Author Archive

by Ray Yungen  
See Part I of this paper: “What Exactly is the New Age?”

What exactly is meditation? The meditation many of us are familiar with involves a deep, continuous thinking about something. But New Age meditation does just the opposite. It involves ridding oneself of all thoughts in order to “still” the mind by putting it in pause or neutral. An analogy would be turning a fast-moving stream into a still pond by damming the free flow of water. This is the purpose of New Age meditation. It holds back active thought and causes a shift in consciousness. The following explanation makes this process very clear:

One starts by silencing the mind–for many, this is not easy, but when the mind has become silent and still, it is then possible for the Divine Force to descend and enter into the receptive individual. First it trickles in, and later, in it comes in waves. It is both transforming and cleansing; and it is through this force that divine transformation will be achieved. (from Holistic Health magazine, Winter 1986)

This condition is not to be confused with daydreaming, where your mind dwells on a subject. The way New Age meditation works is that an object acts as a holding mechanism until the mind becomes thoughtless, empty – silent.

English mystic Brother Mandus wrote of his adventure into these realms in his book This Wonderous Way of Life. He spoke of being “fused in Light” which he described as “the greatest experience of my life” which gave him “Ecstasy transcending anything I could understand or describe.”

In order to grasp what this movement really entails the reader must understand what was happening to Brother Mandus. He wasn’t merely believing something on the intellectual level, he was undergoing a supernatural encounter. In truth, he had created a mental void through meditation and a spiritual force had filled it.

The two most common methods used to induce this “thoughtless” state are breathing exercises, where attention is focused on the breath, and a mantra, which is a repeated word or phrase. The basic process is to focus and maintain concentration without thinking about what you are focusing on. Repetition on the focused object is what triggers the blank mind.

Just consider the word mantra. The translation from the Sanskrit is man, meaning “to think,” and ti-a, meaning “to be liberated from.” Thus, the word means “to be freed from thought.” By repeating the mantra, either out loud or silently, the word or phrase begins to lose any meaning it once had. The same is true with rhythmic breathing. One gradually tunes out his conscious thinking process until an altered state of consciousness comes over him.

I recall watching a martial arts class where the instructor clapped his hands once every three seconds as the students sat in meditation. The sound of the clap acted the same as the breath or a mantra would – something to focus their attention on to stop the active mind.

Other methods of meditation involve drumming, dancing, and chanting. This percussion-sound meditation is perhaps the most common form for producing trance states in the African, North/South American Indian, and Brazilian spiritist traditions. In the Islamic world, the Sufi Mystic Brotherhoods have gained a reputation for chanting and ritual dancing. These are known as the Whirling Dervishes. Indian Guru, Rajneesh, developed a form of active meditation called dynamic meditation which combines the percussion sound, jumping, and rhythmic breathing.

From Ray Yungen’s book, For Many Shall Come in My Name

Part III: The Higher Self

DVD 1—Bob DeWaay: How Eastern mysticism has been repackaged and presented as a new way to know God.

DVD 3—Warren B. Smith: New Age Implications of The Shack, The Message and The Purpose Driven movement and the entrance of the Quantum Lie into the church

DVD 4—Bob DeWaay: Emergence Theory. How pantheism and panentheism have entered the church, convincing millions that this New Spirituality is exactly what the world needs to save itself

Warren B. Smith (B.A., University of Pennsylvania; M.S.W., Tulane University). Warren is a free-lance writer and community social worker who was formerly involved in the New Age movement. He is the author of Deceived on Purpose, The Light That Was Dark, Reinventing Jesus Christ, and A “Wonderful” Deception. Warren speaks frequently on radio and at conferences, warning against spiritual deception in the church.

Filmed in 2009 at Faith at Risk 5 in Minneapolis, MN

The following pertains to our January 25 article, Buddhist/Universalist Sympathizer Woos Nazarene Students at NNU. NNU’s president, Dr. David Alexander, has issued the following response to an undisclosed number of concerned Nazarenes. We are posting this and also our comments and documentation about his response (see our commentary below Dr. Alexander’s response).

From Dr. Alexander:

Greetings from the campus of Northwest Nazarene University.  I am writing to follow-up on an email you sent to General Superintendent Porter regarding the appearance of a guest on the NNU campus several years ago [2006].  Please allow me to speak to that, as well as make a couple general observations and finally update you on the present work of NNU for the Kingdom.

You wrote asking about the appearance of Jay McDaniel on our campus.  He was a guest speaker at NNU in the Fall of 2006.  Unfortunately, the video clip that you are referencing omits an NNU faculty member’s introduction of Dr. McDanie[l].  In effect, the introduction was a “disclaimer” regarding the fact that while we welcome him to speak, not all his views may align with our institutional views on matters of orthodoxy, theology and creedal statements.

Therefore, let me state explicitly so you know exactly where NNU stands as an institution.  NNU believes and affirms the Articles of Faith and Covenants of Christian Character and Conduct that are the bedrock of the Church of the Nazarene.  Furthermore, we espouse the centrality of Christ in all we are and all we do.  To that end, I’m inserting a paragraph from the Hallmarks of an NNU Education, that underscore this fact:

Northwest Nazarene University is built upon belief in and relationship with the One Triune God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  In Him and His Son all things live and move and have their being.  He is the way, the truth and the life.  Therefore, we gather and organize ourselves around our relationship with God in Christ, made available to us through the Holy Spirit.  We exist to seek God.  He is the centerpiece around all we plan, do and are.  We seek His rule, righteousness and relationship in our lives and in the life of the institution.

Here is a link to the entire Hallmarks of an NNU Education document:  

http://www.nnu.edu/offices/office-of-the-president/hallmarks-of-an-nnu-education/

Let there be no doubt.  We organize and act from our belief that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.  I understand that in viewing the remarks of our campus guest that some may mistakenly assume that what he said is what we believe.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  

Having said that, I want to explain the nature of his invitation.  (Please recall that this occurred in Fall of 2006, I became President of NNU in Summer of 2008.)  The university as a whole and our School of Theology & Christian Ministry in particular realize that the world is shrinking.  Culture and belief systems that were once a world away, are now as near as an immigrant student, a next door neighbor or a link to a website.  Consequently, it is the duty and responsibility of the university to make ourselves and our students aware of the world’s religions, sects and quests for God.  This is necessary if we are to appropriately know how we as Christians, are to proclaim the gospel to Muslims, pantheists, or Buddhists (an area where Dr. McDaniel has done research). 

It is our privilege and duty to assess and guide in this process, so that we and our students become adept at highlighting the good intentions and fallacies of various religions in order to then preach Christ and Him crucified.  This is in keeping with the same posture that the Apostle Paul used on his missionary travels, when he spoke directly to the belief systems of a particular town or region (e.g. Athens, Corinth) and then connected the hunger for a god, with the path to God in Jesus Christ.

To this end, we, as a missional expression of the Church of the Nazarene, promote the exercise of faith and reason, so that we might better observe the hand of God and His grace, preveniently at work in the world, so that we might be a part of the Holy Spirit’s moving.  In fact, my recent address to the campus community in our first Spring Semester Chapel, explores how to deal with the healthy tension that God has placed within us, His children, as we learn to exercise our minds in harmony with our faith.  Here’s a link to the text of that chapel message:  

http://www.nnu.edu/offices/office-of-the-president/presidents-messages/spring-2010-chapel-january-13th/

I’m sorry if this video of one of our guests, which you have encountered, has caused you to think poorly of our work.  I wanted to be quick respond and encourage you to stay in dialog.  For NNU has, is and always will be committed to proclaiming the good news of the gospel, saturating all we teach and do with His perspective, as we continually seek to provide transformative experiences for our students as they grow up into the full measure and stature of Jesus Christ.

Thank you again for your interest and concern.  I take it to mean that you have a heart for our beloved Church and the work the university does as the Church at work in higher education.  

May God bless you, may God bless NNU,

David Alexander, President

Northwest Nazarene University

Lighthouse Trails’ Commentary and Documentation Refuting Dr. Alexander’s Response:

We believe this is a case of a university president who does not appear to understand the nature of the current spiritual deception sweeping through the church, and very much so the Nazarene denomination. By his own admission, Dr. McDaniel was there to instruct the students, as Dr. Alexander points out (end of paragraph 6) when he says “make ourselves and our students aware of the world’s religions … an area where Dr. McDaniel has done research.”I think many parents would disagree with NNU’s idea that New Age Christians who dangerously teach another gospel should be the ones to teach their students about world religions. That’s a ridiculous argument by Dr. Alexander. There are many excellent books and resources that teach on world religions, written by fine Christian men and women. So when Dr. Alexander says that “it is the duty and responsibility of the university to make ourselves and our students aware of the world’s religions,” how that is done is up for dispute. 

Secondly, if the school is indeed “committed to proclaiming the good news of the gospel” and if something has changed since Dr. Alexander became President of NNU, which he points out in his letter that he began AFTER McDaniel’s visit, then why was Brian McLaren invited to speak in 2008, Philip Yancey this year and why do they presently have a Spiritual Formation program, in which heretical authors such as Richard Foster, Rob Bell, Henri Nouwen, Brian McLaren, Dallas Willard, Steve Chalke, David Benner, Brother Lawrence, Eugene Peterson, and Donald Miller are being used to teach the students?  http://www.nnu.edu/academics/graduate-programs/graduate-theological-online-education/master-of-arts-tracks/wwwnnuedumasf/textbooks/ Some of these listed above have outrightly denied the Atonement of Jesus Christ and all listed above are part of the new emerging spirituality, which promotes a mystical viewpoint. 

At the risk of sounding disrespectful, we will tell you why this is happening at NNU – it is because Dr. Alexander and the other teachers and leaders at the school think they understand, but they do not. 

Incidentally, the use of heretical teachers (ones who promote mysticism and panentheism) does not stop at NNU’s Spiritual Formation program. In their Missional Leadership program, the same thing is happening. Part of that list includes Brian McLaren (clearly a favorite of NNU, though McLaren calls the doctrine of the Cross and Hell “false advertising” for God), Eddie Gibbs, Leonard Sweet (promotes quantum spiriutality – see AWD), Dan Kimball, and a number of others. Dr. Alexander needs to understand that he is president of a university that has become an institution that is promoting the new emerging spirituality, a spirituality that by its very nature denies the tenets of the Christian faith, of which he says the school believes. 

For Dr. Alexander to single out McDaniel as if this was some rare exception is erroneous, because the names we have mentioned above are following the same spirituality as McDaniel. In his case, he was just more candid than some of the others. But for those who have studied McLaren, Sweet, and Foster, they have learned that the spirituality is the same.

Note: For detailed information on the beliefs of the names mentioned in this commentary, use the Lighthouse Trails Research Topical Index and Search Engine.

This August a new film, starring one of Hollywood’s most popular actresses, Julia Roberts, will be released. The movie, Eat, Pray, Love, is based on Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoirs of the same name. Gilbert’s book hit the New York Times Best Seller list after becoming well known through Oprah’s ardent promotion, in which Oprah calls the book, the modern woman’s Bible.  Oprah says that Gilbert is everybody’s guru. The book follows Gilbert in her spiritual journey, which takes her to an Indian Ashram and to a life of meditation. No doubt, with Julia Roberts playing Gilbert, actor Brad Pitt producing the film, and Oprah most certainly promoting the movie, tens of millions of viewers could be drawn toward Eastern religious outlook. Eat, Pray, Love is one of a number of films over the last few years that have had a strong eastern mystical content.

A note of interest to illustrate the paradigm shift that organized Christianity is going through: Anne Lamott, who was just featured in Charles Stanley’s In Touch magazine,  endorsed Eat, Pray, Love, the book, and has gone on speaking engagements with Elizabeth Gilbert, expressing her resonance with Gilbert’s spirituality, calling the book “rich in spiritual wisdom.”

 

Oprah Show Today: “Silence is the Only True Religion” – What Do Christian Leaders Think?

Mystical Spirituality Paradigm Saw Major Growth in 2009

On April 19-22, in Orlando Florida, Exponential 2010 will present a large number of speakers, many of whom are proponents of the New Spirituality. Just another effort to build momentum for what has become obvious to many discerning believers - an apostate leadership racing toward a “New Christianity” for millions of unsuspecting proclaiming Christians.

This year’s speaker list:

Obe Arellano	Hugh Halter	Kem Meyer
Mark Batterson	Bob Harrington	Brian Mosley
Joe Beam	Sarah Hatfield	Mary Nelson
Rick Bezet	Alan Hirsch	Dave Olson
Marcus Bigelow	Scott Hodge	Larry Osborne
Ken Blanchard (check LT)	Chris Hodges	Darrin Patrick
Brian Bloye	Billy Hornsby	Vanessa Pugh
Matt Carter	Rick Howerton	David Putman
Noel Castellanos	Troy Jackson	Lloyd Reeb
Francis Chan	Galen Jones	Dino Rizzo
Matt Chandler	Lisa Jones	Rick Rusaw
Steve Childers	James King, Jr.	Matt Smay
Shane Claiborne	George Klippenes	Dan & Shannon Smith
Neil Cole	Charles Lee	Efrem Smith
Caleb Crider	Brad Leeper	Wayne Smith
Mark DeYmaz	Shawn Lovejoy	Ed Stetzer
Bill Easum	Will Mancini	Tim Stevens
Dave Ferguson	Marc McCartney	Kirsten Strand
Sue Ferguson	Larry McCrary	Greg Surratt
Dave Gibbons	Mel McGowan	Ron Sylvia
Louie Giglio	Janet McMahon	Scott Thomas
Rich and Dori Gorman	Reggie McNeal	James Wafford III
Larry Grays	Brenda Salter McNeil	Scott Williams
Mike Hall

Related Information:

Cedarville University Cancels Shane Claiborne Event

Research on Ken Blanchard’s Promotion of New Age meditation/Buddhism and his connections with Rick Warren.

LTRP Note: In January, Avatar won Best Picture on the Golden Globe awards. The box office hit, which just came out, has already been seen by millions worldwide.

by Joe Schimmel
(from Kjos Ministries)

James Cameron’s movie, Avatar, is a spellbinding blockbuster whose effects are so astonishing that they vividly transport the audience into another worldly realm where worshipping a tree and communing with spirits are not only acceptable; they are attractive. … This pantheistic theme that equates God with the forces and laws of the universe is outwardly depicted by the heroes and heroine in the movie who all worship Eywa, the “All Mother” Goddess, who is described as “a network of energy” that “flows through all living things.”

Overall, the movie is strewn with ritualistic magic, communion with spirits, shamanism, and blatant idolatry as it conditions the audience to believe these pagan occult lies. In addition, the audience is led to sympathize with the Avatar and even ends up pulling for him as he is initiated into pagan rituals. Even the lead scientist becomes a pagan in the end, proclaiming that she is “with Eywa, she’s real,” and goes to be with her upon her death.

While James Cameron’s fictitious depiction of nature religion lends itself well to the new age lie that Native American religions were life affirming and harmless, Mel Gibson’s portrayal of Mayan priests, beholden to blood thirsty deities that demanded the blood of their sacrificial victims, was far closer to the truth. Cameron’s sugar coating and romanticizing of savages and ancient nature worship depicted in Avatar flies in the face of the facts found in ancient codexes and archeological finds that reveal that the Aztecs, Mayans, and Incas, all engaged in mass human sacrifice, including taking the lives of innocent children to appease their demon gods.

Given James Cameron’s track record of attacking Christianity, and specifically Christ’s resurrection in the roundly discredited documentary, The Lost Tomb of Jesus, it should not be surprising that he would write and direct a $300 million dollar propaganda piece that promotes the worship of nature and spirits…. Click here to continue reading.

Below is a link to a video* of a lecture that took place at Northwest Nazarene University in Idaho, one of the Nazarene Universities that is strongly promoting the contemplative/emerging spirituality. The lecture, presented by NNU Thomas Oord and College of Idaho, Denny Clark, was taught by Dr. Jay McDaniel, a self-proclaimed “Christian” Buddhist universalist sympathizer who is said to be highly influenced by the late Catholic panentheistic monk, Thomas Merton. This is an 83 minute video, but for those who want to understand the paradigm shift that has occurred in the church and continues wooing millions with the mystical, universalist spirituality, this video is well worth the watch. But we warn you, it is very disturbing. Here is are two quotes from Jay McDaniel in the video:

“God has been … luring all people in the world toward different forms of wisdom … and we don’t have to equate them. It’s possible that a Buddhist might know something that’s truly different from what a Christian knows and they might be complimentary rather than contradictory. ”

“I think everything is interconnected. That’s part of my Buddhism.”

When asked by a student whether he believed that Jesus was “the way, the truth, and the life,” McDaniel stated that if Jesus had meant to say that He himself was the way, the truth, and the life, it would have been egocentric and arrogant of Jesus – He only meant to point people in the right direction – letting go of ego and grasping love. McDaniel stated also that Buddhist mindfulness (eastern meditation) is just as truth filled  as doctrine and theology. He said there was an overemphasis in the church on doctrine calling it bibliolatry (idol worship of the Bible).

*The date that the NNU lecture with Dr. Jay McDaniel took place is October 12, 2006. Because the Nazarene universities are continuing to move in the same direction (toward the new mystical spirituality) as they were then, we believe it is appropriate to post this video now.

VIDEO LINK OF JAY MCDANIEL AT NORTHWEST NAZARENE UNIVERSITY

LTRP Note: Since the McDaniel lecture took place, NNU has continued to promote to their students the mystical New Spirituality including speaking events with emerging figure Brian McLaren (in 2008) and in 2010 contemplative proponent Philip Yancey. 

Other links:

Jay MacDaniel lecturing to a class at Northwest Nazarene University

Jay McDaniel on Panentheism

G12 Master Plan Could Expose Thousands of Nazarenes to Contemplative/Emerging Spirituality

Point Loma Nazarene University Welcomes Brian McLaren and Embraces Contemplative Spirituality