Christianity and the New Age Movement

The author of Hebrews in the NT seems to be referring to Isaiah 11:9 and 54:13 and other OT prophecies of a time when The Spirit informs us of God’s will for our lives. I have experienced being given as a gift not by any effort of mine,,a new heart and a spiritual understanding that is deeper than any written or spoken “rules”. It is based on actual love for God and our fellow man and of course ourselves. I believe it is accessible to anyone who will accept it.
The Holy Spirit (as teacher, among other things) is real as described by Jesus in John 16 and 17.

Hebrews 8:10-11 (NLT)

“But now I tell the people
of Israel
this is my new agreement:
‘The time will come
when I, the Lord,
will write my laws
on their minds and hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be
my people.
11 Not one of them
will have to teach another
to know me, their Lord.'
“All of them will know me,
no matter who they are.

[Seawolf]

Originally Posted by Mary Baker

The author of Hebrews in the NT seems to be referring to Isaiah 11:9 and 54:13 and other OT prophecies of a time when The Spirit informs us of God’s will for our lives. .

The Holy Spirit that Christians experience is the same spirit of Love in other teachings and goes by different names. I believe it was always who I am, it's not as if it was ever not a part of me.

I believe all Christians have God with them as well as everyone else. I used to think non-believers didn't have the Spirit. Now that I look back, I had what we call intolerance now, it's like ancient tribal thinking of 'our people' and 'them'. Of course it's not ancient though, we still do it all the time.

New Age is similar in that it sees those who don't share their beliefs as unconscious. So basically we're all the same but see each other as different.

Originally Posted by Mary Baker

The Christian Bible soundly forbids judging others. That and other things may often be ignored, but it is plainly stated in the Bible.
I have actually read the Bible

But it does not forbid judging other people's actions, does it?

But it (the Bible)does not forbid judging other people's actions, does it?

(Rin)

No more than we "judge" our own as we are to make choices about how to live and it is assumed that in order to make choices we must consider some actions as desirable for us and some not. However, since we do not know another person's heart we cannot judge how their actions affect them spiritually, but the Bible says:

James 4:17
Amplified Bible (AMP)
17 So any person who knows what is right to do but does not do it, to him it is sin.

So, as i understand the Bible on this, since only God knows the person’s heart and we do not, we cannot judge the other person’s actions.

Originally Posted by Mary Baker

(Rin)

No more than we "judge" our own as we are to make choices about how to live and it is assumed that in order to make choices we must consider some actions as desirable for us and some not. However, since we do not know another person's heart we cannot judge how their actions affect them spiritually, but the Bible says:


So, as i understand the Bible on this, since only God knows the person’s heart and we do not, we cannot judge the other person’s actions.

I think that this is an unwarranted conflation of spiritual and world realms. Rightly or wrongly we must assume that the observable actions are a pointer to the person's heart, otherwise we'll just descend into chaos.

[norseman]

Instead of comparing and contrasting christianity and New Age [a rag-bag of odds-n-sods !], you should first compare and contrast christianity with the teachings of Christ !

Rin, I do not understand how you come to your conclusion that:

I think that this is an unwarranted conflation of spiritual and world realms. Rightly or wrongly we must assume that the observable actions are a pointer to the person's heart, otherwise we'll just descend into chaos.

In a recent discussion on ethics it was pointed out that actions deemed wrong in one culture are not in another. The example of cannabalism was one: A tribal chieftian told a missionary that he would feel much more honored if when he vacated his body it was used for food than left to rot and go to waste, whereas in many cultures cannabalism is the ultimate insult to the person who had lived in that piece of flesh.

So how do we use actions to indicate the state of another person's heart? Why should we presume to “judge another man’s servant”?

The key is the presence or absence of love which we can perceive only in our own heart if that, for we are good at self deception.

1 Corinthians 13
New International Version (NIV)
13 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

I think Jesus was pretty new age in his day.

Originally Posted by Mary Baker

Rin, I do not understand how you come to your conclusion that:


In a recent discussion on ethics it was pointed out that actions deemed wrong in one culture are not in another. The example of cannabalism was one: A tribal chieftian told a missionary that he would feel much more honored if when he vacated his body it was used for food than left to rot and go to waste, whereas in many cultures cannabalism is the ultimate insult to the person who had lived in that piece of flesh.

So how do we use actions to indicate the state of another person's heart? Why should we presume to “judge another man’s servant”?

The key is the presence or absence of love which we can perceive only in our own heart if that, for we are good at self deception.

If a man beats up his partner on a regular basis then this cannot be judged because, who knows, his heart may be full of love?

In your view what do regular and habitual actions point to? Nothing, or things of no importance?

Humanity develops, cultures move on. Are you OK with female genital mutilation? Do you find nothing wrong with gays and lesbians being killed for the only reason that they are homosexual?

There are indeed cultural differences but there are also what we would call universal human values we have agreed upon. I think that most of them are sensible and good and thus transgressions against them have to be judged.
That is why we have courts, including an international criminal court.

For many people culture is just an excuse to go on with despicable practices.

My thoughts and emotions are controlled by my experiencing the Person I call God, quite unexpectedly and out of the blue in mid September of 1947.

I read "the Book" later and think I have the aid of the Holy Spirit to interpret it.

My experience was Spirit to spirit and not confused by human language and concepts. I cannot express the reality in language but certain images were given me to help hold the spiritual communication in my mind when the experience ended and the pure spiritual awareness gradually lessened .

I was inspired while still under the full force of the spiritual revelation to do three things: read the Bible, pray and go to church. That has been a profitable practice for me personally.

But I think nothing counts toward spiritual awareness other than that which is based on Love as Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 13, and as Jesus emphasized as well as I experience from The Holy Spirit's guidance.