Lighthouse

Lighthouse Trails Inc

  • HOME
  • ABOUT/CONTACT
  • STORE
  • RESEARCH JOURNAL
  • TOPICAL BOOKLETS
  • FREE E-NEWSLETTER
  • RESEARCH ARCHIVE

3 Stories in 1: WorldNetDaily Should Apologize to Veterans and Soldiers for Promoting Soldier-Meditation Program

3 Stories in 1: WorldNetDaily Should Apologize to Veterans and Soldiers for Promoting Soldier-Meditation Program

July 23, 2011 by Lighthouse Trails Editors
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

THIS IS A STORY THAT CONTAINS THREE STORIES; EACH STORY HAS A MESSAGE.

Story # 1: Soldiers who are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome from their experiences during their service to the U.S. are being encouraged to turn to eastern style meditation techniques to find help through a program called Patriot Outreach. A free CD to any solider promises to give “effective help with Anger, Stress, Pain, Combat Stress and even P.T.S.D.” The CD presents an exercise in meditation that listeners are told to practice three times a day: http://copingstrategiescd.com/downloads/cdquality/CopingStrategies_FullCD_128K.mp3.

This exercise involves a focusing technique that is used during eastern-style meditation. The name of the exercise is called “Be Still and Know,” taken from Psalm 46:10. This is the main Bible verse used by contemplatives to “prove” that the Bible condones going into the “silence” through various meditation practices (mantras, lectio divina, breath prayers, etc). As Lighthouse Trails has shown in the past, the verse has been taken out of context. Nowhere in Scripture are we instructed to enter an altered state of mind using focusing or repetitive techniques in order to hear the voice of God or in this case relax and rid one’s self of stress, anxiety, and anger. Sadly, Patriot Outreach is pointing soldiers to something that could ultimately harm them spiritually.

Patriot Outreach is associated with radio talk show host from Oregon, Roy Masters. Masters is the founder of the Foundation of Human Understanding Worldwide (please use discernment if entering this site) and an outspoken advocate for meditation practices. Master’s website offers a number of products to teach meditation techniques, including the Be Still and Know CD.

Story #2: On July 19th, WorldNetDaily posted an article titled “Military praises ‘fantastic’ new post-traumatic stress therapy.”  The article is written by WND‘s managing editor David Kupelian and is basically an infomercial for a CD called Be Still and Know, which offers a meditation technique for soldiers and veterans presented by Patriot Outreach.  Kupelian offers this supportive quote: 

Patriot Outreach is an organization that provides the useful tools for our troubled soldiers and arms them with a renewed inner strength – a strength never to be shaken or stirred by angry thoughts or uncontrolled emotion. …

While we understand thatWorldNetDaily offers the writings from those of many different views, they maintain a strong defense of conservativism and generally attract those with Judeo/Christian principles. Thus, it is surprising, to say the least, that Joseph Farah (WND founder) would allow an article to be posted (by his managing editor, no less) that outrightly promotes eastern meditation techniques, given that the overall philosophy/theology of eastern religion does not line up with Judeo/Christian or conservative standards.

Kupelian’s article draws strongly on the emotions, as he talks about soldiers who are suffering terribly from their experiences in the service. Lighthouse Trails holds a deep compassion for these soldiers who have risked their lives in the military; however, we find WorldNetDaily’s promotion of eastern meditation techniques as a valid solution more of an insult to these soldiers and veterans than a help. Thus, we call for WorldNetDaily to retract this article and make a formal, public apology to soldiers and veterans everywhere. If they do not, then they are making a statement to all that they embrace the ideologies that they have stood against for so long. How’s that you say? Mysticism is of the same ideology framework as evolution, abortion, homosexuality, pedophilia, and anti-semitism. We call it the death religion. It takes practitioners away from the One, the only One who is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). It is interesting to note that David Kupelian has written books on the topic of evil (including The Marketing of Evil). If he understood that  meditation does not produce good “fruit” but rather bad outcomes, perhaps he would reconsider his views on this topic.

Story #3: On the WorldNetDaily article promoting eastern meditation techniques, there are about five dozen comments by readers. While there are some comments that completely oppose what is being said in Kupelian’s article, a large number of the comments are praising the article. Here are a few of the praises:

Great article. Make it go viral, spread the message, lives are at stake every day.
 
Hey this is just AWSOME! If it can save just one of those troops lives then I say CHARGE ON!
 
This is wonderful! Next step is for the Be Still to go viral all over the internet so we can regain America and a free world!
 
And on they go. If these comments were made by readers of a New Age or contemplative  newspaper or magazine, one could hardly be surprised to hear these comments. But these are coming from readers of WorldNetDaily; and what this shows is that the mystical mindset is infiltrating even conservative circles. This also shows thatWorldNetDaily has not made enough effort to speak up against spiritual deception. They have spoken up about many important issues affecting society and the church, but it appears that they have underestimated the wiles of the devil.
 
This isn’t the first time Lighthouse Trails has reported on David Kupelian. In 2008, we wrote “WorldNet Daily VP Wrong about the Mystics.”  In that article, we stated that Kupelian wrote a WND article that featured and promoted a number of mystics. Now, three years later, he is promoting outright New Age meditation. This is a classic example of why we so strongly issue these warnings about Christian authors who are reading and writing about the mystics. Eventually, they are drawn into mysticism.

 We can only hope that WorldNetDaily, who has a large percentage of Christian readers, will retract Kupelian’s article promoting eastern meditation techniques and set their readers straight. But sadly, they have grown an audience of which many will not like to hear such a retraction; so now there is going to be a cost to do the right thing. One thing is likely, they’ll lose some readers either way they go.

Because it is relevant to this week’s WND article, here is our 2008 article below:

St. John of the CrossOn January 18th, 2008, WorldNet Daily posted an article by WND Vice President, David Kupelian. The article came out in WND’s publication Whistleblowerthe previous month and is currently in wide circulation on the Internet. It is for this reason that Lighthouse Trails is compelled to respond. The information in the article could potentially mislead many into following the teachings of mystics and panentheists from the past.

Kupelian’s article, titled “If God is everywhere, why do so few people find Him?”does not refute the notion that God is everywhere but on the contrary backs up the idea by favorably referencing mystics who believed that God was in everyone. Kupelian throws in ambiguous comments like “Christianity is a mystical religion, not a legalistic one like Islam” which adds fuel to his persuasive recommendations about mystics such as Madame Guyon and St. John of the Cross. He also refers to George Fox, founder of the Quaker movement, and William Penn, also a Quaker. Of Penn, Kupelian states:

Penn, a Quaker and close friend of the movement’s founder George Fox, is quite dramatically saying God can somehow be found in stillness, echoing David the psalmist who wrote, “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

What many WND readers may not know is that Quakers (not all) traditionally believe that all humans have a Divine light within. That is what prompted Quaker Thomas Kelly to say: “Deep within us all there is an amazing inner sanctuary of the soul, a holy place, a Divine Center, a speaking Voice, to which we may continuously return…. In that abiding yet energizing Center we are all made one” (pp. 29, 38, A Testament of Devotion). Kelly stated that the “Slumbering Christ, stirring to be awakened … is within us all” (p. 29). He says the “Inward Christ” dwelled not just in the Christian’s heart, nor was something to be “accepted or rejected” but is “the living Center of Reference for all Christian souls … and of non-Christian groups as well” (p. 34).

George Fox would concur with Kelly. The three following statements by Fox George Fox illustrate this well:

“Walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in everyone.”

“The Light shines through all.”

“There is that of divinity in all things.”

Kupelian comes to the defense of two mystics, Madame Guyon and St. John of the Cross, stating:

Whatever doctrinal reasons the Catholic Church might have had for rejecting Guyon, it’s hard to dispute the classic wisdom, espoused here, of seeking God in stillness.

But of that stillness, Guyon expressed these thoughts:

May I hasten to say that the kind of prayer I am speaking of is not a prayer that comes from your mind. It is a prayer that begins in the heart …. prayer that comes from the heart is not interrupted by thinking! (Madam Guyon, Experiencing The Depths of Jesus Christ p. 4)

G. Richard Fisher of Personal Freedom Outreach has written an excellent critique of Madame Guyon titled “The Mindless Mysticism of Madame Guyon.” Fisher’s research leaves no room for doubt as to Guyon’s mystical affinities. 1It is Guyon who said: “Here [the contemplative state] everything is God. God is everywhere and in all things.”2 Lastly, St. John of the Cross who said: “My beloved [God] is the high mountains, and the lovely valley forests, unexplored islands, rushing rivers.”3

Ray Yungen explains the problem: “To absolve these mystics of fundamental theological error, one has to also defend panentheism.”4 We are not proposing that David Kupelian of WorldNet Daily is a panentheist. However, the examples he is using as examples werepanentheists. And for the sake of many WND readers, this is something that has to be pointed out.

Notes:
2. Timothy Freke, The Spiritual Canticle, the Wisdom of the Christian Mystics(Godsfield Press, 1998), p. 60.
3. Willigis Jager, The Search for the Meaning of Life(Ligouri, MO, Liguori/Triumph, 1995), p. 125.
4. Yungen, A Time of Departing, 2nd ed. (Silverton, OR: Lighthouse Trails,) p. 74.

Posted in: Mystical Practices, The Role of Meditation Tagged: be still and know, meditation, New Age, patriot outreach, roy masters, soldiers, veterans, worldnetdaily

Search the Research

Categories

  • A Global Spirituality (542)
    • Chrislam (32)
    • Ecumenism (174)
    • One-World Religion (88)
  • Book/Film Reviews (595)
    • A Course in Miracles (3)
    • Book/Music Excerpts (266)
    • JESUS CALLING (66)
    • THE SHACK (60)
  • CHILDREN AT RISK! (562)
    • Abortion (55)
    • Child Abuse (79)
    • Children and Homosexuality (21)
    • Children and Meditation (89)
    • Education (51)
    • Homeschooling at Risk (28)
    • Kids and the Occult (19)
    • Transgenderism (74)
  • Christian Organizations (132)
  • Christian Publishers/Bookstores (72)
  • Churches in Crisis! (850)
    • Alpha Course (9)
    • Assemblies of God (26)
    • Bethel Church (Redding) (17)
    • Calvinist/Reformed (103)
    • Charismatic (40)
    • Christian & Missionary Alliance (18)
    • Concerns for Calvary Chapel (192)
    • Free Methodist (2)
    • Mennonites (7)
    • Saddleback (243)
    • Southern Baptist Convention (30)
      • Beth Moore (3)
    • Wesleyan Church (3)
    • Willow Creek/Hybels (59)
  • Conference Alerts (109)
  • Contemplative Spirituality (967)
    • Contemplative Churches (64)
    • Contemplative Colleges (192)
    • Contemplative Denominations (271)
    • Contemplative Organizations (103)
    • Contemplative Practices (239)
      • Enneagram (1)
      • Labyrinths (3)
      • Lectio Divina (67)
    • The Ancient Mystics (76)
  • Defending the Faith (861)
    • Creation/Evolution (59)
    • Discernment (48)
    • Persecution (158)
    • Spiritual Deception (290)
    • The Preaching of the Cross (112)
    • The Word of God (194)
  • General Information (287)
    • RESOURCES (215)
  • Health (187)
    • Mindfulness (43)
    • Reiki/Energy Healing (35)
    • Shepherd's Bible Verse Tea (1)
    • YOGA (88)
  • Hinduism (37)
  • Homosexuality (359)
    • Same-Sex Marriage (163)
    • Transgenderism (82)
  • Interspirituality (187)
  • Israel (142)
  • LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (308)
  • Missions (129)
    • BRYCE HOMES FOR WIDOWS & CHILDREN INTERNATIONAL (95)
  • Music (45)
  • Native Spirituality (39)
  • New Age movement (390)
    • Oprah Winfrey (25)
    • Paganism (17)
    • pantheism & panentheism (94)
    • Roma Downey (13)
  • New Evangelicalism (104)
  • On Christian Faith (259)
    • Encouragement (30)
    • The Gospel (68)
  • Publishing News (68)
  • Purpose Driven Movement (272)
    • Rick Warren (133)
  • Remembering Communism (48)
  • Remembering the Holocaust (115)
  • Road to Rome (251)
    • The New Evangelization (94)
  • Signs of the Times (1,003)
    • Canada (48)
    • Dominionism (13)
    • Eschatology (96)
    • False Signs and Wonders (62)
    • FOR MILLENNIALS (19)
    • FREEDOM (169)
    • Hate Crime Laws (67)
    • Islam (70)
    • Politics (330)
    • Pornography/Sexual Abuse (48)
    • The "New" Sciences (25)
  • Spiritual Formation (188)
  • The Emerging Church (491)
    • The New Missiology (33)
    • Universalism (29)
  • The New (False) Spirituality (102)
  • The New Spirituality (210)
  • The Role of Meditation (261)
    • Mystical Practices (103)
  • World in Crisis (181)
  • YEARS IN REVIEW (69)

RSS Recent Posts

  • Pope Francis/Vatican Launch eRosary to Help Bring About “World Peace” December 14, 2019
  • The New Evangelization From Rome December 11, 2019
  • Ouija Angel Boards December 11, 2019
  • The New Gnostics in Today’s Church December 9, 2019
  • “Despite Common Core Promises, U.S. Kids Repeat Poor Performance On Latest Global Test” December 5, 2019

Lighthouse Trails Writers

  • anita dittman
  • berit kjos
  • bill randles
  • carl teichrib
  • carolyn a. greene
  • caryl matrisciana
  • catherine brown
  • cedric fisher
  • chris lawson
  • david dombrowski
  • diet eman
  • egerton ryerson young
  • gregory reid
  • harry a. ironside
  • jim fletcher
  • john foxe
  • john lanagan
  • judson casjens
  • kevin reeves
  • l. putnam
  • larry debruyn
  • linda nathan
  • lynn lusby pratt
  • maria kneas
  • mary danielsen
  • michael tays carter
  • mike oppenheimer
  • mike stanwood
  • nanci des gerlaise
  • paul proctor
  • ray yungen
  • roger oakland
  • ruth hunt
  • sandy simpson
  • tamara hartzell
  • tony pearce
  • trevor baker (songwriter)
  • warren b. smith

Calendar

December 2019
S M T W T F S
« Nov    
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031  

Archives

  • Pope Francis/Vatican Launch eRosary to Help Bring About “World Peace”
    by Lighthouse Trails Editors on December 14, 2019 at 4:52 am

    Pope Francis/Vatican Launch eRosary to Help Bring About “World Peace” In October of this year, Pope Francis and the Vatican launched the “eRosary” app with the hopes of drawing in more young people to pray the rosary. A BBC article, “Vatican launches new ‘eRosary’ bracelet,” states: The Vatican is hoping to pull in tech-savvy youngsters with the launch of an “eRosary” bracelet. The gadget, which ... [Read more...] The post Pope Francis/Vatican Launch eRosary to Help Bring About “World Peace” appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Inc.

  • The New Evangelization From Rome
    by Lighthouse Trails Editors on December 11, 2019 at 2:05 pm

    The New Evangelization From Rome LTRP Note: The following is an extract from Roger Oakland’s booklet, The New Evangelization From Rome—Or Finding the True Jesus Christ. By Roger Oakland When Christians speak of evangelism, they are usually referring to efforts to fulfill the Great Commission. Just before ascending to heaven, Jesus commissioned every believer to proclaim the good news when ... [Read more...] The post The New Evangelization From Rome appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Inc.

  • Ouija Angel Boards
    by Lighthouse Trails Editors on December 11, 2019 at 3:21 am

    <strike>Ouija</strike> Angel Boards “While most children in the seventies knew enough truth to place divination in the forbidden realm of the occult, today’s children—who often feel more comfortable with occult games than biblical truth—see nothing wrong with pagan practices.”—Berit Kjos By Lynn Lusby Pratt “Well, would you try to Christianize a Ouija board?” When I’ve asked that question, ... [Read more...] The post <strike>Ouija</strike> Angel Boards appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Inc.

  • The New Gnostics in Today’s Church
    by Lighthouse Trails Editors on December 9, 2019 at 1:29 pm

    The New Gnostics in Today’s Church By Bill Randles(Author of the new release, War Against the Saints) I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. (1 John 2:21) The church is undergoing perhaps her final assault from within, as she has been beset with ... [Read more...] The post The New Gnostics in Today’s Church appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Inc.

  • “Despite Common Core Promises, U.S. Kids Repeat Poor Performance On Latest Global Test”
    by Lighthouse Trails Editors on December 5, 2019 at 1:51 pm

    “Despite Common Core Promises, U.S. Kids Repeat Poor Performance On Latest Global Test” LTRP Note: The following news story is posted for informational and research purposes. If you would like to read more about Common Core, see Berit Kjos’ article, “A ‘Common Core’ For a Global Community.” If you know a family whose children are in public school, please consider sharing a copy of Kjos’ article with them. ... [Read more...] The post “Despite Common Core Promises, U.S. Kids Repeat Poor Performance On Latest Global Test” appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Inc.

  • Southern Baptist Convention Adopts “Critical Race Theory”—A Dangerous Marxist “Solution” That Will Not Work
    by Lighthouse Trails Editors on December 2, 2019 at 8:43 pm

    Southern Baptist Convention Adopts “Critical Race Theory”—A Dangerous Marxist “Solution” That Will Not Work On November 25th, Lighthouse Trails received a link to a YouTube documentary titled “The Stain of Albert Mohler”(1) that documents how the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) passed a resolution (Resolution 9) this past summer (2019) which adopts “Critical Race Theory” (a theory that claims to be a solution to ending racism but according to critics ... [Read more...] The post Southern Baptist Convention Adopts “Critical Race Theory”—A Dangerous Marxist “Solution” That Will Not Work appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Inc.

  • Letter to the Editor: Reminder About Study Showing Adverse Effects of Meditation
    by Lighthouse Trails Editors on December 2, 2019 at 2:13 pm

    Letter to the Editor: Reminder About Study Showing Adverse Effects of Meditation Dear Lighthouse Trails: This article came up in a feed, and I thought it might be a useful reminder to your readers. It’s a 2017 shallow academic re-run of what LHT has devotedly and thoroughly covered in depth for years! I imagine a title like: “Study Names 59 Categories of Unexpected and Unwanted Side Effects ... [Read more...] The post Letter to the Editor: Reminder About Study Showing Adverse Effects of Meditation appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Inc.

  • World Leader of Salvation Army Meets With Pope Francis/Vatican to Discuss Ecumenical Plans
    by Lighthouse Trails Editors on December 2, 2019 at 1:50 pm

    World Leader of Salvation Army Meets With Pope Francis/Vatican to Discuss Ecumenical Plans According to a November 2019 posting on the Salvation Army website titled, “World Leader of The Salvation Army General Brian Peddle meets His Holiness Pope Francis,” it appears that the Salvation Army is part of the growing ranks of evangelical organizations in the race toward unity at all costs. The post from the Salvation Army ... [Read more...] The post World Leader of Salvation Army Meets With Pope Francis/Vatican to Discuss Ecumenical Plans appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Inc.

  • A Word About Salvation Versus “the Contemplative Way”
    by Lighthouse Trails Editors on December 1, 2019 at 1:18 pm

    A Word About Salvation Versus “the Contemplative Way” By Ray Yungen Knowing Jesus Christ is not merely religion or spirituality but is rather a personal relationship with Him. Romans 10:2 speaks of those who have a “zeal for God but not according to knowledge.” Many contemplative writers describe a spiritual despondency they suffer before turning to mystical prayer as a remedy, and consequently ... [Read more...] The post A Word About Salvation Versus “the Contemplative Way” appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Inc.

  • Being Thankful Through It All
    by Lighthouse Trails author on November 28, 2019 at 8:27 am

    Being Thankful Through It All By Warren B. Smith In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18) Thankfulness is our attempt as believers to express the inexpressible—the amazing gratitude we feel for the amazing grace bestowed upon us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He not only ... [Read more...] The post Being Thankful Through It All appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Inc.

Show Buttons
Hide Buttons

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name [Jesus Christ] under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12

HOME ABOUT US RESEARCH JOURNAL BOOKLET TRACTS RESOURCES OUR WEBSITES

Copyright 2002-2019. Lighthouse Trails Publishing, Inc.