Stitching Project: Bear

I’ve been reading a lot and noticing some stuff here lately. You’re probably wondering what kind of “stuff” I’m talking about. Well, I’m writing about how eastern philosophy has infiltrated American society. Hollywood is full of movies that tout that humans are basically good and that if they try hard enough they can do anything they want, even be their own god. It’s the idea that nearly every Disney movie I’ve seen is saturated with and is why those movies bother me.

What’ve I been reading that’s stirred me up? It’s a few books by Ray Yungen. The one I’m reading now is called A Time of Departing. And I read Warren Smith’s autobiography, The Light that was Dark in conjunction with the Yungen books. They’re all quick reads – maybe because they’re so interesting. But I’ve been noticing the “New Age” themes in movies and such for years, but now that stuff has a name and I know exactly what it is and where it is coming from. It’s more than a little disturbing when I start considering all of it and how it’s starting to really make roads into the evangelical community.

I mean, the whole movement hinges on meditation, but there are a million different ways they title the activity (or lack of mental activity). Basically there are two or three main ways they slip off into the realm of the “unknowing” and that’s through focusing on the breath (breath prayers) or by focusing on one thing to stop thought (contemplative prayer) or by using a mantra that says the same word over and over until the mind is blank (sacred word prayer). People who are big names in church circles endorse literature by people who are in touch with their “higher selves” through meditation. It doesn’t make sense to me that any Bible believing Christian would endorse using any kind of activity that could be used to reach “enlightenment”. Shouldn’t it follow that even if you have good intentions that you will be opening yourself up to the same enlightenment that the Buddhist monks do? Needless to say, Yungen’s research has shown just that. “Christian” writers who are strong proponents of contemplative prayer admit to having the same experiences as those in the throes of New Age, Buddhism, and other such eastern religions that tout the “Ancient Wisdom”.

When I was little and starting to learn about Jesus Christ and the Bible my mother impressed on me the importance of never “clearing” my mind. Prayer is a thinking activity – not a thoughtless one. She also made me aware that sometimes when we are touched by or touch other people it is possible to come away with some of their spiritual residue on us. Meaning that if someone who is possessed can pass that on to those they come in contact with. One example that I have personal experience with is Reki. One of my first cousins wanted to share his ability to use Reki. He and his mother had been using it for years to “heal”. At the time I was ignorant of the inner workings of the process, I just knew that I wanted no part of that because it sounded “wrong” to me. He still tried to convince me that I should get a Reki massage, but I resisted. Now after reading what I have, I am relieved that I didn’t give in to him that day.

I think what concerns me most about this is that it’s infiltrating the church because a large number of us don’t know what we believe. Even Baptists who were at one time known as people of the Book have allowed the Book to get a thick coating of dust on it. In the last few years I’ve been listening to Alistair Begg (Truth for Life) in the mornings. His preaching is biblical and although sometimes I feel beat up, I am thankful for the constant reproof, the constant sandpaper that program provides. I’ve been encouraged to “study to show myself approved” because knowing something is wrong but not being able to articulate it sometimes ends up being an endorsement of that wrong.

And on a side note, years ago I read “The Shack”. I thought it was a little too far out there for me and was convinced that it didn’t align with a biblical view of God. It was well written, but isn’t a book that I would recommend to anyone who doesn’t have a firm spiritual and biblical foundation. After reading Warren Smith’s book and Ray Yungen’s books, I know why “The Shack” didn’t set well with me. I ran across this youtube video. It kind of cuts off at the end so I don’t think its everything Warren Smith said that day, but it’s enough to make any Bible believing Christian reconsider their endorsement of the book.