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What is the New Age? by Rev. Dr. John Rodgers, Bishop New Age Community Churches Since the very beginning, time has been calculated by the movements of heavenly bodies. The movement of thc Earth on its axis is a day. The movement of the Moon around the Earth is a month. The movement of the Earth around the Sun determines a year, and so on. |
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The Sun and the entire solar system seem to complete some sort of a circuit within the galaxy every 25,000 years or so (This is called The Great Year). This huge orbit appears to take place within the ring of stars called the Zodiac. The ancients divided the Zodiac into 12 sections and each section was given a name - Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. Because the solar system is moving, the first day of the year occurs a little earlier in the Zodiac each year (moving 1.33 degrees a century). This movement of the solar system is called the precession of the equinox. The first day of Spring takes place in a different sign of the Zodiac every 2150 years. When this point has moved completely, 30 degrees, from one sign into another. This indicates that a new age has begun. The history of mankind can be seen as the unfolding of the ages. |
Other Viewpoints Door Opener ... www.anopendoor.com/TDO/newage.htm Imogene C. Fales-- www.spirithistory.com/newage.html Douglas Groothuis -- http://theconstructivecurmudgeon.com Andrew Lutts--www.salemctr.com/newage/center1.html Da Vid. --www.lightparty.com/Spirituality/NEWAGE.html Wikipedia -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_age
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The passage from one age to another is usually marked by great turbulence in society and in the Earth herself, such as what we have experienced for the past 50 years. The last such change took place about 2000 years ,ago when the Age of Pisces began. Each age has its own distinct qualities and influences - vibrations. Each age is fundamentally different from the preceding age, not merely an improvement or expansion of it. The Age of Pisces ended and the Age of Aquarius (the New Age) began January 1, 1981. The Piscean economic and political polarity which threatened to destroy the planet, ended. Electricity, atomic energy and space travel - all associated with Aquarius, are coming into prominence. Spiriti~ally, the New Age will expand human consciousness as is illustrated by our growing interest in outer space and the inner man. The New Age will promote individual freedom. A new age is what the Bible means when it speaks about the ‘end of the world’. In the Bible the word "world" (in Greek aeou) does not mean a planet, but rather a period of time or an age of human history. Though New Testament writes said the "end of the world is at hand," the world did not come to an end 2000 years ago, but an age did. The age known as the Age of Aries, also called B.C. and an entire civilization came to an end at that time. The seers and prophets knew about it and tried to teach the people that the Age of Jupiter (or Pisces) was coming and that it would replace the previous Age of Aries. For behold I will create a new heavens and a new Earth. And the old shall not be remembered nor come to mind. - -Isaiah 65:17 And the Age of Aries did come to an end. It disappeared. Even today, with all our archaeological science, we know very little about that age. Of their sciences, their wisdom, their literature, remain only a few scraps of parchment and some tumbled-down buildings. As you read through the New Testament, you can see that the writers believed that one age was coming to an end, and that new and better age was to follow: Today, right now, we are experiencing that same exciting event - the end of one age and the beginning of another. This time it is the Age of Pisces which is ending and the Age of Aquarius that is beginning. This time there are no prophecies of a complete destruction of the artifacts of the old age. The time we will be permitted to retain much of~vhat we have created - our history, our knowledge, and our sciences. But our system of civilization, our way of life, and the very manner in which we view reality, will be changed and replaced by a system appropriate to the New Age. The old, Piscean religions are fighting the changes the New Age is bringing. They are trying to combat the teachings of the New Age by claiming "they are not Christian. In an article printed nationally, a religion columnist said of the New Age religious movement, "Although many observers describe the movement as the religion of the 1980s, New Age has no church or denomination~. no pope or high priest unless you count Shirley MacLaine .... The term denotes an eclectic melange of beliefs and practices." This author revealed his ignorance. The Hindu faith has no pope nor high priest and its doctrines cover a range of beliefs and practices, but it is certainly recognized as a religion. The reason that many find it difficult to define New Age is that, one), they are viewing the New Age movement from a chauvinist, orthodox Christian perspective, wand, two), the New Age movement embraces all religions and spiritual practices. 2000 years ago, at the beginning of the Age of Pisces, a new religious consciousness came into being. It was unifying and comprehens~&e, embracing all recognized religions. Eventually, it took the name Catholic, and it served humanity for 500 years before it began to degenerate. Today, at the beginning of the Age of Aquarius, a new religious consciousness is expressing itself. It is known as New Age. Just as the original Catholic faith embraced all religions, so the New Age faith embraces all religions. [he New age is not only Christian, it completes and fulfills the very essence of what Christianity is. Why, then, do the orthodox churches speak against us and publish books full of hatred toward us? Because the Age of Pisces was an age of dualism and illusion. The world has fallen prey to illusion and does not want to hear the truth. The leaders of today are "the blind leading the blind." The New Age makes no judgement against any religion that does not preach fear and hatred. One denomination or faith is the same as another. It makes no difference what names are attached to the deity, or how many or how few angels or saints are recognized. The differences recognized by the New Age are the paths or systems of worship used by the various religions. Each of the nine paths is a way of spiritual development and expression, and each, when taken to its ultimate end, leads to union with God. Every religion or spiritual practice in the world teaches one of these paths, or a combination of them. The New Age recognizes the validity of each of these means of spiritual growth and encourages each individual to find the path or combination of paths that is appropriate to his/her consciousness or interests. The New Age movement is an intermingling of all religions, faiths, races and cultures. Only excluded are the teachings of intolerance and ignorance. All creeds are coming together in a mighty pageant of enlightenment. In the dispensation of the fullness of times, he will gather together under the Christ, all things which are in heaven and which are in Earth. - Ephesians 1:10 |
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