Excerpt from chapter three in: A Catholic Response to the New Age Phenomenon by the Irish Theological Commission in 1994. To see the contents of the whole chapter, click here.
"New Age Movement" is abbreviated as NAM.
The NAM teaches the doctrine of reincarnation, which is a teaching of Hinduism. This denies that we meet God in death in order to face his particular Judgment which decides whether we are ready for Heaven, or unworthy of his presence, either temporarily or permanently. Instead they say that we are recycled back to the earth in an endless number of lives until we reach perfection by our own efforts. It is because of this belief that death ceases to have meaning, so the NAM justifies the killing of infants in abortion, also suicide and euthanasia. After all, these souls are merely sent on to a higher state to reconsider their position and return in a body they are prepared to work with until they reach perfection by completing their karma!
The law of karma means that we incur spiritual debt throughout our lifetime which must be paid off. The laws of the Universe demand this, so human beings 'choose' to undergo sufferings to repay this debt. There is no question of ever being forgiven this debt because 'God' is the sum total of us all, and 'It' is merely a Force. Therefore, we are responsible for our own illnesses and troubles, because we 'bring them on ourselves' in order to grow.123 The NAM believes that since the human mind produces illness, it can also produce the cure!124 The doctrine of karma leads to fatalism, and sometimes to despair, for it may take several 'incarnations' to get free of one's problems, or one may be the eternal failure. People in the NAM refuse even to speak about death, as they fear it greatly.125
The NAM also teaches Pantheism, which states that not only can we say that we are part of God, but that individually and collectively we can claim to be God. Pantheism appears to be the result of submitting to ASC's, which was illustrated earlier. Nature and God are considered one. This view not only makes nature 'divine' but makes God 'natural'. Because of this, nature religions abound for those who are so inclined. This also rules out the supernatural and the miraculous for they are just the laws of nature that can be explained scientifically, and when understood used to one's benefit. 126
Variations on the theme are found in sun worship and nature worship, which are rampant. Ceremonies and rituals are performed for invoking the spirits of trees, animals, plants and mother earth, who is seen as a living being, worshipped as GAIA, a title taken from Greek mythology. This is done for purposes of healing, consciousness expansion and communion with the powers of the universe. 127
The 'Earth Mother' deity is much more popular than the Heavenly Father, which smacks of male-dominated religions. The Heavenly Father requires sacrifice and a sacerdotal system to carry it out, but the Earth Mother allows one to celebrate life! As sociologist Robert Bellah sees it 'the sky religions emphasise the paternal, hierarchical, legalistic and ascetic, whereas the earth tradition emphasises the maternal, communal, expressive and joyful aspects of existence'.128 One can see why Matthew Fox's Creation Spirituality is very important to them.129
This collective 'God' is spoken of as 'The Force' or 'Energy' or 'Consciousness', 'Infinite Intelligence', 'Principle' etc. It is not a moral Being to be worshipped as the Supreme One.130 'It' is impersonal and amoral, for one creates one's own morality. This force can be manipulated and used for one's own advantage, as we see in all the seminars where one is taught how to get wealth and material happiness from the 'universe' by the use of one's mental powers.131
Since the New Age teaches that we are God, there is therefore no sin, and no need for a Saviour. In consequence there is no forgiveness and no mercy. They deny that the seven sacraments have any value as means of grace, and they offer mind control techniques, psychology and other self-help answers to problems. Price puts this clearly: 'You are always expressing the idea of Who and What you are. If you think of yourself as a human being, you are going to experience that identity. But when you take the idea that you are a spiritual being, that you are God individualised, and begin to live that idea ... your whole world takes on a different tone and shape. Then he counsels his readers to assert: 'The Identity of God is individualised in me now. I am the Self-Expression of God. I am the Presence of God where I am. I am the Christ, Son of the Living God' (italics and capitals his).132
The repeated teaching of the NAM that we are perfect, autonomous, and self-sufficient gods, conditions its followers to specifically reject the teaching of Sacred Scripture that we are sinners, who are accountable to God for our behaviour, and that we are incapable of saving ourselves.133 Referring to the Church's teaching, Price further states that 'there are some groups who continue to cling to the absurd idea that man is a miserable sinner and a worm of the dust', and he goes on to give his own interpretation of the Gospel that we were made sons of God, superior beings, and equal toJesus.134
NOTES
(Full details of the publications referred to in these notes can be found in the Select Bibliography).
123. Understanding tbe New Age, Russell Chandler, p. 168.
124. Tbe Aquarian Conspiracy, Marilyn Ferguson, pp. 264-305.
125. Ibid., p. 442-443.
126. A Crasb Course in New Age, Elliot Miller pp. 37-51. In this section he shows how the NAM is trying to be scientific about its activities. It desperately wants a marriage with science, for this would 'prove' its theories, and prove the Church wrong.
127. Inside the New Age Nightmare, Randall N. Baer, pp. 115,116. 128. A Crasb Course in the New Age, Elliot Miller, p. 30.
129. Understanding the New Age, Russell Chandler, p. 209; Dark Secrets of the New Age, Texe Marrs, p. 79.
130. Confronting the New Age, Douglas Groothuis, p. 22.
131. Inside the New Age Nightmare, Randall N. Baer, pp. 128-132.
132. The Planetary Commission, John Randolph Price, p. 81.
133. Inside the New Age Nightmare, Randall N. Baer, p. 115.
134. The Planetary Commission, John Randolph Price, p. 162.
