Why is new age spirituality thought of as bad?

[ayar415]

QUOTE Post 98 EXCERPT:

Originally Posted by hallow

I really don't know what it has to do with it. To be honest I really don't know how one defines new age spiritually.

This is exactly it: your take on new age spirituality may be different from mine. Let me give you my point of view.

Traditional spirituality puts God at the center of observation. New Age spirituality places the observer at the center. It is always about you.

[lemex]

Originally Posted by JustASimpleGuy

Primacy of Self isn't New Age. It's Old Age.

So true but it isn't clear if you're agreeing, adding, or disagreeing clarifying the post. Thing is some may feel primacy of God more important or as important. The primacy of God is old information. To some it is still rejected. New Age simply explores differences of information now. All new age is old based on that. I'd say primacy of self was new back in the 60's, where today it isn't. It's hard to image to some it was new once. The reason I have found with new and even old age information is it can be thought of as bad is the experience. The feeling it means one must change for instance, say changing the primacy from God to self or primacy from self to God as in the case given. For many the thought is if I accepted something then to feel I must reject what I believe. New age or being spiritual is more a clarification.

[lemex]

Originally Posted by ayar415

What has this got to do with new age spirituality? One can draw inspiration from anything without departing from traditional religious principles.

But this is what the argument is about. This applies to all traditional systems and principles. Are you picking on religion, we need to be inclusive of all traditions out there if honest. Keep in mind any person can find and disagree in what they will not do or accept in any system so no system is perfect. As I have noticed many people I know disagree with some aspect of teaching but don't challenge teachers, only teachings. We are not brave in this regard imo.

[ayar415]

QUOTE Post 103 EXCERPT:

Originally Posted by lemex

Are you picking on religion, we need to be inclusive of all traditions out there if honest.

This is a discussion on the question: Why is New Age spirituality thought of as bad?

I am not picking on anything but examining the question. Religion, be it traditional or New Age, is thought of as bad by some people. Obviously, New Agers are not contented with traditional forms of religious teachings. They want to modify them much like folks who slap after-market parts on the cars or motorcycles they bought.

The bottom line is transportation, not how the personalized machine looks. Traditional religion, and I mean its principle and not the teaching, does the job. Tinkering with the teaching serves only to muddy the water. This leads to a loss of the way. This is why, I think, New Age spirituality is thought of as bad.

People have been tinkering with religion forever. Christianity for example began with many groups following the teachings of Jesus. Some spotted gnosticism, others imagined he was the son of God.

Then along came Constantine who decided to standardise it in a way it could be enforced by fear. The administration of the Roman Empire was running out of control. Hence the Nicene councils and giving governing powers to the priests. Not so long afterwards the Jesuits and Reformers came along to deal with the abuses of the Catholic and Protestant churches. And now there are many branches of Christianity, none of which follow in precise detail the teachings of Jesus.

Of course, Christianity spun off Judaism as Jesus was predominantly a jewish reformer for which he was ultimately executed.

Similar tinkerings have happened with Islam and Paganism. Religions are the acceptance of pre-packed teachings that are open to individual interpretation, much as ready-meals are consistently the same per product but they can be heated up and spiced (etc) in different ways.

So I doubt the New Age could incite the sort of turmoil befalling what's happened so far. It's more likely frauds like Blavatsky who have done the New Age no favours and people realising they cam make a quick buck off the gullible selling snake oil on the web.

My research revealed "Twin Flame Matchmakers" on the web, one charging $400 per shot, not to forget the many bogus 'psychics' about. I'd laugh were it not so serious bringing disappointment to many.
.

[ayar415]

QUOTE Post 105 EXCERPT:

Originally Posted by Lorelyen

Of course, Christianity spun off Judaism as Jesus was predominantly a jewish reformer for which he was ultimately executed.

So, you reckon Jesus was a New Ager in the eyes of the Jews back then?

Jesus' teaching has eclipsed Judaism and provided a foundation for western civilization. Which New Age fad had even come close to doing that in displacing the root religion?

Originally Posted by traceyacey12

Why do some people consider new age spirituality as bad? I'm reading a book and in it they talk about how new age beliefs feed the ego. Is it really that bad that it feeds the ego if it's true? What's the issue there?

Hi Tracey....

One thing is, there are difference between "Prana and Soul". Though Soul is the source of all (ego,intellect,mind,prana,body,universe), yet the Soul is has nothing to do with anything of these above.

The thing is, the new age spirituality thought confuse and assume the Pranic Experiences and Knowledge in Intellect/Vijnana as the "Soul" itself.

Nope. That's the wrong thing. Though Prana is Soul, Soul is beyond these all. There can be no experience of Soul and all experiences are bound to the Potential of "Maya". "Soul" is the experiencer and it cannot experience itself. It cannot be objectified. It can experience only "Maya". Only Ananda,Knowledge,Thoughts,Pranic and atoms can be experienced/known about. But not the Soul. They wrongly assume Pranic or Ananda or "Other worlds in One mind" as Spiritual experience, and seek more of "Maya" rather than to really know about the Nature of all and the truth of soul. They only need experiences and Market those and unknowingly/knowingly fall in 'ego'. Soul is the Beginning and End of all experiences,knowledge,universe. Soul is the beginning and end of Maya but not the Maya itself and Witness it staying detached from it, though everything manifests from it, though everything is One.

Say, this Maya (False ego,Intellect,Mind,Prana,Body) is like a Jewel, the Soul is the "Thread" in it. Without the Thread nothing can be put into and made as a "Jewel", yet the Soul remains free from all the things put in the Thread by itself. It cannot be experienced, because Thou are That. Know it and Know the true nature of everything and Seek the "Bliss" or "Peace" and not the "Experiences" of the Koshas.

But, it's upto one to decide what they want. And it's wrong to assume the Experiences of Duality/Maya as Spiritual experience itself, which the new age are upto. They don't seek PEACE but crave for experiences and only feeds 'ego' as you said. They don't seek "GOD" but only his powers and amazing things.

Soul is Soul. You are That. I am That. I am the Witness of All. Peaceful I am, detached from all the experiences and Knowledge, detached from all the "Creation, Maintanence and Annihilation".

[hallow]

Originally Posted by ayar415

QUOTE Post 98 EXCERPT:This is exactly it: your take on new age spirituality may be different from mine. Let me give you my point of view.
Traditional spirituality puts God at the center of observation. New Age spirituality places the observer at the center. It is always about you.

ok, I understand. But how can a person really be passionate about something by simply taking someones word for it. There's also a lot of things pushing people away from Christianity. For example, when my grandparents got married. They had a very difficult time finding a church to marry them because my grandfather was divorced prior. They got married in the late 40s. A world of difference compared to today. But obviously they said the hell with the church and got married somewhere else. My reasoning for not being a big religious person, it seems you have to follow the Church's orders in order to "be saved". I don't see "God" as the controlling, self-centered spirit the church makes the great spirit out to be. Especially when you have high priest and others in the church doing some awful things. I can't speak for anyone else on this but those may be why "new age" beliefs are emerging. I believe and trust in God's words and morals. The one's I don't believe are the ones put there by man.
An other experience I had, my mother... Long story short, she "found God". But she is who she is. She just wears the god cloke now. How do I know who she really is? I am half of her, I excepted my faults, she just covers up the some of the same faults I was born with. By exceping those faults I was able to work on changing them.

Originally Posted by ayar415

QUOTE Post 105 EXCERPT:So, you reckon Jesus was a New Ager in the eyes of the Jews back then?
Jesus' teaching has eclipsed Judaism and provided a foundation for western civilization. Which New Age fad had even come close to doing that in displacing the root religion?

"So, you reckon Jesus was a New Ager in the eyes of the Jews back then?" I reckon nothing. I look at such history as is available. *Deleted*

Tacitus gave a few lines on "these troublemakers in Judea" in his Histories in the Chapter on Nero, one of the few chapters that survived

He was a chronicler and the first genuine historian in that his work relied on public records (at which the Romans were very good), rather than dramatised stories.

I doubt Jesus' teachings would have got anywhere but for Constantine who forced it across Europe. You've heard of Inquisitions, haven't you? That's how it happened.

However, there are only 4 gospels in the Bible. The rest didn't fit his narrative. He did his utmost to destroy them and the people who followed them.

Thankfully, some survived and were recently discovered (the Nag Hammadi Library) so we were able to get closer to what Jesus actually taught.

So... but for Constantine and Nicene, the Roman church would never have come into being.
.

[hallow]

I am thinking as well. When you look into oneself as the center, in a sense you really are the center of your own world. You need to take responsibility for everything around you. If God is the center, the responsibility is passed on. People try all the time to be something there not for any given reason. Being something your not often leads to self-destruction. A lot of people choose to follow a religion to feel close to "god". That may be the need to feel close to something..... anything. Just like a person cuts themselves simply to feel "something". I am not saying it's right or wrong. I do the same. I believe what I do to feel closer to the spiritual world, I have tattoos all over my body because of a little thing I call tattoo therapy. I feel lucky I haven't needed that "therapy" in many years. I found something else I can feel. I broke away from all the American dream social stereotypes and started following my heart instead. Then I learned to feel again, I started to feel free again.