Session 5 Discussion - New Spirituality - Mar. 21 @ 8_38 am
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Session 5 Discussion - New Spirituality
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 states, "New Spiritual belief that disembodied spirits presumably speak to and through a gifted person engaged in mediation" as explained by Myers & Noebel. (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 136) People embrace New Spirituality for various reasons, including its new ideas and potential appeal to those who are not Christians or no longer wish to practice the Christian faith. New Spiritual believers welcome all faiths and beliefs
in this non-denominational religion, which respects individual independence. Relative reality and the laws of attraction are two reasons this worldview is appealing.
Relative Truth
Relative truth can be defined as "There is no such thing as absolute truth," as Allen Parr explains in his video Seven NEW AGE Beliefs and How to IMMEDIATELY Recognize Them.
(THE BEAT by Allen Parr, 2019, 2:12). Absolute truth refers to an idea that is true everywhere. God is the absolute truth. His truth is not dependent on a collection of circumstances. Truth is actual for everyone, everywhere, and at all times, regardless of the sort of authority they live under. It is a constant that remains true regardless of the circumstances or an unchanging reality. Experiences from one individual may not necessarily apply to another. It helps the individual
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avoid criticizing others for their beliefs or actions. Relative truth is conditional, subjective, varying, and contradictory so it can change over time. It's the belief that truth changes based on
the individual's understanding. People believe that reality is individual because they have relative experiences and perceptions.
Everything a human perceives is connected to his appearance. Everything that humans think is related to how they think. Everything that humans learn is relevant to what they already know. When someone says "truth is relative," he usually indicates that there is no ultimate truth. Certain things may look authentic to you, but not to me. If you believe it, then it is true for you. If I don't think it, it's not true. When individuals say, "That's fine if God exists for you, but He doesn't exist for me," they express the widely held notion that reality is relative. The idea of "relative truth" seems friendly and open-minded. A deeper analysis reveals that it is not open-minded at all. In essence, saying that "God exists for you but not for me" implies that the other person's notion of God is incorrect. It passes judgment, but no one thinks all truth is relative. No rational individual says, "Gravity works for you, but not for me," and then jumps off towering buildings, assuming no harm would occur. Law of Attraction
As Myers & Noebel state, “One popular way of describing the power of consciousness is the law of attraction.” (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 130) The law of attraction, often called Karma,
is central to New Spirituality. According to the Law of Attraction philosophy, your ideas can affect your reality. In this theory, similar energies are drawn to one another; therefore, it is assumed that thinking positively increases your chances of drawing good things into your life,
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while thinking negatively is said to draw bad things. This theory states that clearing out the bad things in your life makes room for more good things. It depends on the idea that there is never a completely free area in your life or thoughts—something will always occupy that space. Why New Spirituality Cannot Exist with Christian Teaching
Myers & Noebel state, “Although it 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.” (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 141) New Spirituality's divergent perspectives on the nature of God and the way to redemption are one of the main reasons why Christian doctrine and New Spirituality cannot coexist. New Spirituality believes that God is an impersonal cosmic energy that penetrates everything and holds everything together as one, including us. Numerous new spiritualities support the concept that there are multiple routes to spiritual enlightenment and embrace a pantheistic perspective that sees divinity in everything and everyone. God is a holy, trinity, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and personal being who longs for a connection with His creation. Christians believe that salvation is obtained only by faith in Jesus Christ, who declared, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to
the Father except through me.” (Zondervan, 2020, John 14:6). This exclusive claim of Christianity stands in direct contrast to New Spirituality's broad viewpoint. “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.” (Zondervan, 2020, 1 Timothy 2:5). The Bible teaches that trust in Jesus Christ is the basis for salvation, not good deeds that bring one into paradise. People are saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, not
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by their accomplishments or actions. This means that individuals are saved, loved, and redeemed by God through the work of Christ, not because of who they are or what they do. (Zondervan, 2020, Ephesians 2:8-9)
References
Myers, J., & Noebel, D. A. (2015). Understanding the times: A survey of competing worldviews
(1st ed.). David C Cook.
THE BEAT by Allen Parr. (2019, August 13). 7 NEW AGE Beliefs and How to IMMEDIATELY Recognize Them
[Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weGGxMJbYJw
Zondervan. (2020). NIV Study Bible, Fully Revised Edition
(K. L. Barker, M. L. Strauss, J. K. Brown, C. L. Blomburg, & M. Williams, Eds.; Mass Market ed.) [Book].