Session 5 Discussion - Pantheism's Popularity
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Discussion Prompt: Pantheism's Popularity
The video we watched this week, "Seven New Age Beliefs and How to Recognize Them," indicates that pantheism and New Age spirituality have an increased influence on culture and inside Christianity (and other established religions).
In your initial post, explain and defend:
Two reasons why you think that people find New Spirituality appealing.
At least one reason why New Spirituality cannot coexist with Christian teaching. In other words, on what issue do they contradict each other so that one worldview must be right, and the other worldview must be wrong.
In Understanding the Times
, Myer & Noebel say New Spirituality is
a “pantheistic worldview that teaches everything, and everyone is
connected through divine consciousness.” (Myers & Noebel, 2015,
p. 125) Numerous ideas emphasize new spirituality, such as reincarnation, astrology, psychics, and the idea that spiritual energy exists in tangible items. Even the New Spirituality channeling technique—which states that "spirits presumably speak to and through a gifted person engaged in mediation"—is explained by Myers & Noebel. (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 136) God
is a holy, trinity, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and
personal being who longs for a connection with His creation. If someone is not a Christian or no longer wants to follow the faith, the New Spirituality may be captivating. All faiths and beliefs are welcomed in this non-denominational religion, and it respects individual independence. Relative reality and the laws of attraction are two reasons this worldview is appealing.
Relative Truth Relative truth is defined as "there is no such thing as absolute truth," as Allen Parr explains in his video "7 New Age Beliefs and How to Recognize Them" (Parr, 00: 02:12). That is, there can be no absolute moral truth when there is only relative truth. One person's experience does not always translate to another. It enables the person to refrain from passing judgment on others for having different opinions or behaviors. An increasing number of
people, as noted by Myers & Nobel (2015, p. 133), "find a spirituality stripped
of religious dogma attractive." However, "religion" appears judgmental and dull, but "spiritually" sounds liberating and welcoming.
Law of Attraction Myers & Noebel (2015, p. 137) tell us, "One popular way of describing the power of consciousness is the law of attraction.” Remember that for New Spirituality advocates, “everything is
energy.” The Law of Attraction is a philosophical concept suggesting that your thoughts can influence your life. This principle posits that similar energies attract each other. So, if you think positively, you're more likely to attract positive experiences,
and negative thoughts are believed to attract adverse outcomes. According to this idea, removing negative aspects from your life creates space for more positive things to come in. It's based on the belief that you cannot have an entirely empty space in your life or mind; something will always fill it. This law focuses on the notion that there are always ways to improve the current moment. Even if the present seems flawed, the idea is to concentrate your energy on making the present moment the best it can be. To use the Law of Attraction, it's suggested that you maintain a positive mindset, visualize your goals, look for positives in every situation, and use affirmations to reinforce your desired outcomes. While it's not a scientifically proven method, many people find it a helpful framework for improving their outlook and achieving their goals.
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Why New Spirituality Cannot Exist with Christian Teaching Myers & Noebel (2015, p. 147) state, “Although it [New Spirituality] stands in direct contrast to the Christian worldview in many ways, New Spirituality catches many Christians off guard through its constant references to God and Jesus as a teacher of consciousness and an example of what we have all the potential to become.” Christian belief, however, is incompatible with New Spirituality. The claim made by New Spirituality is that there are several paths leading to God. As Christians, followers of God and Jesus Christ, we understand that there is one God. 1 Timothy 2:5 (Holy Bible, 2016, ESV) reads, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” Furthermore, there is only one way to heaven. 2 Corinthians 5:10 (Holy Bible, 2016, ESV) reads, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due
for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” There must be judgmental for there to be consequences for our actions. We, as Christians, understand that we answer to God.
New Spirituality: "God" is an impersonal cosmic energy that goes through everything and combines it all into one, including ourselves."
Christianity:
God is a holy, trinity, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and personal being who longs for a connection with His creation.
New Spirituality intensely focuses on individual freedom and the pursuit of discovering themselves. It encourages people to follow their spiritual paths and seek truth and significance within themselves rather than through their relationship with God.
New Spirituality, often called New Age spirituality, has become increasingly appealing to many people for various reasons. Two of
those reasons may be However, fundamental differences between New Spirituality and Christian teaching make coexistence challenging. The nature of God and Jesus Christ is reflected in New Spirituality, and they often adopt a pantheistic view, seeing the divine in all things. In contrast, Christianity teaches that God is distinct from His
creation and that Jesus Christ is the unique Son of God. This difference is crucial because, in Christianity, salvation and truth are found exclusively through faith in Jesus Christ, who said, "I am
the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). This exclusivity directly contradicts the New Spirituality view that there are many paths to
the divine¹.
These contrasting beliefs highlight why New Spirituality and Christian teaching cannot fully integrate, as they offer different answers to fundamental questions about the nature of reality, the divine, and the path to enlightenment or salvation.
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