The New Age Movement

What is the New Age Movement? The New Age Movement (NAM) is a mixture of ideas and practices drawn from Eastern religions (such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism), Eastern/Western mysticism, Gnosticism, Self-help Psychology, and the Occult. The New Age Movement has two primary goals: 1) To help individuals uncover and fully realize their own divinity (sometimes called the Christconsciousness, evolutionary godhood, or god consciousness). 2) To usher in an era of global unity and world peace (known as the Aquarian Age or the New Age). Who makes up the NAM? NAM is a loosely connected network of individuals and practitioners who are searching for supernatural experiences without any concept of danger or evil, drawing from any culture or religion, from any where or any time in history scary!! (see 1 John 4:1- and 1 Peter 5:8). History of the New Age The title New Age has been around for more than fifty years and was first popularized by a woman named Alice Bailey (1880-1949) who was a huge proponent of the Aquarian Age. The New Age Movement and its beliefs were widely introduced to thousands of young people in the U.S., England, and Europe during the 1960s. Much of its popularity was due to the Beatles who began following Hindu spiritual guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Since the 60s, there has been a surge of interest in Eastern philosophies and practices. In the 1980s, the New Age Movement won famous convert Shirley MacLaine who published a variety of books on the subject and further popularized the idea of personal divinity and paranormal experiences. Today, New Age beliefs pervade the educational system (ex. Confluent Education and the massive emphasis on self-esteem) and the media (i.e. Oprah Winfrey show, ET, Star Wars, and Avatar). Popular New Age Teachers: Alice Bailey The Externalization of the Hierarchy (1934); Carlos Castaneda The Teaching of Don Juan (1968); Shirley MacLaine Out on a Limb (1983) and Dancing in the Light (1986), Eckhart Tolle The Power of Now (1999) and A New Earth (2005); Marianne Williamson A Course in Miracles (2006); Rhonda Byrne The Secret (2007), Deepak Chopra Ageless Body, Timeless Mind (1993), Jesus: A Story of Enlightenment (2008), The Third Jesus (), The Secret of Healing: Meditations for Transformation and Higher Consciousness (2010), Practices influenced by or a part of the New Age Movement Meditation (wherein the person seeks to achieve an altered state of consciousness through chanting, mantras, and deep breathing) Yoga (series of stretches meant to unite the practitioner with the Hindu God Brahman, for more info see page 9) Crystals (crystals are thought to be great reservoirs of energy that can be released to purify our body and minds energy systems) Channeling (contacting spirit guides) Creative visualization (where one uses mental imagery to imagine himself in the presence of a divine being, or being healed of sickness, etc.) Visiting psychics Past life therapy Pranayama (breathing exercises) Sleep deprivation (with the purpose of inducing a mystical experience) Astral projection (training your soul to have out-of-body experiences) Sweet lodges Tarot Cards Holistic health readings Functional Medicine and much more Defining characteristics of the movement The New Age Movement has no primary sacred text, central organization, membership, formal clergy, geographic center or headquarters, official website, or creeds. They get their information from conferences, seminars, workshops, magazines, books, T.V., and the web. The New Age is a spiritual buffet line (you can pick, choose, or drop beliefs as you like). Sin, evil, and the devil are not considered real, but projections of our own inner fears. 1

 The New Age is driven by each individual and is highly concentrated on the self a surprising number of New Age books have the word self in the titles. New Age language: universe, cosmos, energy, divine, transcendent, self-actualization, transformational, awakening, manifestation, awareness, consciousness, spirit vs. ego and form, tribal, and the ancients. Dominant Themes in the New Age: Love, Light, and PeaceNew Age literature is permeated with the words love, light, and peace, yet it is a counterfeit version of all three! New Age Love: Accepting every belief as valid, not judging others, and believing that you are perfect. In order to awaken or more fully understand ones divinity one is often forced to spend money on things like seminars, tarot card readings, trainings with gurus, nutritional consultations, and spiritual advisors. Gods Love: Gods love is free! You can not purchase it or earn it. It is paid in full through the blood of Jesus. Gods love is caring enough to tell us when we are wrong and be willing to pay the price so that we may be forgiven (John 3:16). Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation [a wrath appeasing sacrifice] for our sins (1 John 4:10). Greater love has no one than this; that he lay down his life for his friends (John 15:3) and this is what Jesus did on the Cross. New Age Light: Light comes from within and pervades all things Gods Light: The Bible declares that Jesus is the light of the world and that he stepped down into darkness so that we might be saved (John 1:4-9 and John 8:12). New Age Peace: Peace is realizing you are divine and is obtained through positive thinking, meditation, and looking within. It is often purchased through classes and seminars that teach you techniques. Gods Peace: Peace is having your sins forgiven, laying your burdens down, and being born-again. Peace is only obtained through the blood of Christ. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). Peace is a free gift that cost God much!

Major New Age Beliefs (because the New Age is eclectic not every New Ager will hold each of these
beliefs, but the entire movement encompasses these beliefs) 1. God is an impersonal force or energy In the New Age Movement, God is seen as an all-pervading, impersonal Energy, Force or Consciousness. God is sometimes referred to as the Universe or the Cosmos. New Agers believe that any kind of definition limits your view of God and that one should stay away from using words to describe God. Famous New Age author, Deepak Chopra, sums up this point in an interview with TIME magazine: God cannot be defined because as soon as you define God, you limit God to your definition of God. Therefore, it's ultimately futile to define what or who God is other than saying Infinite Mind, Eternal Being, Field of All Possibilities. The implication of an impersonal God is that He doesnt have standards for our behavior or specific requirements as to morality, belief, and behavior. As a consequence, the idea of sin and judgment are thrown out and to each his own becomes the credo. Biblical Response: While it is true that Gods character and essence can not be fully comprehended by the human mind (because God is infinite and man is finite) or fully explained through language (again because God is infinite and language has limits), Gods character and essence can be understood in part Romans 1: 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. God has graciously decided to reveal Himself to sinful man (Isa 65:1a I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me) out of love, so that we might have a relationship with Him. 2

Through out the Bible God is clearly described as having personhood (feelings, relationships, intellect, and will) and knowable attributes: o He is eternal (Deut 33:27; Psa 90:2; Gen1:1; Hab 1:12), omniscient (Psa 139:1-5; Prov 5:21, 1 John 3:20); omnipresent (Psa 139:7-13; Math 28:20), omnipotent (Rev 19:6; Jer 32:17,27), immutable/unchanging (Mal 3:6; Num 23:19; Psa 102:26, 27), holy (Isa 6:3; Hab 1:13), righteous (Psa 145:17, Lam 1:18), sovereign (1 Chr 29:11), self-existent (Ex 3:14), perfect (Deut 32:3-4), infinite (Job 5:9; 9:10), and forgiving (For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. Psa 86:5).

2. All is One (Monism) This belief (that all is one) is also called Monism (based on the prefix mono means one, or single). New Agers believe that everything and everyone is interrelated and interdependent. Individuality is considered an illusion. Ultimately, to the New Ager, there is no real difference between humans, animals or rocks because they believe we are made of the same substance. Any differences between these entities are considered only apparent, not real. One blogger sums up this concept perfectly: as human beings, we are not, and cannot be separate from one another. Separation is only an illusion. Everything is interrelated at the source level. Everything is actually only one thing at the most basic level. We become aware of this when the illusion of separation disappears. The deeper our understanding of this, the better we are at alleviating our suffering. (dougsnedden.blogspot.com) The implication of such beliefs is that humans are no more important than a fish, koala bears, or pine trees. Many New Agers are therefore drawn to Native American mysticism (a false way of connecting to God through nature), vegetarianism (not a bad thing), and green movements (not a bad thing either when put in its proper place). It Biblical Response: Although man is made of the same organic materials that can be found in rocks, plants, and animals, he is decidedly different (for example, man is creative and imaginative). God has created man in His own image and according to His own likeness, which separates us from the rest of nature (Gen1:26). Man was created to have dominion over the earth and to be a good steward of its resources. Man must not abuse that which he is over and God will hold Christians responsible for the stewardship that has been entrusted to them (Gen1:26-30, 2:15). God looks at the planet and sees individuals. Although we are united in the fact that we are all His creation, each person is distinct, unique, and separate from one another in Gods eyes.(Luke 12:7). 3. All is God (Pantheism) New Agers believe that everything that exists is God. This belief, that all is God, is also called pantheism (pan = all and theism = god). Pantheism is similar to monism. As we just noted, monism is the belief that all is one. Well, pantheism takes monism a step farther to say that the oneness is a deity. The god of the New Age is more of an it than a He. New Agers reject the idea of a personal creator who exists outside of creation and exercises control and authority over creation. Most New Agers believe that God pervades all things, contains all things, and is found within all things. In other words, the universe is God, and God is the universe. Of course this idea is unscriptural. Biblical Response: The Bible says that the heavens and the earth are creations of God. Genesis 1:1 DOES NOT say, In the beginning God was the heavens and the earth but rather, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (other refs: John 1:3 and Rom1:18-32) The Bible warns against seeing God as no different from His creation (Rom 1:18-32). 3

Colossians 1:16b-17 says, All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. which means: WE ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO HIM! In Acts 14:15, Peter urges each person to turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them have you done that?

4. Man is God (Self-deification) and God is within (Immanentism) According to New Agers, if all is one (monism) and all is god, (pantheism) then it logically follows, from the first two beliefs that we are all gods. New Agers say we are already gods. There is no supreme being to whom which worship is due but that we are all supreme and should worship ourselves by recognizing the true divinity within. Shirley MacLaine, the famous movie star, turned evangelist for the New Age movement said, I know that I exist, therefore, I AM. I know that the god-source exists. Therefore, IT IS. Since I am part of that force, then I AM that I AM. (In this quote Shirley MacLaine claims for herself the title that God gave to Himself (I AM) at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14). Biblical Response: Claiming equality with God is blasphemy, let alone claiming to be God. God declares that He will not share His glory with another (Isa 42:8) The Bible clearly teaches that man is not God: o Man is ungodly, deceitful, desperately sick, and evil: Rom5:6-For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly Jer 17:9-The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Mark 7:21-23-For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man. o Not only is man not God, but God is not a man (Num 23:19) o Gods thoughts and ways are higher than mans (Isa 55:8) In fact, man cannot even know spiritual things without Gods help: 1 Cor 2:14 says, But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. >>>In sum, the New Age view of the divinity of humanity neglects the reality of human evil. The Biblical view of our finitude and our fallenness as sinners better explains the human condition than the New Age idea that we are all really God. >>>Good questions to ask would be: If we are all gods, why do we treat each so badly? If we forgot we were gods, how and when did we forget? What kind of god would forget that he or she is god? Does sound like a powerful, limitless god to you, one capable of creating and sustaining the universe? If we are god, how did the universe come into existence? 5. Salvation is uncovering your own divinity (the Christ-Consciousness) and is reached through a change in consciousness. In the New Age Movement, salvation from sin and a coming judgment is considered totally unnecessary because man is considered divine. However, he is supposedly ignorant of this fact and needs to be enlightened. Once we realize that we are gods, we have reached the Christ-consciousness and in doing so release our fears and save not only ourselves but the whole world. "I am affected only by my thoughts. It needs but this to let salvation come to the [entire] world. For in this single thought is everyone released at last from fear." (A course in Miracles, The Foundation for Inner Peace, Huntington Station, N.Y. Lesson 228, p. 461. Also available at www.oprah.com) To New Agers, Jesus was just one of many enlightened masters who revealed the divine truth and exemplified the Christ-consciousness probably better than anyone else. Some New Agers claim that Jesus 4

went to India during the unwritten years (between childhood and the beginning of his public ministry) to learn meditation and miracle working from the Hindu gurus. Biblical Response: There is absolutely no secular, historical, or scriptural evidence to support the claim that Jesus went to India to study from the gurus. Jesus Christ was God in the flesh and worked miracles through the power of the Holy Spirit, not by learning tricks from other people. The use of the word Christ is completely inaccurate in New Age teaching. Christ does not mean a consciousness or quality of people. Christ means "anointed" in Greek and refers to the position of Messiah of Israel: a position which can only be filled by one person. Jesus ALONE was and is the Christ, because He alone meets the Biblical criteria for being the Messiah and Savior of the world (ex. He died on the cross for our sin see Psalm 22 and Isa 53, He was born of a virgin see Isa 7:14, He was called Christ see Matt. 16:16, 20, and He was a light to the gentiles Isa 11:10 just to name a few) Unfortunately, the very fears that a New Ager may be trying to escape, are the very ones that could save their lives, i.e. fear stemming from conviction over sin and ones separation from God. Only God can save you through His grace and what Jesus did on the cross. Salvation is free gift of grace through faith not of works so that no man can boast (Ephesians 2:89). The New Age Movement teaches that you can uncover your own divinity and reach a christed state, as Jesus did, by engaging in a variety of Eastern influenced practices such as transcendental meditation, yoga, reiki, and pranayama. They also encourage connection with the spirit world by accessing spirit guides and dabbling in the occult. (For a more detailed list with explanations on page 1). It is important to note that Eastern meditation encourages a person to empty their minds while Christian meditation encourages a person to fill their minds with the word of God and be transformed by it. Biblical Response: The practices used by New Age adherents to realize divinity are frequently condemned by Scripture. An example would be the practice of channeling spirit guides. Over and over in the Bible, God condemns seeking to contact the dead (Lev 19:31, 20:6, Isa 8:19-20, 2 Chro 33:6) Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God....As for the person who turns to mediums [a person who seeks to consult the dead] and to spiritists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people. (Deuteronomy 18:10-11) There is only one way to God and that is through Jesus Christ! (John 14:6) 6. Man is evolving (evolutionism) and God is evolving (panentheism) New Agers believe that as man and the earth physically evolved, man is currently spiritually evolving by uncovering their Christ-consciousness. If man is God and man is evolving, then New Agers believe that God must be evolving too. There is much talk of the world being on the cusp of something great. Man is said to be developing and will soon leap forward into new spiritual horizons. Many New Age practices are designed to push one ahead into that horizon. Some of them are astral projection which is training your soul to leave your body and travel around; contacting spirits so they may speak through you or guide you; using crystals to purify your body's and mind's energy systems; visualization where you use mental imagery to imagine yourself as an animal, in the presence of a divine being, or being healed of sickness, etc. Biblical Response: Man is not evolving, he is spiritually depraved and dead in sin 5

 Man did not evolve physically because he was created by God in His image and likeness (Gen 1:26) and likewise he is not evolving spiritually with out divine intervention. God does not evolve because (a) He is already perfect so there is nothing to evolve too or from (Jms 1:7); (b) God does not change Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever Hbr 13:8; (c) even Gods word wont change because it too is perfect (Isa 40:8). 7. All religions are one (syncretism). To New Agers, all religions are really one and teach the same things. Jesus, as stated earlier, was just one of many mystical masters teaching the way to self-actualization. Most adherents to the New Age Movement believe that all religions are simply different ways of putting us into contact with the ultimate reality, the god-force. This belief is also called religious syncretism. Many New Agers visualize religion to be a mountain, with many spiritual paths to the summit. Some paths are hard, they say, others are easy. According to New Age philosophy, there is no one correct path. New Agers generally believe that all paths reach the top. Biblical Response: The Bible clearly teaches that absolute trust exists and that there is only one way to God and that is through his Son Jesus Christ: John 14:6 states I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (For more examples see Acts 4:12, 1 Tim 2:5, and John 10:9) Truth exists not as something out there in the universe but in the person of Jesus Christ. As my friend Taiye Oladapo once said, truth is a person! Ask, if religions are all the same, why did Jesus say He was the only way? 8. All truth is relative (relativism), the world is unreal (illusionism), and man creates reality through. Moral relativism is the belief that there are no objective (real) moral laws or truth. New Age adherents reject the existence of any firm, real moral laws that govern all humans and therefore reject the notion of sin. To many New Agers, truth regarding morality and spirituality is intensely personal and entirely subjective. In their view, it is the height of presumption to think that one knows of key truths for all people, or that certain behaviors are sinful. In addition, they believe that each person creates their own reality, which further emphasizes their belief that truth is relative as we are all creating our own worlds. Biblical Response: The phrase "there are no absolutes" is a contradiction because its an absolute statement of truth! Any one who says that morality is relative because we all "create our own reality" will most likely not be content with such relativism if someone steals her car under the pretension that stealing "was part of his own reality" Would you drive with me if decide red meant go and green meant stop? Christianity provides a world view that is logically consistent and the best explanation for what we observe in every day life. The Bible teaches that even someone without access to the Bible implicitly knows the essence of the law (Rom 2:14-15) 9. The Belief in Reincarnation. Many adherents to the New Age movement believe in reincarnation in some form or another. Reincarnation is an endless cycle of life, death and reincarnation (similar to Hinduism). In contrast with the Hindu view of reincarnation, in the New Age Movement it is rarely believed that you can actually go backwards upon death and become an animal, insect, etc., but rather that humans are constantly evolving. Thats not the way most people in Eastern countries view the idea of reincarnation. Many of them fear that they will come back as a lesser creature to suffer for their bad kharma. A Hindus ultimate goal is to get out of the cycle of life, death and rebirth. Biblical Response: 6

 Reincarnation is an unbiblical, untrue teaching. The Bible teaches the resurrection of the body (1 Corinthians 15), not reincarnation of the soul. Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment. For the believer, upon death, they do not go on to inhabit another body 2 Cor 5:8 We are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. The belief in reincarnation is sometimes erroneously based on John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God., which speaks of spiritual rebirth during this life time, rather than another physical rebirth. The New Age doctrine of reincarnation is not only unbiblical but logically inconsistent and ethically unsatisfying for a variety of reasons: o So-called evidence of reincarnation derived from hypnosis ("past-life regression") can be better explained as psychological aberrations or even demonic involvement. o It is difficult to view the law of karma as just, or reincarnation as a "learning experience" (as New Agers view it), if rewards and punishments are given without the conscious knowledge of those being rewarded or punished. If a fifteen-year-old girl dies an agonizing death from leukemia because she was Josef Stalin in a previous life, but never comes to know that fact, how can that be considered just? What can her leukemia teach her about her past life behavior, if she can't remember her past life? >>>The biblical teaching of the historicity of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection is well established factually, unlike speculations concerning supposed past lives. We have better evidence for Christ's resurrection than for reincarnation. If you want to trust someones words about life after death, listen to one who has been there and back! 10. The Belief in a Coming New Age of Global Unity The term "New Age" refers to the "Aquarian Age" which, according to New Age followers, is dawning. It is supposed to bring in peace and enlightenment and reunite man with God. Man is presently considered separated from God not because of sin as it states in Isaiah 59:2, but because of lack of understanding and knowledge concerning the true nature of God and reality (that God is within, that every man is divine, and that reality and individuality is an illusion). Many adherents to the New Age way of thinking believe that the human race is progressing toward a New Age of peace and prosperity. They believe that this age will be ushered in when more of the human race realizes their divinity. Adherents to the New Age believe that this will be a glorious time on earth, a time, in which there will be: one nation one language one government and one religion This golden age, according to New Age literature, will be a time without hate violence wars crime racism sickness hunger or death Biblical Response: The Bible says that a glorious future is coming but, it makes it clear that it is not going to happen until Jesus returns and sets up His kingdom on earth (Revelation 19-20). And the Bible tells us that this glorious time known as the Millennium is going to be preceded by a great time of trouble, a time of great tribulation (Matt. 24:21) when God will pour out His judgment on a sinful world. Gods judgments upon the world will include deadly famines (Rev. 6:8), an outbreak of wars (Rev. 6:4), fires (Rev. 8:7), the oceans becoming blood (Rev. 8:8), everything alive in the ocean being killed (Rev. 16:3), asteroids pummeling the earth (Rev. 8:10-11), and much more Some will come to Christ during this time, but many will lose their lives for converting, as a result of the persecution that will be widespread during the Tribulation (Rev. 13:7, 15 and Rev 14:6-7).

>>>In light of all of what will happen in the last days, it would be much better to just receive Gods forgiveness right now!

New Age influences on the church

1) Yoga: Yoga means union and is a series of stretches that serve as prayer poses. The goal of yoga is to unite one's transitory (temporary) self with the infinite Brahman, the Hindu concept of "God." This god is not a literal being, but is an impersonal spiritual substance that is one with nature and the cosmos, known as pantheism. Yoga in its purest form teaches to look within for lifes difficult questions and to view ones self as god. There is heated debate over whether a person can separate the physical aspects of yoga form the spiritual ones. I do not think there is any easy answer to this question. It is my advice that any one considering yoga should pray seriously over the matter, arrive at their own conclusion, and PROCEED WITH CAUTION or don't proceed at all (1 Cor 10:31). 2) Health and wellness movements within the church: This is not about losing weight, good nutrition, or exercising, which are all excellent! This is about seeking a cure for physical ailments in the spirit by using Eastern methodologies (such as reiki, transcendental meditation, or tantric yoga). While some diseases can have spiritual causes (i.e. gluttony, slothfulness, and poor self-control can lead to obesity), one should never turn to Eastern practices for healing but rather to God in repentance and in prayer. (i.e. Rick Warren and the Daniel Plan, started about 10 weeks ago and is a 52 week program to lead the congregation in healing of the mind, body, and spirit. It is lead by 3 doctors, self-identified as a Christian, Muslim, and Jewish, who have clear associations with New Age Movement). 3) Unbiblical forms of prayer: (a)Contemplative/centering prayer: Individual are instructed to clear their mind, select a word or phrase, such as Jesus have mercy on me, love, peace, or Lord, and then repeat it over and over again in silence. They are instructed to refocus themselves on the original phrase if they get distracted. (b) Breath prayers: A short prayer able to be said in one breath, such as God be with me, which is repeated multiple times a day through out the day. Both forms of prayer are presented as a method to experience the presence of God. HOWEVER 1) The Bible never says this is a way to experience God and in fact warns against using vain repetitions in prayer in Mathew 6:7. 2) These kinds of repetitions are used in many Eastern mediation methods, namely transcendental meditation, and are called mantras. The use of mantras (simply repeated phrases) in meditation is geared to put individuals into a trance-like state. With your mind totally open and no concept of evil or active discernment, one can become vulnerable to demonic possession and/or oppression. 3) Even if a phrase is Christian is in origin, once it is repeated in rapid succession the word/phrase looses its original meaning by becoming more of a sound than a word or a phrase. Thus the rapid succession of the Christian word/phrase functions just as any other Eastern mantras would in its potential to put an individual into a trance and thereby opening them up to the demonic realm. 4) Furthermore, any attempt to enter into Gods presence apart from the blood of Christ is futile. 3) Labyrinths: A labyrinth (like the one pictured to the left) is not a maze but a shape in which there are concentric circles with only one way in and one way out. The labyrinth design, pictured here, is sometimes put on the floor or constructed outdoors. People walk on each line of the shape and often engage in centering or completive prayer by making stops at certain points in the shape to pray. It is meant to facilitate prayer, meditation, spiritual transformation, and/or global unity. The labyrinth dates back to prehistoric time, and is perceived as sacred space. It seems to have been an integral part of many cultures, such as Celtic, Mayan, Greek, Cretan, and Native American. Today, labyrinths are still being used throughout the world as meditative and healing 8

tools. When considering the labyrinth, there are only two choices: walk it, or don't walk it! If walked, it can change one's life.">>>If someone can walk around a labyrinth and enter into Gods presence, then why did Jesus have to die? Clearly such practices render the crucifixion meaningless and nonessential. 4) Emergent Church Movement: The emerging, or emergent, church movement takes its name from the idea that as culture changes, a new church should emerge in response. It emphasizes warm, fuzzy feelings over cold, hard facts (called post-modernism), experience over reason, subjectivity over objectivity, spirituality over religion, images over words, outward over inward, and feelings over truth. The movement is marked by 1) Liberal, loose translation of the Bible, doctrine, and theology, 2) Relativism, 3) Ecumenism: unity among people from different religious, 4) An emphasis on action rather that belief who cares what you believe as long as you are being the church or doing good things, 5) Strong emphasis on subjective feelings and experiences, 6) The use of unbiblical practices to seek God such as Eastern meditation, chanting, labyrinths, and contemplative prayer, 7) Evasion from definitive belief statements. 5) Visualization: some Christian leaders have advocated visualizing what you want or need in life and suggest you believe you have received it already IN ORDER to receive it, regardless of Gods will for your life. Congregants are encouraged to use mental affirmations to bring those things into your life and this practice is possibly related to the Word of Faith Movement (name it, claim it ministries).

Tips for Witnessing to New Agers:

1) Be prayed up!!!!!!! 2) Be kind, loving, humble, and long-suffering. 3) Ask questions both personal: How did you arrive at your beliefs? Were you ever another faith? AND doctrinal: If we are all God why do we act so badly? If we are all God, how did we forget? If all realities are true, why do our realities contradict each other? If Jesus is just one of many ways, then why did he say he was the only way? 4) Listen for internal contradictions but dont pounce on the person! 5) Clarify terminology especially those that are Christian in nature 6) Don't stereotype people. Every New Ager is different. The person should be honored and not just classified as "a New Ager." Find out what he or she thinks. 7) Find common ground and build bridges 8) Tell them that God is personal, that He loves them, and Jesus died for their sin.

References:
Articles:Witnessing to New Agers by Douglas R. Groothus (www.equip.org), The New Age Movement by Charlie Campbell (www.alwaysbeready.com), Jesus is the Christ, Witnessing to New Agers, Terms and Defitions of Christian Science, Questions to Ask Christian Scientists, What is the New Age Movement?, More on the New Age Movement, and Biblical Response to the New Age Movement from (www.carm.org), New Age Religons by Norm Geisler Websites: www.christiananswers.net, www.blueletterbible.org, www.gotquestions.org, www.internationallegacy.org, and www.biblegateway.com Books: (1) The Bible!! Read your Bible each day so that you can spot a fake. Create a quick reference guide on the inside of your Bible with a scriptural reference for each major doctrine so that you are ready to share verses when you need them. (2) Unmasking the New Age by D.R. Groothus 9