Christless Christianity and Christ-Consciousness: Spirituality without Truth
The latter half of the 20th century introduces “The New Age Movement,” claiming to be a non-religious movement. In the gradual shift of Christianity in the Western world, the New Age Movement emerged as a new way of life and worldview by borrowing precepts from Eastern Spirituality and metaphysics and fusing them with Western Spirituality. Thus, the New Age Movement begins with a promise of new spirituality and a new identity, aiming for a radical transformation of an individual or human civilization through a mystical union with a dynamic macrocosm. The Movement is gaining momentum in the East as well as in the West, so it is succeeding promisingly in infiltrating the Christian minds, sharing the hope of false spirituality. The haunting slogan of the sixties, “If it feels good, do it,” is revived to entice the present-day culture in the New Age movement with the slogan, “If you feel good, believe it.” [1] In the heart of the New Age Movement, there is a yearning to seek the truth and be morally good; however, if truth and morality are viewed as relative terms, then the struggle becomes endless because adherents have no absolute standard to measure their goodness against.
Without defining what the good is, it becomes irrelevant to explain how it is attained. Nevertheless, the New Age Movement tends to choose the latter one and explains how it is achieved. They see the world’s disorder, which they call “in crisis,” but deny its fallen state. [2] And they are crouching at the doorsteps of our churches, Christian institutions, media, bookstores, and blockbusters, yelling at us from the podium that Christians are responsible for the world crisis.
The New Age Movement has long roots in Eastern mysticism and Greek Gnosticism. The term “New Age” itself is vague in the contents of its belief system. They do not have a particular doctrine, principles, or rules within the movement, but the New Agers have been faithful to the content. It is the synthesis between the Eastern mystic mind and Western individualism. Apparently, this is why the constructivism and relativism of the multifaceted New Age Movement deny the objective truth of God, his nature, and human nature.
The New Agers believe that modern technologies, ideas of materialism, and rational scientific ideologies, as well as dogmatism, especially Christianity, have overregulated and possibly distorted the potentiality of the “innate human desire for genuine spirituality or religiosity.” [3] The vantage point here is that the New Age Movement stresses holistic values of human radical transformation-Enlightenment and emancipated existence—through one’s own inner spiritual experience rather than any sort of religious set of belief or catechism.
By so far rejecting both the scientific ideologies and Christianity, the New Agers propose another explanation called the “third option,” which is the synchronization of both aspects of science and rationality or religion and spirituality. They insist that only the “third option,” if allowed to be the dominant wind of new spirituality, can resolve the world crisis that dogmatic Christianity and scientific ideologies have produced by their ideological differences.
The world crisis, they believe, is merely the byproduct of the clashing worldviews between science and religion. Otherwise, the world is good and flawless. As F. LaGard Smith writes, the New Age version of the creation story has a god-force who is responsible for creating the whole cosmos. He puts it succinctly:
In the beginning, so it is said, the god-force was a sleeping, slumbering, pulsating ball of energy. When it roused itself, it exploded, in Big Bang fashion, into billions and billions of individualized points of consciousness—each of which became a soul. These souls—all of which were God—found their way into the three-dimensional earth plane and soon began to think of themselves as three-dimensional as well. When they began to think and act three-dimensionally, they forgot that they were God. Their Higher Selves became only lower selves—humans, with finite human thoughts. [4]
The above passage evidently reflects the lowly standpoint of the New Age on the Creator, creation, and human nature. It echoes the voice of secular humanism, typically a “Darwinian” view of creation. With much anticipation from an evolutionary model, they champion that the living souls and gods emanated from the cosmic bang, or “Big Bang,” fashion. It is another way of saying that God is dead. When God dies, other aspects of God are also buried with Him. “By explicitly removing the Creator, God of the Bible, from the scene and applying the cosmic bang theory, they diminish the essence and dignity of humanity in the matter in motion” [5]. The simplified lines would be the absence of God, the absence of a fall, and the absence of sin; therefore, a Savior, reconciliation, and judgment would be unnecessary.
The god-force is the prime force or the efficient cause from which all entities emanate. The source of all life or souls—all of which are God—is the cosmos. The cosmos, in this sense, is a “pure, undifferentiated, universal, and energy-interconnected” life-driving force. [6] Since the cosmos manifested their lives, they also share an identical form with the god-force. Therefore, there is no clear line between the creator and creation that makes both distinct from each other. And the “apparent opposite disappears,” says John P. Newport; “the New Age bottom line can be stated in three words: ‘All is one’ (monism).” [7]. As a result, no distinction can be made between God and human beings, despite the monistic idea.
Another impression of the New Age Movement is its pantheistic notion of God. He is the “Ultimate Unifying Principle” that unifies the whole creation. [8] All souls, gods, humans, and things in the universe share the same divine essence, as they all emanate from the same energy. Employing the common divine essence, they are one and the same. Everything is God, and he is in all and through all (pantheism). The god-force, the One, or God, you name it, is “an impersonal energy force or consciousness” that is, hence, beyond personality. [9] So, he or she is not a personal God who interacts and establishes a personal relationship with people. Instead, we are told that we are also God because of the divine particles we have in common. Having said this, it is believed that the single reality of impersonal energy is manifested in different appearances.
The basic ideas of New Age philosophy support the notion that each individual possesses godhood. Shirley MacLaine, an American actress and strong proponent of the New Age Movement, is an absolute subjectivist who claims, “I am God.” Furthermore, she exclaims that each individual is a God. The entire universe is absorbed within oneself. If you know yourselves, you know the entire universe. [10] God is equalized with human beings’ form and nature. Human individuals are, in fact, gods but are camouflaging their true identities due to ignorance of their own. Newport writes that we are the actualized embodiment of gods or goddesses in exile. [11] Yet, we do not realize this ultimate divine reality just because of our ignorance. Thusly, God and man ought to be understood, in terms of relationship, as a union between the two. God is within us and in us.
The realization of divine reality illuminates the infinite ingenuity of a man. According to the New Agers, our ignorance has kept us from knowing the reality that we are not finite beings. “We have infinite power over our circumstances because, after all, we are God.” [12] Each of us can obtain enlightenment and become Christ. Smith quotes Gina Cerminara, a New Ager, to help us to understand their mind-blowing perspective on Christ.
The Christ-consciousness is not, however, an exclusively Christian attribute. Christ, it must be remembered, is not the name of the man Jesus but a term whose literal meaning is “the anointed one” and whose mystic, or rather psychological, meaning is that of the liberated or spiritual consciousness. Krishna and Buddha were, we may believe, equally the possessors of Christ-consciousness. [13]
They argue that only through Christ-consciousness will we know who we are. We can reclaim our godhood by recognizing that we were once gods. Christ-consciousness takes us beyond “space and time and reconnects us once again with the God we are: infinite, cosmic, and omnipotent.” [14] “We are not depraved or dependent on any outside source for deliverance or strength.” [15] Accordingly, we are Lords or masters of our lives. And we need no Savior for our salvation. Salvation outside of Christ is possible, and this is what we achieve through Christ-consciousness.
Jesus was attributed with this title, but not like any other mystical or spiritual leader or god. The issue is not whether Christ means “the anointed one”; it’s whether the term is used correctly. The main concern for us is to know whether there is such a thing as absolute truth or not. We need to know whether there is such a being as Creator God or not. We also want to know whether there is such a thing as evil in this world! These are the important questions that we pose to the New Agers.
All of the views of the New Agers should be assessed cautiously, as they reveal to us their position on God, the universe, human beings, nature, etc. If God had no role in creation, it is assumed that he doesn’t exist. Everything came into existence by chance. Do we really have power or control over the circumstances around us? Are we really good and strong enough to uphold moral laws? These questions need to be answered.
In addition, we cannot simply ignore the subject matter of the New Age Movement’s philosophical metaphysics, epistemology, anthropology, and ethics when it comes to the marketplace. We must seek what Scripture says about the topics we raised above, no matter how hard it is, knowing that New Agers think truth is relative.
We may find immediately that the New Agers are constructivists, which means they construct their realities based on their self-perception of the world and reflect on their own experiences to find their meanings. They are, in some cases, radical relativists. Everyone has their own truth. Saliba writes, “Underlying the New Age tenet that an individual can create his or her own reality are two principles that derive from the new psychology and the new physics.” [16] People can make their own realities that are suitable for the situations in which they are living. Therefore, they can make a choice to use their ethics in the situation or context depending on their understanding of reality.
The New Age nourishes the tenet of moral and ethical relativism. Claiming there is no absolute truth or that truth is unknowable blurs the line between truth and lies. They argue that there is no such thing as evil. It is only an illusion. They appeal in their argument to the idea that everything is God, and God is good; therefore, everything is good.
If we assume that good exists, does that not also imply the existence of evil? Otherwise, how do you know that there is such a thing as good? The same logic applies when they say there is no absolute truth in the universe or claim that morality is relative. If morality is relative, how do they know that there is such a thing as evil? Some people still practice infanticide, and some sacrifice their lives to preserve these little lives. They might be culturally explained to justify one’s action. Nevertheless, they cannot be justified in light of the absolute truth that God has established for eternity. If they believe certain moral truths and values, there must be a moral lawgiver. Therefore, universal truths and morals are not relative.
The major issues that will be discussed are the denial of the Creator God, the underestimation of the fall, the effect of evil as pure ignorance of humankind, salvation out of Jesus Christ, and the afterlife without resurrection. First, they begin their worldview by discarding the God of the Bible as the Creator from the picture. As we have already discussed in brief, the New Age Movement begins with creation—a dynamic cosmic force—that caused the cosmic explosion and applies it back to God.
First, God the Creator is not a Higher Self that can be attained by human imagination. He is a very personal God. He is the Sovereign God who created the heavens and the earth. He is not bound by time and space. The New Agers introduce people to the Higher Self by telling them to meditate. Whatever pops into our mind is considered our Higher Self. In this way, “we inevitably end up creating a God of our own image.” [17] We can create a God of our choice and make him as we want him to be. Is it impossible for our human mind to conceive of toilet paper while meditating? Can we now really allow our conscious mind to rely upon a god of our imagination? When we remove God from his place, can we expect more than chaos?
Secondly, if we apply the same law of logic used in the previous assessment, a New Age god is revealed to be either one who does not know himself or a weaker god. He will be the same as animals, plants, insignificant things, and the smallest subatomic particles in the world. He could be evil, unholy, or gross human waste. [18] Hadn’t Isaiah been talking about this kind of god (40:19-21)? We make a god who is weaker, of lesser value, and more fragile than we are. What good is making such a god who cannot deliver us in the days of adversity?
Thirdly, Jesus Christ is neither an enlightened man nor the perfect god Idea. He is who he claimed to be—the Son of God, the Word incarnated into flesh, born of a virgin, sinless, and the perfect atonement for the sins of the world. He is the mediator between the perfect God, the Father, and sinful humans. Having died on the cross for the transgressions of mankind, he rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, sat by the right-hand side of the Father, and is coming again to judge the world. The consummation of this world is not like the New Agers have thought of as an evolutionary reign. [19] Jesus will return with his full power and glory to judge the world.
Fourthly, man is neither a sleeping god nor a divine being who, out of his ignorance, lost the ability to realize his divinity and now needs to awaken it. Man is the apex of the creation of God. He is an image-bearer of God (Genesis 1:27-28). Man is a sinful creature who has fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). He is rebellious in nature. He is conceived in sin and born with sin (Psalm 51:5). He is destined for damnation because of disobedience against God (Romans 6:23). There is no hope without Jesus. One must be born of the Spirit to be a new creation (John 3:5).
Besides the redemptive work of Jesus Christ and his saving grace, there is no other way to escape this damnation. No man can save himself from the judgment of God. Man is left to live under the total depravity of sin. Only Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life, can deliver a man from his sins if he accepts Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior.
Fifthly, there is a clear distinction between creation and Creator. God, in His Sovereign will and purpose, created the world and said, “good” (Genesis 1). It divides a clear line between the Creator and creation so that the created world is not a part of God. Everything in the world emanated from him or through him; certainly, he made all creations through Jesus Christ and for him (John 1).
Finally, redemption is not earned or merited. It is a free gift from God for his chosen one. This is not something that man can accomplish independently. The Holy Spirit regenerates the heart of a man and transforms him into a new creature. The work of the Spirit begins inward and moves outward as a testimony of God’s faithfulness to those who are called by their names.
For these various reasons, it is unequivocally clear that Christianity is incompatible with the New Age. Many people, who claim to be Christians, are adapting the New Age theology in the churches. The New Age theology is like spurious glitter that has distorted the fundamentals of Christianity and has influenced our churches around the world. Is it ethical for a man to be a follower of Jesus who has a living hope to be resurrected on the Day of Judgment and, at the same time, cling to the theology of unending cycles of reincarnation? Is it possible for a man to be justified by faith in Christ and bound by Karmic law at the same time? No, I don’t think so. A Christian, by definition, is a follower of Jesus who adheres to the teachings of the Master or imitates the Master. Is Christ without Christianity possible? Yes, but not ethical.
If we are to protect our Christians from the evil influence of the New Age, they ought to be informed about the weight the New Agers bear in pursuit of false hope and spirituality. Before violating moral laws and absolute truths, one should consider whether adopting Christ-consciousness is worth more than being a child of God.
Bibliography:
Newport, John P. The New Age Movement and the Biblical Worldview: Conflict and Dialogue. Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans, 1998. Print.
Saliba, John A. Christian Responses to the New Age Movement: a Critical Assessment. London; New York: G. Chapman, 1999. Print.
Smith, F. LaGard. Crystal Lies: Choices in the New Age. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Vine, 1989. Print.
Footnotes:
[1] F. LaGard Smith, Crystal Lies: Choices and the New Age (Ann Arbor: Vine, 1989), 7-8.
[2] John P. Newport, The New Age Movement and the Biblical Worldview: Conflict and Dialogue (Grand Rapids: Eerdman, 1998), 1.
[3] John A. Saliba, Christian Response to the New Age Movement: A Critical Assessment (London: G Chapman, 1999), 3.
[4] F. LaGard Smith, Crystal Lies: Choices and the New Age (Ann Arbor: Vine, 1989), 19.
[5] Dr. Felch’s class notes on Rival Worldviews.
[6] John P. Newport, The New Age Movement and the Biblical Worldview: Conflict and Dialogue (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998), 4.
[7] Ibid., 4.
[8] Ibid., 5.
[9] Ibid., 5.
[10] Ibid., 6. It is taken from MacLaine’s book, Out of a Limb. She makes an infamous exclamation: “I am God.” A short video clip from the miniseries called “Out on a Limb,” which was produced in 1987. With Shirley MacLaine and her mentor, John Heard: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccb2GsnOoBM&feature=related>
[11] Ibid., 5. Newport quotes from J. Gordon Melton’s New Age Encyclopedia (Detroit: Gale Research, 1990), XVI.
[12] F. LaGard Smith, Crystal Lies: Choices and the New Age (Ann Arbor: Vine, 1989), 13.
[13] Ibid., 27.
[14] Smith, Crystal Lies: Choices and the New Age (Ann Arbor: Vine, 1989), 20.
[15] Newport, The New Age Movement and the Biblical Worldview: Conflict and Dialogue (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998). 8.
[16] Saliba, Christian Responses to the New Age Movement: A Critical Assessment (London: G Chapman, 1999), 12.
[17] Smith, Crystal Lies: Choices and the New Age (Ann Arbor: Vine, 1989), 18.
[18] Ibid., 20.
[19] Newport, The New Age Movement and the Biblical Worldview: Conflict and Dialogue (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998), 13.
