|
|
|
| Unity at all costs Excerpts from the book Idolatry in their hearts by Mike Oppenheimer and Sandy Simpson The liberal church movement has forged ahead to have a universalism, a unity with as many religions as possible. A movement toward solidarity has begun among the religions. By ignoring the differences and, instead, finding the similarities, they can work together. Interfaith organizations and alliances are popping up all over the landscape. Some that have been established are enjoying new growth. One of the main religions that is spreading Interfaith is Bahai. The eclectic Bahai religion teaches, “Since there is one God these manifestations of God have each taught the same religious faith. …”8 Bahais have promoted a religious unity as the solution for the world’s religions, hoping that divisions will cease. In fact they state ... “The principle of the unity of religion is at the center of Bahá'í teachings”.9 “The over-arching truth that had called the interfaith movement into being, it said, was "that God is one and that, beyond all diversity of cultural expression and human interpretation, religion is likewise one”.10 “All men will adhere to one religion, will have one common faith, will be blended into one race, and become a single people. All will dwell in one common fatherland, which is the planet itself”.11 A "Conference on Interfaith Cooperation for Peace" was held on 22 June 2005. It was sponsored by a tripartite group that included sixteen governments, three UN agencies, and eight religious and civil society organizations. Among the two dozen speakers, the Community's principal representative to the United Nations, Bani Dugal, stated: "It is this essential unity of religion, across the tremendous diversity of history, culture, tradition, philosophy, and practice, that should now become the operating principle of religious discourse," Growing numbers of people are already coming to realize that the truth underlying all religions is, in its essence, one”.12 Robert Muller, the former secretary General of the UN, wrote the book New Genesis: Shaping a Global Spirituality which promotes eclectic New Age Spirituality. It invites the religions of the world to begin working together under the general auspices of the UN. Robert Muller wrote: “Perhaps the ultimate role of the United Nations will be to transform all humans into universal spiritual beings ”.13 Certainly a more apropos term would be “global spiritual citizens” for the new world religion. Religious ecumenism becomes the means that the leaders will use to unite the world for their “age of peace”. The first step is to dialogue on similarities. Then they can ignore the differences. The World Council of Churches has developed the “Guidelines on Dialogue with People of Living Faiths and Ideologies”14 “The ecumenical movement has taken significant steps toward facilitating interreligious relations and dialogue.”15 In 1996 a gathering in San Francisco of 60 religious leaders from around the world called for the founding of a United Religions Organization similar to the United Nations. Episcopal bishop, William Swing, made a step to establish unity among all religions, declaring, “I am convinced that the time is ripe for a global initiative to call the world's religions together . . . .”16 Benedictine monk Dom Bede Griffiths was a great influence on interfaith. Griffiths tried to convert Hindus by showing them how much, in their religion, was intrinsically “Christian”. He claimed Christianity and Eastern religions could be mutually enriching and might ultimately converge: “I believe that by openness to Buddhism, to Hinduism, and these great Asian traditions, we stand a wonderful chance of learning more about the potentiality of our own traditions, because they have gone, from the natural point of view, so much deeper into this than we have. The combination of the natural techniques and the graces of the other things that have been manifested in Asia and the Christian liberty of the gospel should bring us all at last to that full and transcendent liberty which is beyond mere cultural differences and mere externals - and mere this and that”.17 Leonard Sweet, one of the Emerging Church “intelligentsia”, writes: “A globalization of evangelism “in connection” with others, and a globally in-formed” gospel, is capable of talking across the fence with Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Muslim--people from other so called “new” religious traditions (“new” only to us)--without assumption of superiority and power. One Caribbean theologian has called this the “decolonization of theology.” It will take a decolonized theology for Christians to appreciate the genuineness of others’ faiths , and to see and celebrate what is good, beautiful, and true in their beliefs without any illusions that down deep we all are believers in the same thing”.18 (emphasis mine) Are we ALL believers in the same thing? Sweet reconstructs our Christian viewpoint in order to introduce the idea of inter-spirituality to his readers, presenting a God who crosses over any religious barriers. Creating a hybrid religion is their answer to reach our culture. If there is one faith (Jude 3) how can these other “faiths” be genuine? All this constitutes a value change in the church, one that moves us toward interfaith and universalism. In an article in Yoga Journal titled “One Truth, Many Paths—-What other spiritual traditions tell us about meditation can illuminate our own tradition—and the era in which we live” Matthew Fox, who is one of the main promoters of interfaith alliances, writes: “Ours is a time of what I call “deep ecumenism”: religious pluralism and discovery of one another's spiritual traditions and practices”.19 Neale Donald Walsch has become a large voice of this unity. He states: “No matter what the religion , no matter what the culture , no matter what the spiritual or indigenous tradition , the bottom line is identical: We are all one ”.20 (Emphasis added) Neale Walsch explains what he wrote in his book “Conversation with God”. “The purpose of this book, and of all the books in the trilogy we are creating, is to create readiness ... readiness for a new paradigm, a new understanding; a larger view, a grander idea.”21 In the book A New Kind of Christian by Brian McLaren, he explains to us about the transformation taking place, that a new kind of Christian is “emerging”. On page three he explains how the different people he meets in some ways model this “new Christian”. “… but they generally agree that the old show is over, the modern jig is up, and it's time for something radically new” “...if we have a new world, we will need a new church. We won't need a new religion per se, but a new framework for our theology. Not a new Spirit, but a new spirituality. Not a new Christ, but a new Christian”.22 (emphasis mine). A new Church, a new framework, a new spirituality, a new Christian are what the new paradigm, the “new framework” is all about—repositioning us alongside the interfaith movement. Mary Ann Lundy, from the mainline PCUSA, is the former Deputy General Secretary of the World Council of Churches and a worshipper of the Goddess Sophia. In a speech made by Mary Ann Lundy to “Voices of Sophia” during the 1997 General Assembly in Syracuse she stated: “We are learning that to be ecumenical is to move beyond the boundaries of Christianity...yesterday's heresies are becoming tomorrow's Book of [Church]Order.”23 A “God” by Any Name Opting to make peace, the universalists claim that all gods are the same God and that they only have different names and views of this “God”. There is nothing new under the sun. In the early church days it was Origin who said there is one God, who can be called by other names. “It makes no difference whether the God who is over all things be called by the name of Zeus, which is current among the Greeks, or by that, for example, which is in use amoung the Indians or Egyptians . ”24 The Bahai teach: “Many names in many religions are used to describe the same God.”25 Sister Margaret Irene Johnson states: “We all have the ONE and SAME God, no matter how we name her/ him.”26 Freemason Manly P. Hall wrote: “The true disciple of ancient Masonry has given up forever the worship of personalities .... As a Mason his religion must be universal: Christ, Buddha or Mohammed, the names mean little, for he recognizes only the Light and not the bearer [person]”.27 This inclusive monotheism claims that all the gods are the same god, only by different names. The religions of the various cultures are accepted to form a generic spirituality that can bring them together. This makes Christianity a more “friendly” religion to those who may oppose its narrow way. In his book, Third Millennium Teens, George Barna records this fact: 63 percent of church-going, supposedly Christian teens said they believed “Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Jews and all other people pray to the same God, even though they use different names for their god.”28 These are no longer isolated beliefs but they have become worldviews. Universalist, John Marks Templeton, writes in his book Discovering the Laws of Life : “ [T]he basic principles for leading a 'sublime life'... may be derived from any religious tradition, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and others, as well as Christian ”.29 Mother Theresa practiced her Catholicism by affirming, “I love all religions. ... If people become better Hindus, better Muslims, better Buddhists by our acts of love, then there is something else growing there." 'there are many ways to God': "All is God--Buddists, Hindus, Christians, etc., all have access to the same God”.31 Certainly Jesus did not agree with these statements. In fact He told his disciples that He is the way to the Father and no man can come another way (Jn. 14:6). What matters most is whether we believe His Word, not all these men’s opinions. John 10:1-6 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. “But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. “To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. “And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. “Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.” Because there are those who do not understand what He speaks they instead listen to other voices that lead them from the Truth into the broad way that will end in destruction. 2 John 1:9 “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.” To have God and claim ourselves as followers of Christ we must abide in the doctrine delivered in Scripture. But this is diametrically in opposition to those who do not hold to Bible doctrine and are willing to go beyond it.Words by the apostle Paul, inspired by God, speak of our times, “Now the Spirit speaks expressly that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1). The demons oppose Bible doctrine by speaking through men new doctrines that will bring people beyond the pages of the Bible or cause them to completely ignore the Scripture. Our Savior’s instruction is eliminated. What we are seeing today is lining up prophetically with what is described n the book of Revelation by the prophet John. A spiritual movement is forming interfaith alliances with religions that were at one time at odds with each other. Israel, in the Old Testament, committed adultery when she made alliances with the nations that practiced idolatry around her. God called their going after the other gods of these nations committing “fornication”, spiritual adultery. Deut. 31:16 “And the LORD said to Moses: “Behold, you will rest with your fathers; and this people will rise and play the harlot with the gods of the foreigners of the land.” Judges 2:17 “Yet they would not listen to their judges, but they played the harlot with other gods, and bowed down to them. They turned quickly from the way in which their fathers walked, in obeying the commandments of the LORD; they did not do so.” When we teach the Church that the gods of the nations are the same God only by different names, that they have spiritual truth, that people can learn from them … then we are departing from the faith and committing spiritual adultery. Examples of this are found throughout the Old Testament. Similarly, Paul said to the church: “I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2). The woman depicted in Revelation commits spiritual adultery; uniting with everyone and becoming part of a world religious/political system that believes it is for God, but opposes Christ. The Beast from the Sea has on his heads a blasphemous name (Rev 13:1). John is carried away in the Spirit into the wilderness where he sees “a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy” (Rev 17:3). Rev 17:5: “And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” Are these blasphemous names coincidence or has God told us in advance? This unity of the world’s religions is the new age of spirituality. quotes 8—Tract on Basic facts of the Baha’i faith, Bahai Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois 9—The Oneness of Religion, http://info.bahai.org/article-1-4-0-4.html 10—http://www.bahai.org/article-1-1-0-1.html 11—'Abdu'l-Baha, The Promised Day is Come, p. 126 12—Bahai world News Service, http://news.bahai.org/story/379 13—Robert Muller, My Testament, p.174 14—WCC, Guidelines on Dialogue with People of Living Faiths and Ideologies , http://www.wcccoe. org/wcc/what/interreligious/77glines-e.html 15—Ibid., http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/interreligious/glines-e.html 16—William Swing, San Francisco Chronicle, June 20, 1996. 17—Dom Bede Griffiths, Asian Journal, p.343, as cited in The Inter-faith Movement--the New Age enters the Church by Herbert J. Pollitt, p.62 18—Leonard Sweet, Quantum Spirituality, pp.130-131 19—Matthew Fox, Yoga Journal, One Truth, Many Paths—-What other spiritual traditions tell us about meditation can illuminate our own tradition—and the era in which we live , http://www. yogajournal.com/views/309_1.cfm 20—Neale Donald Walsch, in his essay From the Ashes, Beliefnet Editors, p. 19. 21—Neale Donald Walsch, Conversation with God, Book 2, p. 36 22—Brian McLaren, A New Kind of Christian, p. 3 23—Mary Ann Lundy to “Voices of Sophia” during the 1997 General Assembly in Syracuse, http://www.layman.org/layman/news/news-around-church/wcc-lundy-retire. htm, http://www.layman.org/layman/news/national-network-college-women/nnpcwresources- samples.htm 24—Origin, Against Celsus, Book 1, Chapter 24 25—http://www.sfu.ca/~cabs/Kerns/1-Unity.doc 26—Sister Margaret Irene Johnson, Call to Renewal Evangelical Environmental Network, OSU Quoted in Media Spotlight -Vol. 22.3 27—Manly Hall, Lost Keys of Masonry, pp. 64-65 28—http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/11/152005a.asp 29—John Marks Templeton, Discovering the Laws of Life, pp. 6-7 30—Brian McLaren, A Generous Orthodoxy 31—Mother Teresa, Dec.4, 1989, Time Magazine, pp. 11, 13 quotes8—Tract on Basic facts of the Baha’i faith, Bahai Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois 9—The Oneness of Religion, http://info.bahai.org/article-1-4-0-4.html 10—http://www.bahai.org/article-1-1-0-1.html 11—'Abdu'l-Baha, The Promised Day is Come, p. 126 12—Bahai world News Service, http://news.bahai.org/story/379 13—Robert Muller, My Testament, p.174 14—WCC, Guidelines on Dialogue with People of Living Faiths and Ideologies , http://www.wcccoe. org/wcc/what/interreligious/77glines-e.html 15—Ibid., http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/interreligious/glines-e.html 16—William Swing, San Francisco Chronicle, June 20, 1996. 17—Dom Bede Griffiths, Asian Journal, p.343, as cited in The Inter-faith Movement--the New Age enters the Church by Herbert J. Pollitt, p.62 18—Leonard Sweet, Quantum Spirituality, pp.130-131 19—Matthew Fox, Yoga Journal, One Truth, Many Paths—-What other spiritual traditions tell us about meditation can illuminate our own tradition—and the era in which we live , http://www. yogajournal.com/views/309_1.cfm 20—Neale Donald Walsch, in his essay From the Ashes, Beliefnet Editors, p. 19. 21—Neale Donald Walsch, Conversation with God, Book 2, p. 36 22—Brian McLaren, A New Kind of Christian, p. 3 23—Mary Ann Lundy to “Voices of Sophia” during the 1997 General Assembly in Syracuse, http://www.layman.org/layman/news/news-around-church/wcc-lundy-retire. htm, http://www.layman.org/layman/news/national-network-college-women/nnpcwresources- samples.htm 24—Origin, Against Celsus, Book 1, Chapter 24 25—http://www.sfu.ca/~cabs/Kerns/1-Unity.doc 26—Sister Margaret Irene Johnson, Call to Renewal Evangelical Environmental Network, OSU Quoted in Media Spotlight -Vol. 22.3 27—Manly Hall, Lost Keys of Masonry, pp. 64-65 28—http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/11/152005a.asp 29—John Marks Templeton, Discovering the Laws of Life, pp. 6-7 30—Brian McLaren, A Generous Orthodoxy 31—Mother Teresa, Dec.4, 1989, Time Magazine, pp. 11, 13 |
|
