The New Age and the New Age Movement
The New Age movement is not yet a unified system of beliefs and practices, for its roots derive from a variety of sources, Christianity, Eastern religions, transcendentalism, new revelations and the occult. It has no official leader, headquarters, nor membership list, but instead is a network of groups with a number of common world views. Nevertheless, it is estimated that worldwide there are over ten million followers of various New Age groups that hold to one or more of the major beliefs of the New Age.
The New Age Movement has a broad-minded openness to all religions, for its basic underlying philosophy may be said to be derived from a variety of Judeo-Christian beliefs. While some New Age organizations are concerned with the establishment of some sort of semi-theocratic government, many others are focused on individual spiritual development.
There are a number of distinctive views that are generally shared by all New Agers: : all is one; all is God; humanity is God; a coming change in consciousness; all religions are one before God; the illusory nature of the material world; reincarnation and karma; the spiritual evolution of man back to his spiritual origins; continuing revelations from beings beyond this world; the need for meditation or other consciousness-changing techniques; divinatory practices (astrology, mediums, etc.); vegetarianism and holistic health;
While many New Agers eschew the material world as an illusion, many others attach great importance to artifacts, relics, and sacred objects.: Tibetan bells, pyramids, crystals, and a plethora of electronic energy devices. Crystals are the favorite New Age object. These are not only thought to have healing powers, but are considered programmable, like a computer, if one just concentrates hard enough. Other New Age symbols would include the rainbow; butterfly; pyramid; eye in triangle; unicorn; swastika; yin-yang; pentagram; concentric circles; rays of light; crescent moon; etc. Most of these symbols are derived from Christian or other religious sources.
New Age music is a term applied to the works of various composers and musicians who strive to create soothing audio environments rather than follow song structures. Born of an interest in spirituality and healing in the late 1970s, it is often used as an aid in meditation. The defining features of New Age music are harmonic consonance, contemplative melodies, nonlinear song forms, and uplifting themes. New Age performers may use traditional ethnic, acoustic, electric, or electronic instruments, or even sounds from nature. New Age compositions can sound like minimalist music or like lush evocations of the natural environment.
Below are highlights of what New Agers believe concerning their source of
authority, God, Christ, sin and salvation, good and evil, Satan, and future
life:
1. Source of Authority. New Agers claim no single external
source of authority -- but their primary scriptures are the Bible, the Bhagavad
Gita and A Course in Miracles. All scripture is subject to the authority
of "the god within".
2. God. New Agers believe that creation is part of God. that
"all is One". There is only God and everyone and everything is a apart
of deity. New Agers view God as an impersonal force with a loving, caring
nature. They believe that every person and thing is "intertwined" with
God. They claim every human has a divine spark within him because each of us is
a part of the divine essence. New Agers view God as either male or female or
both.
3. Jesus Christ. A major idea in New Age thinking is that of the
"Christ Consciousness." They teach that Christ is the "only
begotten son of God" from the beginning and that Jesus, as best, merely expressed
the Christ. This idea of "Christ Consciousness" asserts that
Jesus was not the only person to achieve "Christ Consciousness,"
but so also did Buddha, Krishna, and Mohammed. Many New Agers also like to say
the Jesus spent 18 years in India absorbing Hinduism and the teachings of
Buddha. New Agers believe that Jesus received the Christ Consciousness at his
baptism.
4. Sin and Salvation. New Agers find nothing which is of the
nature of sin. They speak of "troublesome desires" which appear to be
misdirected natural human impulses which are hardly sinful. Since New Agers
believe that each person is part of god, thereby having endless potential for
self-improvement, sin (as defined by the Jesus cult) does not exist.. They think
that any perceived lack that man might have is merely a lack of enlightenment
Generally, they teach that the idea of Jesus, or anyone else, having to die for
our sins is a gross corruption of truth.
5. Good and Evil. New Agers make no distinction between good and evil
as properties or forces. Because "all is One," ultimately there is
neither a "good" nor an "evil." A person can transcend his consciousness and go beyond
the bounds of moral distinctions, so that even murder sometimes becomes an
acceptable way of serving one's gods (See the story of Joshua in the Bible)
6. Satan. The Jesus cult view of Lucifer or Satan as the head
of a tightly organized system of "evil". is seldom held by New Agers.
Rather, Lucifer is often described in Biblical terms as a being of light.
7. Reincarnation. Though there are some who do not teach it, the majority of New Agers believe in reincarnation -- that through a long process of rebirths, man will eventually reach perfection or union with God. Some New Agers believe animals are reincarnated humans, but most merely recognize the sacredness of all life. Along with reincarnation comes the doctrine of "karma" -- that what a person sows in this life, he will reap in the next life in his reincarnated state. This belief in reincarnation has led to believing in the power of "spirit guides" or "channels" -- those who allow spirits from another dimension to speak through their bodies. These entities always seem to repeat the three-fold message: (1) There is no death, (2) man is an expression of God, (3) enlightenment is the path to divinity.