and Cool Kids: American Teenagers, Schools, and the Culture of Consumption (New York:
Routledge, 2004), 100-102, 130.
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Beyond pluralism as “mere plurality,” multiculturalism—as the
official policy for both Canada and Australia—has embedded
“pluralism as preference” in the popular imagination.7 As the west
has diversified through immigration and high minority birthrates,
the impossibility of assimilation—seeking to meld a common
identity from all cultures—has given way to pursuit of utopian
cultural pluralism: we must strive to maintain and celebrate
cultural differences and identity for the richness of all.8 Schools
teach history from indigenous perspectives and celebrate
“multicultural day” while sampling traditional dances and exotic
foods. Most youth appear to have internalized such values,
shunning racism. Yet such superficial displays of tradition create
“ethnic box” versions of multiculturalism, presenting a unified
culture detached from the daily life of most migrants.9 Australian
social commentator Hugh Mackay, referring to Australia as
“Kaleidoscope Nation,” notes the loss of a clear Australian identity
in the face of unprecedented ethnic diversity. With terrorism on
the rise, some youth recoil from imposed multiculturalism toward
insularity; an attitude of self-protection supposedly justifies poor
treatment of illegal immigrants politically and riots such as those by flag-wielding Australians against
Lebanese youth in Sydney, 2006.10
Turning to religion, then, one would expect the open display of many faiths and the apparent embrace of
pluralism to translate into a boom in other religions and eclectic spirituality.11 While there has been
significant growth in other religions, it is primarily through immigration, not conversion. In both America
and Australia, other religions represent less than 7 percent of Generation Y. Religious “switching” or
“syncretism” is likewise minimal. Those advocating for multiculturalism want youth to celebrate the
religious options available while avoiding any attempt to discuss or judge the incommensurate truth claims
therein. Disagreement is perceived as a threat to societal stability. Youth lack guidance to differentiate or
choose between religions; all options begin to look alike. All options are thereby cheapened, undermining
commitment to any given belief system. Perhaps as a result, the majority of youth retain their traditional
commitment to Christianity by default, or slide into nominal Christianity or outright secularity. Few youth
exercise their option to experiment or engage with the religious smorgasbord. Adolescents exhibit their
preference for pluralism, however, in shunning exclusive claims to truth: nearly 70 percent believe many
religions may be true, while almost half are against attempts to convert others. Their core concern, it
would seem, is preserving the freedom to choose your beliefs without forcing this preference on others or
denigrating their views.12 Pluralism has encouraged an “openness to possibility,” and an unwillingness to
sign off on any particular religious story in the name of tolerance. As Clark notes, however,
unfortunately, this tolerance of difference is not based in knowledge or a desire for understanding.
While young people say that they believe all religions are equally good, they often know little about
the tradition with which they identify themselves, let alone the traditions of others.13
7
Stackhouse, Humble Apologetics, 35-36.
8
Snowman and Biehler, Psychology, 135-36.
9 Amanda Wise, “On Youth, Hybridity and the Politics of Representing the East Timorese Community,” in Ingenious: Emerging
Youth Cultures in Urban Australia, ed. Melissa Butcher and Mandy Thomas (North Melbourne, Australia: Pluto Press Australia,
2003), 84-85, 99.
10
Hugh Mackay, Advance Australia Where? (Sydney, Australia: Hatchett Livre Publishers, 2007), 137-38, 144-48, 256-61.
11
Mason and others, Gen Y, 37-38.
12
Ibid., 71, 89-90, 137, 205-6; Smith and Denton, Soul Searching, 31-32, 36-37, 72-75, 115, 260.
13 Lynn Schofield Clark, From Angels to Aliens: Teenagers, the Media, and the Supernatural (Oxford: Oxford University Press,
2003), 228.
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Such insights are suggestive for apologetic engagement. We can commend youth culture for recognizing
and protecting the dignity of individual choice, and for dismantling hierarchy built upon superficial
distinctives such as nationality and music preference. Meanwhile, we must challenge the myth of selfdetermination independent of social setting, and the naïve embrace of all options as equally good, unaware
that beliefs have consequences. Christianity’s “radical monotheism” challenges adolescent polytheism and
henotheism, relativising lesser centres of value and power and dethroning all idols including self.14 Yet, to
the degree in which Christianity is perceived as a weapon of colonialism—exclusive and closed to additional
truth, thus destroying differences and homogenizing society toward “One True Culture”—it will likely be
outright rejected by youth.15 This is a significant barrier. A bridge, then, exists in how Christianity has been
uniquely contextualized within every culture, encouraging good while confronting evil, and thus leading to
life. Ultimately we need not be threatened by pluralism, for as missiologist David Wells contends,
Pluralism was the stuff of everyday life in biblical times. Nothing, therefore, could be more
remarkable than to hear the contention . . . that the existence of religious pluralism today makes
belief in the uniqueness of Christianity quite impossible. Had this been the necessary consequence of
encountering a multitude of other religions, Moses, Isaiah, Jesus, and Paul would have given up
biblical faith long before it became fashionable in Our Time to do so.16
3.2
Consumerism … some thoughts
If the collective beliefs of adolescent outsiders could be boiled
down to one worldview, it would be the undemanding
“metanarrative of secular individualism.” This system builds
upon the cornerstone of personal freedom and choice, and
seeks to erect an edifice of self-fulfillment and happiness.17
Eighty percent of Australian youth believe it is okay to pick and
choose your religious beliefs in a system that works for you.18
It would seem that such views relate to unbridled
consumerism. As Stackhouse explains, “To a consumerist
culture, everything looks like goods or services to be bought as
the sovereign (and perpetually manipulated) individual
consumer decides.”19 Adolescents and advertising are
inextricably linked: the word “teenager” was first introduced in
1945 as a demographic handle for marketing purposes.20 Thus,
we do well to consider this “symbiotic” and consumeristic relationship between youth and the media, all
made possible by technological innovation.21
“Millennials are a consumer behemoth, riding atop a new youth economy of astounding scale and
extravagance.”22 Those who “have” want more; those without see “having” as the path to happiness.
There is much to be had: laptops, sneakers, iPods, cell-phones, brand-label clothing, and music.
Possessions are supplemented by experiences: concerts, makeovers, holidays, American Idol auditions,
14
Fowler, Stages of Faith, 22-23.
15
Heath White, Postmodernism 101: A First Course for the Curious Christian (Grand Rapids, MI.: Brazos Press, 2006), 43-45.
16 David F. Wells, No Place for Truth, or, Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology? (Grand Rapids, MI.: W.B. Eerdmans Pub.
Co, 1993), 263-64.
17
Mason and others, Gen Y, 55, 331-34.
18
Ibid., 91.
19
Stackhouse, Humble Apologetics, 37.
20
Thomas Hine, The Rise and Fall of the American Teenager (New York: Avon Books, 1999), 8.
21
Schultze and others, Dancing, 11.
22
Howe and Strauss, Millennials Rising, 265.
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extreme-sports, movies, parties, and so forth. Youth are confronted by seemingly limitless choice, each
commodity offering the world and calling for attention. Consumerism easily distorts adolescent identity.
“Consume-to-live” mutates into “live-to-consume.”23
Take music, for instance, coming second only to “friends” as a top source of adolescent “peace and
happiness.”24 Ninety percent of youth listen to music every day: it provides the soundtrack for their lives.
Their favourite genre is hip-hop, with hard-hitting messages that purport to “keep it real”—giving voice to
their own sense of alienation.25 Youth drive the music market as they purchase nearly half of all albums;
accordingly, more radio stations are aimed at adolescents than any other demographic.26 In the vacuum of
secular culture, however, artists readily take on god-like importance in the eyes of impressionable teens
looking for an advocate who understands. Television programs like Music Is My Life sing praise through
adolescent testimony of how music “saved” them from the brink of despair, securing their life-long
devotion—much to the delight (and plan) of media moguls.27
Adolescents are voracious media consumers. On average, “Generation M” (“M” for Media) multitask to
cram nearly nine hours of media content—in descending order, comprised of music, television, videos,
computer/Internet, and movies—into seven hours’ exposure per day.28 In 2005, roughly 30 percent of all
movie admissions were sold to youth aged twelve to
twenty.29 Youth lead the uptake of technological
innovation, from super-cooled computer systems to
SMS.30 In Australia, over 90 percent of youth aged
sixteen to twenty-four possess a mobile phone.31
Disturbingly, an increasing minority obsessively use their
phone (over twenty-five times per day), meeting the
criteria for behavioural addiction: “euphoria, tolerance,
withdrawal and relapse.”32 Youth have similarly become
reliant upon Internet networking programs such as
Facebook and MySpace, a type of “exhibitionism gone
wild” in which their thoughts, pictures, and experiences
are freely displayed and “blogged” for all to see.33
23
Mueller, Youth Culture, 232.
24
Bibby, Canada’s Teens, 20; Hughes, Putting Life Together, 51-52, 175.
25
Barna, Real Teens, 27-28; Hersch, A Tribe Apart, 85; Mueller, Engaging, 129-30.
26
Santrock, Adolescence, 302.
27
See http://www.muchmusic.com/tv/musicismylife/ (accessed 8 September 2008).
28
Rideout and others, Generation M, 79-80.
29
Mueller, Youth Culture, 110; Borgman, Kumbuya, 132-34.
30
Elaine Lally, “Mods and Overclockers: Technology, Young People and Cultural Innovation,” in Ingenious, ed. Butcher and
Thomas, 161-73. Cooling liquid increases processing speeds for gamers.
31
Shari P. Walsh, Katherine M. White, and Ross M. Young, “Over-connected? A Qualitative Exploration of the Relationship
Between Australian Youth and Their Mobile Phones,” Journal of Adolescence 31, no. 1 (February 2008): 78.
32
Ibid., 88.
33 Evan Hunter, “Not How They Used To Be: Shifting Trends Among College Students,” Youth Worker Journal 24, no. 4
(March/April 2008): 14; Mackay, Australia, 128-29.
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Come high school graduation, the average American has spent nearly
20,000 hours watching television—almost 7,000 more hours than those
spent in the classroom—and has been exposed to roughly 5,000
advertisements and subliminal product placements per day.34
Consumerism promises freedom. The pursuit of such a lifestyle, however,
has driven more youth into part-time work to fund their purchases,
alongside extended and expensive years studying in search of a higherpaying job. During this time they have been indoctrinated into “an ethos
based on consumerism, conformity, and immediate gratification.”35 Their
focus easily becomes fixed on the temporal, further reinforcing
secularization.36 Western culture as a whole is materialistic, yet youth
have been particularly prone to its lure. Marketers have exploited
adolescent insecurities, building loyalty toward their corporate sponsors who have effectively “pimped”
youth to traffic their commercial wares.37
With time and money at their disposal, adolescents are a marketer’s dream. In seeking to secure the $150
billion teen market, marketers both reflect back what youth desire, and tempt them toward the next
“incarnation of ‘cool.’”38 The media depict idealized images of girls as thin and blemish-free, males as
toned and tanned, aware that nearly half of youth are unhappy with their appearance, and that two girls in
one hundred are as thin as professional models.39 As with sex, jealousy
sells. “Cool hunters” are employed by corporations such as MTV, Sprite,
and Disney to infiltrate teen cliques in search of the latest fad and to talk
up their products through “buzz marketing”.40
Unlimited choices collide with finite resources. Accordingly, youth
practice both “selective consumption,” and “selective listening.”41 Only
those claims and images that appeal to the viewer are heeded. Failing
this, the teen—who prefers interactive media and control—will simply
switch channels, their short attention span having moved on.42 In the
competition for adolescent time and attention, it would seem that the
Biblical story has been swamped by more entertaining voices.43 Even
when adolescent attention is captured, Biblical themes are often reduced
by the media to simplistic images that “elicit excitement, fear, and
titillation in exchange for profit,” as in the case of angels, demons, and
Hell in the script of The Simpsons or Buffy the Vampire Slayer.44
34
Milner, Freaks, 159; Mueller, Youth Culture, 219.
35
James E. Côté and Anton L. Allahar, Generation on Hold: Coming of Age in the Late Twentieth Century (New York: New York
University Press, 1994), 147.
36
Gay, Way of the (Modern) World, 146-58, 212-13.
37
Schultze and others, Dancing, 11-12, 47, 59-61, 77, 178-82, 194-204.
38 David Kupelian, The Marketing of Evil How Radicals, Elitists, and Pseudo-Experts Sell Us Corruption Disguised as Freedom
(Nashville, TN: WND Books, 2005), 67.
39 Bibby, Canada’s Teens, 13; Kathiann M. Kowalski, “Body Image: How Do You See Yourself,” in Adolescent Psychology, ed.
Stickle, 24-27.
40 Douglass Rushkoff, “The Merchants of Cool,” Frontline, produced by Rachel Dretzin and Barak Goodman (PBS: 2001),
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/ (accessed 8 September 2008).
41
Bibby and Posterski, Teen Trends, 95; Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death (New York: Penguin, 1985), 65-70.
42 Mackay, Australia, 124-26; Mark McCrindle and Mark Beard, Seriously Cool: Marketing and Communicating with Diverse
Generations (Baulkham Hills, Australia: McCrindle Research, 2006), 40.
43
Smith and Denton, Soul Searching, 270.
44
Clark, Angels, 13.
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It is no coincidence that many youth feel most “at home” while hanging out in shopping malls: all of life is
reducible to “buying, consuming and spectating.”45 As our pluralistic society tends to relativize all religious
authorities, youth are increasingly free to pick and choose from disparate belief systems that serve their
needs. Adolescent attitudes to religion have shifted “from obligation to consumption.”46 This is clearly
seen in the rise and eclecticism of “New Age” spirituality in Australia, representing 17 percent of
Generation Y as a whole and nearly forty percent of NRIs.47 Even here, commitment levels are low: 30
percent of youth believe in phenomena such as reincarnation, though only 10 percent regularly engage in
New Age practices—yoga, meditation, tarot cards—and fewer than 4 percent are seriously involved.48
Hugh Mackay dubs today’s youth “The Options Generation.”49 Faced with ever expanding choices, they are
commitment-phobic, always waiting for the “new thing” to replace an obsolescent option in the hope that
this will perfectly fulfill their desires.50 For many—especially New Agers—this has meant bypassing the
Bible’s authority, and settling for a bricolage of beliefs of their own construction. Youth are often unaware,
however, that their preferences may be harmful.51
After a twenty year longitudinal study of the association between religious beliefs and mental health,
Rosemary Aird discovered that “belief in a spiritual or higher power other than God is positively associated
with anxiety/depression, high levels of delusional ideation, and antisocial behaviour.”52 She noted the
association between consumerism and do-it-yourself spirituality, warning that youth had simply swapped
the “perceived tyranny of institutionalised religion” for the “tyranny of self.”53 All options are not equal,
after all.
In response, we may commend youth in their quest for what brings “life to the full,” yet challenge whether
the plethora of consumerist options have ever truly delivered their promises. In the tradition of Biblical
prophecy, the oppression of teens at the hands of manipulative marketers must be exposed. This challenge
must be nuanced, however, for all youths to varying degrees are complicit consumers. They desperately
need to hear a “convincing critique of the distorted understandings of individuality, autonomy, freedom
and morality.”54 The low level of adolescent commitment and their preference for the “new thing” form a
barrier to embracing the ancient faith of Christianity, the multitude of advertisements drowning out the
voice of wisdom crying in the streets. Yet, by telling the Biblical story in a fresh and compelling way, we can
connect teens with One who truly can quench their deepest thirst (John 4:13-15). An authentically lived
and countercultural message of simplicity and sacrifice exudes its own form of “coolness” that may catch
an image-is-everything generation off guard.55 Perhaps it is from within the lyrics and images of popular
culture’s music and movies which youth so cherish, that a starting point for dialogue may be found.56 In
doing so, we offer a bridge to adolescents increasingly dissatisfied with this shallow and plastic culture,
helping them transcend self-interest.57
45
Mandy Thomas, “Hanging Out in Westfield Parramatta,” in Ingenious, ed. Butcher and Thomas, 114.
46
Mason and others, Gen Y, 228.
47
Mason and others, Gen Y, 306-7.
48
Ibid., 70, 187-88.
49
Mackay, Australia, 171.
50
Ibid., 109, 170-80.
51
Bibby and Posterski, Teen Trends, 170-72.
52 R. L. Aird, “Religion, Spirituality, and Mental Health and Social Behaviour: A Longitudinal Study” (Unpublished Ph.D. diss.,
School of Population Health, The University of Queensland, 2007), 205.
53
Ibid., 220.
54
Mason and others, Gen Y, 346.
55
Milner, Freaks, 60.
56
Borgman, Kumbuya, 185-88; Clark, Angels, 235; Russell D. McTowsen, “‘M’ Is for Music: Connecting With Kids and the Music
They Love,” Youth Worker Journal 24, no. 4 (March/April 2008): 44-45.
57
Mason and others, Gen Y, 323.
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4. NEW AGE, SYNCRETISM, AND THE OCCULT
4.1
Initial Questions
What experience have you had of ‘New Age’ or the occult?
Why, at this point in history in the West, are so many people mixing and matching beliefs?
Syncretism involves holding multiple beliefs together, even when they apparently contradict.
For instance, I recently heard a lady describe herself as a ‘Christian Atheist’ … she thought Jesus
was worth following—like a type of guru—but wasn’t so sure about the whole God thing.
o
o
o
How does this strike you?
Why don’t these apparent contradictions greatly bother the adherent?
What examples of this have you encountered
If someone said to you that they weren’t into religion (i.e., into Christianity), but rather they are
“spiritual but not religious”, how would you respond?
Resource 12.2
Besides Peter Grice’s notes, you’ll find some helpful uploads under Moodle Module 12 “Extra
Resources” … plus check out the other links below:
“‘The Secret’: Fatal Attraction discussion guide from www.str.org PDF document”
Greg Koukl mp3s answering “The Secret” here and here
PDF material from “Apologetics in the New Age”
LOP11: Christian Witness to New Religious Movements.
Deepak Chopra on “Jesus: Story on Enlightenment” for how a leading
New Age advocate re-frames Jesus into an eastern frame.
Can you pick the problems?
Finally, two of the best books on the topic can be found at Amazon.com:
Clark, David K., and Norman L. Geisler. Apologetics in the New Age:
A Christian Critique of Pantheism. Grand Rapids, MI:
Baker Book House, 1990.
Lucas, Ernest. Science and the New Age Challenge. Leicester: IVP, 1996.
Reflection Activity 12.3
Journal at least 30 (meaningful!) words in response to the following question, based on the particular
pages of Peter Grice’s lecture notes, and tick off the related box on p. 12 of the unit guide.
12.3 From pages 3-4 of the notes, what are some of the distinctives of New Age Religion? Choose
one distinctive and think of a Biblical story that may be a bridge from their views to Christ.
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4.2
“Interpret My Bumper Sticker” – a gospel bridge to New Agers58
You can tell a lot about a society by the bumper stickers on cars. There are
bumper stickers for everything, covering our political preference (“be nice to
America or we’ll bring democracy to your country”), life philosophy (“enjoy life,
this is not a dress rehearsal”), and even our driving habits (“horn broke; watch for
finger”). But for our purposes, what do bumper stickers say about the spiritual
climate?
For one thing, institutional religion ain’t so hot right now. Here’s a sample:
“religion: you can’t start a war without it”; “religion ruled the dark ages”; “Lord,
save us from your followers”; “last time we mixed politics with religion, people
got burned at the stake.” I guess ridicule is the modern way to motivate the
devout to repent from past sins and missteps. In a related shift, exclusive is out,
and inclusive is in. As I almost slam into the suddenly braking car in front, I get a close look at their
conviction that “God is too big for any one religion.” Generally we gloss over the particulars of
contradictory claims, but the catch-cry is for a universal embrace: “believe in love and peace”; “live in peace
and harmony”; “practice respect”; “tolerance: believe in it.” Each of these stickers would make Robert
Langdon (Dan Brown’s resident cryptologist) a happy man, drawing on symbols ancient and new:
While religion is on the outer, science is still making headway, especially with the rise of “New Atheists” like
Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. We’ve all seen Darwin’s legged fish swallowing the Christian
Ixthus.59 Another sticker informs onlookers that “truth is my religion.” If you missed their drift, then
perhaps the following sticker makes the point with more force:
Now, to be sure, there is some not-so-subtle tension between
belief and non-belief: “science flies you to the moon; religion
flies you into buildings.” And I could comment on movements
such as pluralism and secularism which underlie bumper sticker
slogans. But, there’s a new batch of bumper stickers appearing
on our car boots that challenge even the hardened atheists. Most commonly found on chick-cars and
hybrid vehicles—the kind where pyramids hang where fluffy dice once ruled—welcome to the world of
New Age Bumper Stickers.
You know the kind. There are the “Green” variety—“walk gently on
mother earth”; “my church is the woods”; “God is nature.”
But the main kind of New Age Bumper Stickers represent a resurgent pagan spirituality: “Magic Happens!”;
“Angel-powered vehicle”; “Goddess in training”; “my other car is a broom”; “caution: I brake for fairies.”
Strangely, for such a tolerant, inclusive spirituality, there is no shortage of attitude: “my Goddess gave birth
to your God.” Perhaps my favourite is “give me
that old time religion,” with purple Old English type
face, accompanied by a pentagram.
58
This article was originally written by Dave Benson for Sign e-magazine: Pointing People to Jesus, September 2009.
59 For those who find the Christian symbol kind of’ fishy, here’s the low-down: the Greek word for fish is “Ixthus,” which was
used by the early church as an acronym for the fisher of men, “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Saviour” (Iesous Christos Theou Huios
Soter). During persecution in the first couple of centuries, a Christian could draw half a fish in the dirt when meeting a stranger—if
the stranger completed the fish, then they were family in Christ, and they could talk freely without fear.
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We’re in the 21st century, right, so what’s going on here? As a keen observer of culture, these sticker clad
cars are crying out to me, “Please interpret my bumper sticker!”
As we consider the role of the Spirit in our witness for this edition of SIGN, the rise of eclectic spirituality is
worth exploring. In seeking to understand our culture, three interpretive keys come to mind.60 First, there
has been a growing shift from the scientific to the spiritual. We definitely aren’t post-science . . . we rely
on technology too much to revert to a pre-modern approach to life. That said, the modern dream—here
thinking of the period roughly between the late 1700s and the mid/late 1900s—of a science-driven utopia
suppressing all superstition has not happened.
Human rationality unaided by supernatural revelation was supposed
to fill in all the gaps in knowledge and usher in a peace-filled world.
Yet, if anything, knowledge has further fragmented, and any claim to
simply and objectively seeing the world the way it really is appears
arrogant and simplistic—how could limited and biased humans ever
truly know anything?
Besides which, science is a-moral—the same rationality that put man on the moon also designed weapons
of mass destruction, genetic modification, and wasted billions on particle colliders while half the earth’s
population starved. Science can tell us why the planets move, but it can’t tell us why we should move on
the planet.
We need something beyond the material world to animate our lives with meaning.
Sadly, the Church has often been identified with this institutionalized emphasis, so in the search for
spiritual experience and power; many people have bypassed Christianity to find their own sense of
“something more.” Perhaps this explains why I found an atheistic university student named Spring
struggling her way through Eckhart Tolle’s A New
Earth—it was recommended by Oprah, after all!—not
getting how she could just visualize her problems away,
but desperately hoping Tolle might make sense of her
otherwise ordinary existence. We also see this shift in
the type of stories drawing huge crowds, whether Harry Potter or Twilight. We want to be part of
something bigger than ourselves—a destiny, a calling, and a challenge.
A second interpretive key, then, is that more people are open to the supernatural. Just take a walk around
the local market and you’ll find psychic readings, Wicca workshops, and spiritual healing. More people
today read their horoscopes than the Bible. Take our youth and young adults, for instance. Nearly 40
percent of Generation Y believe in miracles, 56 percent in life after death, 44 percent in angels, and 35
percent in demons. Definite belief in “New Age” phenomena is also significant, including fortune-telling (21
percent), communication with the dead (23 percent), astrology (25 percent), and reincarnation (31
percent).61 Almost double these percentages “maybe” believe in these phenomena. Simply asking “Are
you interested in spiritual things?” often leads to a deeper dialogue than it did a decade ago.
60 Beyond what I address here, it’s worth us reflecting on how the Church’s attitude to women, and to nature, have played a
part in the rise of feminism and environmentalism. Frequently our orthopraxy—in this case, liberating women and caring for God’s
creation—fall short of our orthodoxy.
61 All of the following data is from Michael Mason, Andrew Singleton, and Ruth Webber, The Spirit of Generation Y: Young
People's Spirituality in a Changing Australia (Mulgrave, Australia: John Garratt Publishing, 2007).
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A third interpretive key is that while “mysticism” seems to be in, it is generally consumeristic and
therapeutic rather than a search for ultimate truth. In our age of shopping malls and telemarketing, it
seems that all of life is reducible to buying, consuming, and spectating. Spirituality is less about giving than
getting. In Australia, roughly 20 percent of Generation Y are identified with “New Age” spirituality. But
even here, commitment levels are low: only 10 percent of youth regularly engage in New Age practices—
yoga, meditation, tarot cards—and fewer than 4 percent are serious spiritual seekers. Faced with ever
expanding choices, they are commitment-phobic, always waiting for the “new thing” to replace an
obsolescent option in the hope that this will perfectly fulfil their desires. Some commentators have
assumed that this new interest in spirituality should naturally translate into openness to Christ. Perhaps,
though I doubt it. Many New Agers have been burned by the Church, and are suspicious of Christianity as
an oppressive, anti-women institution.
At a deeper level, though, it is questionable whether a self-centered spirituality focused on my upward
questing for satisfaction on my terms, is compatible with the downward “work of God which speaks of His
grace and judgment.”62 God’s authority and the call to submit and be transformed are sticking points for
those merely wanting techniques to control their world.
Putting all this together, how should we respond to the spirituality suggested by our bumper sticker
culture? If we’re seeking to cross the cultural divide, then there are things we need to commend and
challenge as we set about removing barriers and building bridges.
We could commend New Agers for recognizing that life is about more
than matter—we have a soul, so their quest for “life to the full” is
rightly directed toward the supernatural. But this leads to a challenge
over how satisfying and true are their eclectic beliefs—the latest
research indicates that New Age spirituality is strongly correlated with
anxiety, depression, and delusional ideation.
It is possible to lose our life in the process of saving ourselves. Not
only is there little (if any) evidence to support the rationality of these
beliefs, it seems that do-it-yourself-spirituality simply swaps the
“perceived tyranny of institutionalized religion for the tyranny of self.”63 All options are not equal, after all.
A significant barrier to dismantle is the perception that Christianity is an un-spiritual religious club looking
to control rather than empower participants. So, to the bridge: Imagine a church where all the senses are
engaged in passionate worship; where we confidently connect with all types of people even at New Age
festivals; and where our God-given prayers and prophecies demonstrate God’s superior power to transform
someone’s life—and you’re in tune with what animated the ancient church and (God-willing) will make our
post-Christian culture sit up and take notice.64
And for this to happen, perhaps you will agree that our highest priority is that of being a Spirit-empowered
witness. God bless as you interpret our society’s bumper stickers as a search for transcendence, and in turn
point people to Jesus.
62
David F. Wells, Above All Earthly Pow'rs: Christ in a Postmodern World (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2005), 161.
63 R. L. Aird, “Religion, Spirituality, and Mental Health and Social Behavior: A Longitudinal Study” (Unpublished Ph.D. diss.,
School of Population Health, The University of Queensland, 2007), 205, 220.
64 I’ve now come across two churches which run stalls at New Age festivals under thinly-veiled banners such as “Christo-centric
Light,” offering prayer, prophecy, and healing for any who come. From all reports, the love and power experienced have drawn a
disproportionate number of seekers to these stalls over any other. In the marketplace of multiple spiritualities, we shouldn’t be
afraid of what John Wimber calls “power encounters.”
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4.3
Trish’s Story – a journey into, and out of, the New Age
Following are some notes sketched by a friend, Trish, who as a teen and young adult became heavily
involved in the occult. Later, through the witness of a good friend, she came to follow Christ. Here are some
of her key memories of journeying into, and out of, the New Age.
What lead into it …
At age of 16, after moving from Brisbane to Gosford, I met a family who myself and my sister and brother
all connected well with. Not long after meeting them I found out they were involved in many aspects of the
occult such as card reading, tarot card reading, fortune telling, numerology, clairvoyance, casting spells,
witchcraft etc and they made it all sound interesting and right. I became attached to this family especially
the mum as she showed genuine love and care toward me and this filled a great void and need for parental
love and acceptance. The mum then began introducing me into all of these practices, and all under the
guise that these were good things and not the devilish things of the occult. I was led to believe there was a
light and dark side to all of the occult practices. So in my mind we were searching out and practicing 'good
stuff, not bad stuff'. I found I had a natural curiosity for these practices and also found them easy to
practice and remember. It was always comforting to be able to turn to the cards, stars or numbers to seek
guidance on my life, especially in the trying years and there were many of them in those years.
What I discovered …
When one is seeking direction and guidance, acceptance and love, it always centred on me and what I feel
and want. With the occult practices, if something came up that I/we didn’t like we would simply re-do that
task until we got the favourable direction or guidance we were hoping for. If this did not happen we would
simply ignore what was just revealed.
Often our hopes did not manifest in true life, but we would simply live in a denial of reality and truth and
stick to our guns that one day life or circumstances would turn around and magically give us what we so
desperately were seeking. After being entrenched in this life style for approx 6 years I started to become
aware of the darker side of the occult. I could sense evil and just prior to the Lord saving me I could sense
how strong the pull of evil to control my life was, I was actually becoming scared that evil would consume
or control me and that frightened me. Throughout this stage my conscious thoughts never went to God but
I did often try to think of how I would get out of this mess. I also found that my own moral compass had
decayed throughout this season in my life and I really did not think much about that either. I was always
searching for comfort, direction and guidance and the occult gave me what I thought I needed to get
through life, it was hope.
Things that raised the alarm …
Sister with pins in back and hair
Sister with table pinning her against wall during séance
House where I lived having ‘strange feelings and happenings’ – Ouija board under house that had been
used many times in house by member of that household
Sylvia – clairvoyant’s house being demonically inhabited
What lead me out of New Age? …
At age 22 a close friend died of an aneurism and we often would debate the existence of God, me I always
felt there was a God but not sure of who or what he was. A couple of months later I turned 23 and one
Thurs evening my sister called me and we started to chat, all of a sudden she just blurted out "do you know
all the things we do are of the devil" and my response from my heart was, 'yes'. I had not even consciously
even thought about it, but deep inside I knew what I was involved in was not good, any of it. (I later came
to the understanding this was the work of the Holy Spirit leading and drawing me to God).
How do I see things now that I am out of it? …
The occult is full of practices that seem harmless. And there are also practices that many ‘normal’ folk
would never partake in. However, Satan’s game plan is always to keep you from knowing and trusting God,
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He really does not care who or what you follow or do so long as it is not God. Satan has since the beginning
of time always set out to get you to question God rather than trust him, I believe it is his way of
disempowering God in your life. But our God is faithful in everything, He can be trusted and He is the only
One True God and worthy to be worshiped.
Advice to reach those in or exploring New Age …
Ask them questions on why they believe these things or practices to be true in their lives., where do they
think the occult comes from …… etc Many people do not think much about this and therefore blindly get
involved. It is good to be able to talk to people about the spiritual realm in life and as God leads share
about the spiritual side of a God submitted life.
4.4
“The Secret” … understanding the phenomena, and responding
Heard of “The Secret”? If not, check out this website: http://www.thesecret.tv/.
Or, watch the youtube.com clip to get the picture:
… “The Secret Reveals the most powerful law in
the universe. The knowledge of this law has run
like a golden thread through the lives and
teachings of all the prophets, seers, sages and
saviours in the world’s history, and through the
lives of all truly great men and women. All that
they have ever accomplished or attained has
been done in full accordance with this most
powerful law.
Without exception, every human being has the
ability to transform any weakness or suffering
into strength, power, perfect peace, health and abundance.
Rhonda Byrne's discovery of The Secret began with a glimpse of the truth through a 100 year old book. She
went back through centuries, tracing and uncovering a common truth that lay at the core of the most
powerful philosophies, teachings and religions in the world.
What Rhonda discovered is now captured in The Secret, a film that has been viewed by millions around the
world. The Secret has also been released as an audio-book and printed book with more than 16 million
copies in print in over 40 languages.
The Secret reveals the natural law that is governing all lives. By applying the knowledge of this law, you can
change every aspect of your life. This is the secret to prosperity, health, relationships and happiness. This is
the secret to life.”
A Summary of "The Secret"
We are responsible for everything in our lives
Your imagination is an extremely powerful tool
Our life is as it is because we created it ourselves
We can change the results in our lives
Your emotions are a guide to let you know if you are 'on track'
We can do, be and have anything we want
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Reflection Activity 12.4
Journal at least 30 (meaningful!) words in response to the following question, and tick off the related
box on p. 12 of the unit guide.
12.4 If you had one minute with someone who believed “The Secret”, and they were open to hearing
your views, what would you say?
4.4.1
Dave’s Response to the Secret
Following is an email exchange with a good friend, Reeda, whose sister believes in “The Secret”. First,
Reeda gives me the low-down. Then, I spend some time helping Reeda unpack her sister’s worldview, also
dealing with some misconceptions concerning Christianity along the way. … How would you respond?
From: Reeda
Sent: Wednesday, 12 August 2009
To: David Benson
Subject: Tough Question
Hi Dave,
I have one question that stumped us recently when talking to my sister, she was brought up in a Christian
family coming to church, strayed when she was a teenager. Then married the wrong person and got
divorced. When going through the divorce she has told us she was searching for God/answers and decided to
do more research into other beliefs. A basic run down of what she believes: You are in control of your
circumstances and any outcomes. There is a higher power that we can tap into that answers our requests (for
anything) as long as we are truly focused on what we want (The Secret). There is no right or wrong there just
is. Your conscience is shaped by your upbringing, it is not a way of God leading your life. She believes that
Jesus was a good teacher, but not anything else about him.
We had a great discussion with her when last in Melbourne but this one question kind of stopped anything
further. If God (the higher power) is Love, which she believes how can he be a jealous or judging God. She
believes that this is not something that she can grasp or agree with. It was a really tough one for us, probably
caused by the fact it was about midnight!! I did ask her if she has done all the research she is going to do (eg
has she given up on listening to anything about Christianity) and she said she is willing to read anything. I have
purchased her a copy of the Case for Faith. Is there anything else that you might recommend that may bring
the message to her in a way that might really reach her.
Regards,
Reeda
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From: Dave Benson
Sent: Wednesday, 13 August 2009
To:Reeda
Subject: re: Tough Question
Hey Reeda,
that's quite the discussion you're having with your sister! Great to hear she's engaging.
"New Age" beliefs are tricky to respond to ... in many ways these beliefs are a backlash to the overly
confident and restrictive approach of enlightenment thought... i.e. only matter is real, and unless
something can be measured and tested, it is untrue. Unfortunately this ruled out all the matters at the
heart of life, like love, justice, hope, conscience, memory, existence of other minds, and the list goes on.
Added to this, it was quick to exclude and judge, and in the process it caused a lot of damage to the world.
So modernity gave way to postmodernity-seeing every exclusive truth claim as a mask for oppression,
instead asserting that I can believe whatever I want and it is "true for me," i.e. pragmatically useful from my
perspective. And postmodemity with its soft-thinking has opened the door for the rise of the New Age ... an
odd collection of beliefs that are more reactive and emotional than rational, but seem to be freeing
compared to the restrictiveness of either science or institutional religion like Christianity. ... It's like an
adolescent who has run away from his excessively controlling parents, and is presently revelling in the new
freedom apart from authority. But like most runaway teens, the fun has a used-by-date, and often
something far more destructive fills the authority gap ... whether the blind belief given to alternate
"authorities" like the author of The Secret (Rhonda Byrne) or A New Earth (Eckhart Tolle), or a new slavery to
"the tyranny of self," caught up in selfishness and addictions. The New Age almost always leads the devotee
to place themselves at the centre of their universe. The sad reality is that we aren't the centre of the
universe, and if our beliefs don't correspond to the way the universe (and us within it) really are, then we
get smashed. Alternately, if we place God as the Sun in our universe, then all the planets orbit rightly.
I'll get onto your particular question in a second, but I think it's worth an aside to get this in perspective.
The following paragraph or two are from my study over in Canada, citing an intriguing longitudinal study
conducted by a UQ researcher of the effect of New Age beliefs on mental health.
After a twenty year longitudinal study of the association between religious beliefs and mental health,
Rosemary Aird discovered that "belief in a spiritual or higher power other than God is positively associated
with anxiety/depression, high levels of delusional ideation, and antisocial behaviour." All options are not
equal, after all. She concluded her dissertation with this bracing conjecture about choice and consumerism
in an age of do-it-yourself spirituality:
"Despite the anti-materialist and counter-capitalist underpinnings of the New Age movement, New Age beliefs and
practices have become just one more range of commodities in the open market. It seems that the New Age
movement may in practice reinforce the capitalistic nature of society rather than weaken it.... It may be that the
New Spirituality's quest for freedom from the perceived tyranny of institutionalised religion, and the seeking of
creative self-expression, self-fulfilment, and self-actualisation, are simply helping to create the conditions for the
unleashing of a different form of tyranny—the tyranny of self."
[R. L. Aird, "Religion, Spirituality, and Mental Health and Social Behaviour: A Longitudinal Study"
(Unpublished Ph.D. diss., School of Population Health, The University of Queensland, 2007), p. 205.]
It's worth responding to your sister's particular questions about, and objections to, Christianity. It's worth
asking what "love" is. Is love just an emotion? Or is it a personal commitment that binds the lover and the
beloved? Without pressing on a sore point for her, most marriage failures are in some way related to a
belief that love is just the excitement and attraction, but when the going gets tough, without commitment,
the uncommitted just leave. So if love involves (or is) an action reflecting unconditional commitment for
the good of the other, then how should love respond to wrongful rejection or unfaithfulness? If a husband
truly loved his wife, and his wife cheated on him, how should love respond?
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Should he simply share his excitement that his wife has found someone who makes her happier, and move
on with his life. Should he let her go without a word? Granted, if that husband chained his wife inside the
house and forbid her to leave, that would be abuse, tantamount to emotional rape. He should give her
freedom to leave, but without consequence or an attempt toward reconciliation? I think not. Such a
husband is not loving-he is cold, indifferent, and apathetic. There is a proper, loving response, which sits in
the middle between indifference and abuse. My contention is that this is what God does with us.
He created us for Him ... and in fact, as Augustine said, "Our hearts are restless until they find their home in
Him." So his loving pursuit of us as His creation is ultimately/or our benefit. Idolatry is forbidden, for any
time we place what is not God in the centre of our lives, it cannot support our expectations-for it is finite
and fallible—and it breaks, damaging both the idol and us. Only God can truly satisfy. So when we turn our
backs on God and go our own way, then we are exposed in this life to a natural justice that results from
resting our lives on an unsteady support-we fall. And God continues to call us back-through His kindness,
but also through natural suffering incurred from bad choices-"God's megaphone to rouse a deaf world" (C.
S. Lewis). Like an unfaithful spouse, God lovingly pursues us (and we are the benefactor, if we respond). If
we continue to resist, then the dark side of God's love is that we have shunned God. And when we reject
the giver of life, we choose for ourselves eternal death, which is Hell. For God to transport His unfaithful
spouse to spend eternity with Him, this is cosmic rape. We have clearly chosen otherwise, and we must live
with our choice. (Again, quoting Lewis, Hell is the ultimate tribute to human free will, that "hell is locked
from the inside"... on judgment day either we say to God "thy will be done," [and we spend eternity with
Him], or God says to us "thy will be done" [and we send ourselves to Hell].)
The Bible does indeed say God's love is "jealous"-but this does not mean He is controlling and unforgiving
and abusive. Rather, it is a proper form of jealousy that is always present when love is truly love-that we
care for the beloved, and will do all that we can within the bounds of respect for the other's will to
reconcile the relationship.
(It might be worth you looking through this link:
http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=66cd49048597elbd7069484bded33bcd98c20c3a5cldf529. In there
you'll find the mp3 and notes for a talk I did on Hell. It spells all this out in greater detail.
All of that said, I think a key approach is to challenge her own foundations. Rather than taking the burden of
proof, you should gently test her beliefs to see why they are worthy of belief (is she warranted in holding
the beliefs she does). Are these beliefs coherent? Do they correspond to what we know of the universe and
our human nature? Are they a complete explanation that makes sense of the universe and our nature? Are
they livable?
(Two books helpful to this end-though rather technical, and more for your reading-are David K. Clark and
Norman L. Geisler, Apologetics in the New Age: A Christian Critique of Pantheism, and Ernest Lucas, Science
and the New Age Challenge. A third book which I would recommend for your sister to read is Tim Keller, The
Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Scepticism. This book isn't especially on the New Age, but it does address
major stumbling blocks to belief in the Christian God, that are written especially for postmoderns. It also
does a wonderful job explaining the heart of the gospel in a fresh way. This, and Strobel's The Case for
Faith, would get my top billing for your sister to read.)
Back onto her beliefs.
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You are in control of your circumstances and any outcomes.
Really?!? Then why did she will a divorce? It's comforting to believe that we really have this much control
over the way the world is, but if it is untrue and other factors are at play, then we are headed for
disappointment. Every thing that goes wrong is totally our responsibility. I gather she believes she is "free"
to choose how she wills. But most choose according to conscience, which in turn is shaped by her
upbringing-so how free is she at this foundational level? Does she control her own desires? And if everyone
is free, and our actions have physical consequences, then how is it that the consequences of someone
else's actions (as they affect her) are under her control? For instance, if the other chooses to run me off the
road, then was this simultaneously my choice (and if it's from some part of my subconscious, then am I
really in control?), or purely a consequence of their actions? If it was just their actions then I am not in
control. If it was my choice, then how are they also free and in control, and why am I choosing so poorly?
How does this kind of belief system explain the success of science? That is, independent researchers
coming to common conclusions based upon repeatable measurements on the physical world. Does she
deny the reality of the world-is it an illusion? If so, then why does she so consistently play into this illusion
and not just will reality to be the way she desires-why look both ways when crossing the street and not just
visualize a clearing on the freeway? If she were to look at her life more closely, I imagine she would find
that the majority of her actions make a lie of this belief-that is, every day she would make thousands of
choices that reflect a belief that the universe is, and she needs to adjust her behaviour to make the best of
things. Try visualizing your tax bill away.
But if she acknowledges to any degree that the universe and
outcomes/circumstances exist independent of her "control,"
then she needs to study the world and history more closely to
see if her beliefs align with reality-rather than just willing
reality to align with her map of the universe. In this case, why
is she so certain that her beliefs are more true and
trustworthy than the traditional Christian claims of Christ and
His teaching. Why should she trust her own authority above
that of what God has revealed through the Bible? There are
more than a few contradictions at the heart of her beliefs.
There is a higher power that we can tap into that answers our requests (for anything) as long as we are
truly focused on what we want (The Secret).
If that power is truly "Higher," then why does it/he/she apparently only exist to answer our requests for
anything? And if this "Higher Power" gives us whatever we want-even if it is destructive-then why should
it/he/she be trusted? Does she believe this power is personal? If so, then surely this being has a will. And if
this being is willing to answer our personal requests, then what is this being's will? Surely if this being can
communicate to us indirectly through answering particular requests, then it can also communicate. If not,
then how has she come to believe in this higher power's existence? What evidence is there for this
particular being's existence? Is it more solid than the evidence the Biblical God's existence-through history
and ultimately in the person of Jesus? If this power is, however, mute, then what makes her so sure it truly
exists? This seems like a blind belief and wish fulfilment-the kind of belief Freud truly critiqued. And why is
my "true focus" so central to this being answering my requests? If this power is impersonal, then why
should this matter? What is the mechanism by which my subjective wishes translate into answered
requests? If this power is impersonal-and the universe is at heart one, i.e. pantheism-then surely my own
personality and uniqueness is also an illusion. And doesn't this belief system strike you as particularly selfcentred ... if everyone just lived for what they wanted, what kind of world would we live in? In some ways
this reflects the Hindu caste system in its strongest form ... take care of yourself, don't help those lower
down as they are responsible (in control) for the way their life is (bad karma from a past life, perhaps), so
just take care of #1. How does your sister feel when she sees others put themselves first, and ignore others
for their own gain? If this frustrates her and seems wrong, then why should it be any more attractive when
she does it?
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To take another angle, has this been her own experience? Have all her requests for anything been granted?
If not, then why wasn't she truly focused? (For surely, if she is in control [as per the first statement] then she
has no one to blame but herself for not being truly focused.) It seems to me that most of life is trying to
deal with the consequences of others' and my own poor choices. Her system pretends that she is complete
and whole as she is, so the world being a better place and her being happier therein is simply attained if we
all just get what we truly want. But as any parent knows, often what we want is not good for us or others.
Our will is misshapen. The modern quest-both in science and magic akin to your sister's beliefs-is for
control over the universe (whether through science or wish-fulfilment). It ignores our brokenness-our sin ...
that instead of loving God, loving others, and lovingly stewarding this world toward fruitfulness, we have
despised God, abused others, and vandalized the world. Switch on the news ... does what she sees look like
the way the world is supposed to be? Thus, the ancient quest was to truly understand the universe (and
story) we're living in, and to discipline our soul such that we have the kind of character/virtue supporting
happiness by living rightly. If she aims at the wrong thing, happiness will be elusive.
Your conscience is shaped by your upbringing , it is not a way of God leading your life. There is no right or
wrong there just is.
And here we hit the heart of the problem, and the centre of her contradiction. She rejects the kind of God
who would be jealous and judge evil with Hell. But on what basis can she judge? Is it on the basis of her
conscience-her innate sense of the way the world is, or should be? If so, then she believes this is purely
subjective and culturally bound, and has no certainty that the standard by which she judges and rejects God
is truly right. (Not to mention the problem of hypocrisy ... judging and rejecting God upon her own
subjective sense of right and wrong.) Presumably, she believes it is wrong for God to punish people in Hell.
But she has already dismissed right and wrong. Then why the genuine outrage? If there is no right nor
wrong, then it would be morally acceptable for someone to take her child (if she has children-perhaps in
the future?) and torture and kill them without reason. Does she object? Now it may not be her preference,
but by her own beliefs it is not wrong. Again, why the moral outrage? Is it truly equivalent to protect as to
gas a Jew (as in the Holocaust), to save and destroy a life, to heal and hurt the environment, the speak truly
and deceive? The same people who conveniently believe in moral relativity-when it comes to their own
choices, and their standing before a holy and just God-are the ones who cry foul when justice is not
enacted in the courts of law, and then judge God as evil for a world full of suffering and pain with heaven
and hell to come. The emperor has no clothes. This belief is inconsistent and bankrupt. No one lives
consistently with moral relativity, so I have to wonder on what basis she is so convinced that conscience is
neutral and a personal, moral God does not exist. Granted, we may disagree over some of the details of what
is objectively right and wrong-though C. S. Lewis's appendix on the Tao in The Abolition of Man reveals
remarkable consistency across the world-but just as a student adding 2 + 2 to get 5 does not disprove
mathematics, our moral differences do not disprove a moral law. Instead, they further affirm the Christian
belief that God is the foundation for all morality, yet our fallenness has affected both our minds and our
wills such that we do not perceive rightly-even as we are still in God's image to recognize that things are not
the way they are supposed to be.
Christian theism, better than any other system I have encountered, grounds the success of science, the
correspondence of our observations with the way the world truly is, the reality of objective morality, the
greatness yet depravity of humanity, and our simultaneous control and despair over the outcomes of our
choices in the world. Perhaps she has a way of answering each of these challenges, but I cannot see what it
would be short of blind faith and a desire for the world to be the way she wants. As I wrote earlier, this
belief may be initially comforting and freeing, but the "tyranny of self" and the reality of an unbending
universe will leave wreckage in its wake.
She believes that Jesus was a good teacher, but not anything else
Strobel is helpful on this front. I assume, then, that she believe Jesus really existed. On what basis? Why not
write him off as a myth? Clearly, because there are records of His life, and His legacy lives on to the present
(even through the way we divide our time-line, with the Common Era defined by Christ's life). Now, I know
that there are roughly 14 non-Christian/extra-biblical (and often hostile) witnesses to Jesus' life, death, and
claimed resurrection within 100 years of his death. And these in broad brush strokes support the key Biblical
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claims that Jesus was a miracle worker, that He died under Pontius Pilate/Tiberius, and His earliest followers
believed Him resurrected, worshipping Him as God from the outset, even unto death-not recanting under
torture. But where did she come up with the idea that Jesus was a good teacher if not from the Bible?
So, on what basis does she accept the Gospels when they speak of Jesus being a good teacher, and accept the
basic moral teachings of Jesus such as "do unto others as you would have them do unto you," but then reject
other passages by the same authors when they reveal Jesus' claims to being divine, the Son of God, I Am, the
Living Water, the Bread of Life, "the Way, the Truth, and the Life-the only way to the Father"? Is it upon
another record? And if so, does this other record better meet historical criteria-composed by an eyewitness
who knew what had really happened, a trustworthy witness with a novel testimony that held up even
under persecution, who took pains to preserve the details of Jesus' life? There are no other testimonies like
this.
Then she must reject Jesus' divinity based upon some other presupposition that disallows her from believing
Jesus could have been God in the flesh. It would be interesting to find what these particular
presuppositions are. Are they more warranted than the Biblical claims? If so, how? The best I can do is
commend my interpretation of Jesus as found in the Gospels, as historically trustworthy and highly
suggestive that He was more than a man. If He were just a man, then why did His closest followers worship
Him as God and support His resurrection-when they would have known it to be a lie-even to their death?
This doesn't particularly well fit the historical evidence in any of the ancient accounts, nor the rise of the
early church from an outside force of perhaps 70 followers, to the dominant faith in the Roman Empire
some 300 years later. (See Rodney Stark's The Rise of Christianity for more on this.)
On another note, it seems to me that your sister-in holding to moral relativity, the nonexistence of a
personal God who answers prayers as He sees fit, the apparent immorality of God judging and sending people
to Hell, and instead her emphasis on putting yourself first and in control to fulfil your desires versus putting
ourselves last and serving God and others first-doesn't believe Jesus was a good teacher. She disagrees with
the majority of His teaching-and certainly His central teaching-preferring her own dogma. Peter Kreeft
(using C. S. Lewis' Trilemma) proposed that either Jesus is a Legend (untrue), Lama ("God" in the pantheistic
sense that we all are god), Liar, Lunatic, or Lord. If Legend, then how to explain all the historical evidence? If
Lama, then what of the uniqueness of Jesus' claims, as made to a radically monotheistic Jewish people? If
Liar, then why consider Him a good teacher? If Lunatic, then why have his teachings been the base for the
rise of Western Civilization, and His life been considered the highest of ethical models and self-sacrifice?
Then why exclude the possibility of Jesus being Lord? This does seem to fit.
+++++++++++++
Okay, thought I'd spend a bit more time on this one than usual. I haven't had as much to do with engaging
New Age beliefs, but perhaps the verbiage above will help in both our efforts to point people to Jesus. It
seems that in rejecting the restricted rationality of both western logic and science, and institutional
religion, that many have opened their minds so wide that the truth has fallen out. Christianity is seen as
restrictive and intolerant, but strangely in the inclusive New Age spirituality, we must be excluded.
Boundaries and truth claims can be oppressive, but without "form," freedom is meaningless. Without banks
a river bursts and causes destruction. Without skin we are open to disease and infection. And without a cell
wall, all that is intelligent in our genetic blue-print falls out. The need is not for an unthinking openness to
all that promises to meet our desires and self-centred pursuits. Instead, we need appropriate form,
boundaries, and limitations that fit the way the world truly is-the way we work best. I think this is what
Jesus offers us-the way to life. And it begins with humility-both intellectual and volitional. We humble
ourselves to accept the way the world truly is and modify our beliefs accordingly. And we humble ourselves
to submit to God's rightful (and loving) authority over our lives. In this, our hearts find true rest. As G. K.
Chesterton said, "The purpose of an open mind is the same as an open mouth-to shut it again on something
solid."
Hope this helps Reeda, and God bless in your discussions. Add a bucket full of grace and empathetic listening
to every teaspoon of what I've written above. And God willing, what is true, good, and beautiful, may
properly commend itself to her, that she may see by "the true light who brings light to all people" and taste
life to the full to satisfy her desires (John 1:9; 10:10). … Dave.
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Forum Activity Week 12—Distance Students
Distance students are required to post to the Moodle Forum for modules 7 through 13, though class
students are strongly encouraged to participate also. Each contribution is compulsory for assessment,
though not graded. For each session, you need to summarise the strongest objection against Christian
belief related to the set topic (e.g. from the worldviews of eastern pantheistic monism, new age
syncretism, and the occult), then jotting some thoughts as to how one may reply.
Put your response on the Moodle Forum (200-400 words)
Preparation for Next Week …
 Distance students must post to the forum—class students are encouraged to participate also
 Pre-reading, as per Unit Guide p6 (with non-text sources at the end of this module’s Moodle)
… Come prepared to share on each of the following:
-a question—something you don’t get, or want to clarify
-a challenge—something you disagree with, or want to nuance
-an implication—“so what” for our apologetic practice
-an application—something useful right now in your context
 Given the topic next week (concluding thought on humble apologetics), come ready to share
the most significant thing you’ve learned across this semester, and how you’ve put it into
practice. Let’s celebrate this course wrapping up with some great stories of apologetics used
for the glory of God.
Significance for Christian theology, life and thought...
What in this session is most significant to you personally,
in forming your own theology, life and thought?
I’ll be brief this time! Remember in Acts 17, where Paul speaks to the Areopagus? Here we have
gathered a bunch of seekers, some hedonists (epicureans, just wanting a good time), but just as
many stoics (a lot like today’s New Agers and pantheists). They have set up all kinds of idols to
worship every God … for who could possibly know what God is like. This includes the “unknown
God”.
Watch Paul traipse in there! And note what he doesn’t do. He doesn’t go in there and beat them
over the heads: “Ignoramus!” Instead, he quotes their own poets, their own sources … he finds
bridges from their confused notions of God to what is true, good and beautiful. For eternity is hidden
in their hearts, though they know not the beginning from the end (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
“God is not made by human hands … rather, in Him you live, move, and have your being.”
God has spoken! Enough groping around in the dark! His image has entered our existence, through
Jesus. Now, turn, and find life!
God is good. I’m so glad we can worship Him in Spirit and Truth, no longer lost but found.
Worldviews 3: Monism, New Age & Occult
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