Professional Documents
Culture Documents
in the
Church
by
Mary Kelsey
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Deception in the Church
mary.kelsey@talktalk.net
ISBN 978-1-4116-7444-8
Copyrighted material
Contents
Page
Introduction 1
Chapter 3 Gnosticism 24
Chapter 5 Freemasonry 43
Conclusion 95
Bibliography 102-3
Appendices:
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book.
Darwin
Huge advances in science and technology during the eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries caused people to drift further and further away from God and a
dependence on him. Charles Lyell's 'Principles of Geology' introduced the
concept of geological time and which threw into question the age of the earth.
Charles Darwin was greatly influenced by Lyell's geological studies, Malthus'
work on population and his own observations on the voyage of the Beagle.
These led him to proposea theory of natural selection and to the publication of
'The Origin of Species' in 1859and 'The Descent of Man in 1871. The Theory of
Evolution posed an even greater threat to the Church than Galileo's work. It
challengedthe idea of a literal six day creation and ultimately, God as creator.
Unfortunately Darwin did not renounce his theory publicly and the momentum
gained by science against the orthodox teachings of the Church tipped the
balance in favour of science and humanism. Western civilisation assumed a
secular and atheistic dimension. Prior to this any deviation from orthodox
Christianity was a punishable offence. (An example of this was that Shelleyhad
been expelled from Cambridge for atheism). Agnosticism was promulgated by
Thomas Huxley and Herbert Spencer. It became not only respectable, but
fashionable. Dialectical materialism of Karl Marx brought the Church further
down through the repudiation of organised religion as the 'opiate of the
people'.
The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran, in Israel in 1947, dated as
first century A.O. bore testimony to a messianic apocalyptic community, the
Essenes, which were an isolated Jewish sect. A controversial 'Son of Man'
fragment led to a major Catholic cover up. According to Baigent and Leigh
(1999), Sommer, a professor at the Sorbonne in Paris, put forward the idea
that 'The Teacher of Righteousness', figuring in the scrolls, was in fact the
exact prototype of Jesus! This person was, however, a revolutionary and not
the meek lamb of Christian tradition. This was an embarassment to the Catholic
Church, as it questioned the origins of Christianity and Catholic authority. De
Vaux, from the Ecole Biblique, a Dominican institution, was sent to make his
own excavations, showing that the scrolls were of a pre- Christian era and
gaining control over any publications. The Catholic Church retained a monopoly
on the scrolls until the 1990's.
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Science -the big cover up!
Contrary to popular belief, science,like the Pope, is not infallible. Scientists are
not all objective thinkers. They are often tempted to 'cook the books' to make
data fit their theories. Such as been the case in the use of the fossil record to
prove evolution. At the time of writing the 'Origin of Species,' Darwin admitted
that the fossilsdiscovered looked like a series of acts of creation as there were
distinct gaps between different types or species. He urged people to look for
missing links to support the idea of a more continuous evolution and admitted
that if these were not found his theory might be wrong.
Intermediary 'living fossils' such as the duck-billed platypus, half way between
a reptile and a mammal, are alive today and no fossils like them have been
found earlier than two million years ago, whereas, according to theory, they
should have been found in strata dated 230 million years old! In fact all
attempts to find true missing links have failed and fossils such as
archaeopteryx and Piltdown Man have proved to be hoaxes! Why would people
go to such lengths to deceive? I can only think kindly that they are practical
jokers or more harshly that they are humanists rebelling against God,
consumed with their own pride and disobedience, unwilling to humble
themselves and admit they might be wrong. There have found to be major
flaws in carbon dating methods and inconsistencies in the dating of particular
fossils according to rock strata compared with e-dating, suggesting that the
earth may not be as old as scientists proclaim.
Evidence for the flood comes not only from rock strata and skeletal remains
from different places all around the world, but also from ancient Babylonian
and Sumerian tablets clay which describe cataclysmic events believed to be
caused by a 'quarrel amongst the gods.' These are supported by myths from
Persian, Hindu, Chinese, Japanese, Tibetan and other primitive cultures. (See
Pierce, 1998, Chapter 14.) There is also considerable archaeological evidence
from the Middle East supporting the biblical story of the origins of human
civilisation in the area of Mesopotamia and the Fertile Crescent.
So called hard facts are always changing in the light of new evidence. Whether
the evidence comes from scientific, anthropological, archaeological or historical
sources, it is all relative to a degree. Progress in all scientific endeavour and
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Atheism and Agnosticism
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Chapter 7
It is said that no longer can the Bible be seen exclusively as our divine source
of reference for living. Questions of apparent injustice, such as why a loving
God allows suffering and the exclusive nature of the gospel, leave many people
dissatisfied. Does God have favourites? 'Why were the Jewish people chosen?'
and 'Are people who have never heard the gospel eternally dammed?' are
common stumbling blocks. Instead of basing their morality on the Ten
Commandments and taking God's Word as absolute truth, people use their own
measures to judge perceived injustice and use their own standards of
behaviour, frequently influenced by psychology and images portrayed in the
media.
Religion is seen as divisive· the cause rather than the solution to conflict and
responsiblefor many of the wars and problems in the world. For those seeking
peace and problem resolution, inter-faith dialogue or one world religion appear
more promising than Christianity, which is perceivedto be arrogant in its claims
to be the truth and Jesus as the only meansof salvation. The Churchis seen as
authoritarian, hierarchical, hypocritical and out of touch with reality. It is
perceived as predominantly male dominated, middle class and white. The
concepts and language used in Church are obscure and out of date, the
traditions dull and the teaching irrelevant. In a world dominated by high tech
and instant gratification, God seems distant, silent and remote and religion a
crutch for the weak or weak-minded.
Post Modernism was instigated by John Paul Sartre and is a rejection of God.
The rise of science and liberalism, especially biblical criticism, has thrown doubt
upon the belief in a loving God and diminished His power. The Post Modern
Society sees God as out-moded or irrelevant. The focus of living has changed
from obedience to God and the Church's teaching to self-fulfilment, drawing
from a wide range of sources. Instead of being attracted by the gospel, people
are seeking spiritual experiences from seemingly more fascinating sourcesand
are developing an unhealthy interest in the supernatural and being drawn into
the occult. They are looking for excitement, adventure and pleasure, rather
than being willing to accept Jesus and to be willing to let Him change their
behaviour.
Humanism
Humanism is the belief that human beings can improve their own conditions
without supernatural help. 'Man is the measure of all things' is the keynote.
Humanists have faith in human intellectual and spiritual resources,not only to
bring knowledge and understanding of the world, but to solve moral problems.
Their ideals are respect for others, equality, justice, freedom and happiness.
The idea is that we can lead meaningful lives without following a religious
creed. Originally the term 'humanism' referred to a system of education based
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on Greek and Latin and the classics. It developed as a philosophy at the end of
the Middle Ages, through the struggles for democracy, release from
ecclesiastical authority and the liberation of the intellect during the
Renaissance, Reformation and the Industrial Revolution. Essentially it is
founded on the rejection of God and human pride and independence: that we
can shape our own dest.iny. The United Nations is an institution based on
humanistic principles.
Relativism
Relativism is a most dangerous belief as its values change with contexts and
cultures. It has no absolutes and is subject to the prevailing ideologies and
whims of fashion. 'Norms' of behaviour are accepted. e.g. homosexuality and
co-habitation have become commonplace and therefore no longer to be
frowned upon. Orthodoxy in the church is seen as old-fashioned, irrelevant and
out of place in modern society. There is arrogance in the belief that through
scientific advance and liberal thinking we know better than God. Relativism
flouts God's authority and claims that anything that feels good is right as long
as it does not hurt anyone else.
People have become preoccupied with the present and are largely ignorant of
the judgement. Similarly, holiness seems irrelevant in modern culture so
absorbed with pleasure seeking, successand immediate gratification. There is
a stubborn nonchalance and rejection of true godliness and the rationalisation
that good works will get you to heaven, if indeed such a place exists. Self
determination is the order of the day. The purpose of life on earth is disguised.
There is little understanding of any spiritual significance and a denial of the
soul and spirit living on: for what purpose? A common answer is: 'the body
just rots,' Death is shrouded in mystery and funeral services have become
ceremonies merely for saying 'Good bye' to loved ones. In spite of testimonies
of 'out of body experiences,' there is generally a denial of an afterlife. Yet,
most people irrationally hang onto the hope of 'meeting again in heaven.'
Universalism
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and to work for peace and harmony in the world, many have fallen into the
trap of multi-faith teaching. Surely we must love one another regardless of
race, culture, language or creed. We need to look for common ground and to
be in dialogue with those of other faiths, but this does not mean bowing to
idols or compromising our own beliefs. The established churches have
frequently watered down the gospel instead of preaching the message of
salvation by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His grace alone.
There are some disturbing new movements that deny the uniqueness of Christ,
one is Chrislam a shocking mix of Christianity and Islam. The Bible and
the Qur'an are both considered to by holy texts and Muhammad, Moses, and
Jesus are all believed to be all great prophets! Worship services include
singing of Christian and Islamic hymns to praise God and Allah and readings
from the Bible and Qur'an.
Individualism
Individualism allows for freedom of action for the individual. This belief has
developed as a reaction to religious control or totalitarianism and through the
increasing fragmentation of Western society. Family breakdown and increasing
isolation have contributed to its development. The result has been a lessened
senseof responsibility to community. Individualism says that I am answerable
to myself alone and not to others or any other higher authority. Religious
adherence is through personal choice rather from direction given by a higher
moral authority. There is a denial of any dependence on God.
Paradoxically this idea co-exists with individualism. Modern lifestyles and the
influence of the media have led to the creation a global mass culture. Western
materialism has become the predominant culture. Technology and the media,
led by the USA and Japan, give one predominant image based on the ideals of
comfort, pleasure and economic success. McDonalds and Kentucky Fried
Chicken are now not only in New York and London, but Moscow and Bangkok
and Pepsi Cola is known world wide. English has become the major
international language and small cultures are becoming extinct. The careerist
ethic prevails as the leisure and travel industry expands causing enormous
environmental damage and an even sharper divide between rich and poor.
Sadly, these misplaced values and lust for power, sex and other pleasures have
infiltrated and corrupted the Western church, weakening its spiritual power and
effectivenessin witness.
Feminist Theology
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revealing feminine qualities of God. Femininity is implicit in much of the
language and imagery, which has traditionally been used to describe the Holy
Spirit. It brings balance and completeness to our understanding of the
personality of the Godhead and shows the wholeness of the Trinity. In the
same way as Paul expressed our equality in Christ, 'There isneither Jew nor
Greek, slave or free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ
Jesus.' (Galatians 3:28), there is no bias in God towards man rather than
woman and the character of God is expressed in both male and female
qualities and characteristics. Women tend to exhibit the gentleness, tenderness
and compassion as expressed through the Holy Spirit.
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According to Marriage (1989), Lady Chapels, in contrast to nave or choir stalls
in cathedrals, are used for private prayer, giving something of the security of
the womb or the intimacy of an 'Upper Room experience' and then the release
from bondage or birthing into the freedom of Pentecost.
While the use of inclusive language, such as 'human', rather than 'man' and
'child' rather than 'son' is more acceptable in the modern day, using the word
'She' or 'Mother' in the such contexts as the Lord's Prayer can appear
irreverent, offensive or even absurd as it destroys the real meaning of
scripture. In spite of these problems, it is evident that the feminist movement
has brought about changes of attitude in society, which in turn, have affected
the Church. Change may be slow, but even the Vatican has recognised the
problems in the use of sexist language and began to use inclusive language by
1988. The power of language to affect behaviour can clearly be seen.
lt was not until the twentieth century that women gradually gained a voice and
were emancipated. It has taken thousands of years for them to gain their
rightful place in the home and society. Sadly, the feminist movement has
weakened the position of men rather than establishing the true biblical model
of family relationships. For nearly two thousand years there has been a basic
commitment to the ideal of marriage, if not always in practice, and of
associating sex with love and faithfulness in the context of monogamous
marriage. This all changed in the 1950's through the research of biologist,
Kinsey on the sexual behaviour of gall wasps. The Kinsey Reports challenged
the idea of normality/ abnormality or rights and wrongs in sexual behaviour
and became a blueprint for promoting sex education. In spite of fallacies in the
research, the reports were quickly treated as facts and used by the medía to
promote the interests of sexual minorities and an excuse for sexual freedom.
Sex became a commodity to be exploited.
The Bible exhorts us to love one another and to seek righteousness and justice.
The teaching of Old Testament and Jesus himself, encouragesus to seek peace
and justice, to care for the poor, the widow, the orphan and alien. Old
Testament prophets, such as Amos and Isaiah were concerned not only with
caring for the needy, but about social injustice. (Isaiah58:6-10) Sometimes
this meanstaking a stand with the under-dog. The social reforms of evangelical
Christians in the nineteenth century could be seento be motivated by the same
spirit as liberation theology. Examples of this are William Wilberforce's fight
against slavery and Shaftesbury's redeeming work amongst the oppressed,
bringing the abolition of asylums, repeal of the Factory Acts and the creation of
'ragged schools.'
We are exhorted to pray for all those in authority and to obey the government,
which God has instituted, {1 Timothy2:1-2), but in some situations, where
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the government is evil, Christians have to chose to serve God rather than
comply with oppressors, often with the cost of their lives. For example, Martin
Luther King's dream of a world free from racial inequality led him to speak
boldly against discrimination. This resulted in his assassination, but in the long
run, to the emancipation of black people in America.
Liberation theology is the belief in standing up for justice and opposing all
kinds of economic and political oppression. Tyrannical regimes have brought
forth many Christian martyrs in different parts of the world. In the 1960's many
countries in Latin America were brutal and corrupt military dictatorships, which
ceased land, ignored human rights and oppressed the poor. Anyone who
questioned their leadership was branded as a communist and was likely to be
killed, the most famous being Archbishop Oscar Romero in El Salvador.
Similarly, Archbishop Luwum, lost his life opposing the tyranny of Amin in
Uganda. The struggle against Apartheid in South Africa is another example. To
his credit, the Catholic priest and theologian, Helder Camara, became the
champion of the poor and non-violent social change in Brazil and world wide
through Vatican Il, setting a precedentfor peaceful Christian action.
The Middle East poses a more complex situation. International public opinion
appears to be on the side of the Palestinians rather than Israel, who is seen as
the oppressor in the Middle East conflicts, whilst the Jews believe they have a
God given right to the land of Israel, which they have fought hard to attain
against all odds after thousands of years in exile and suffering. Christians can
play a unique role in reconciliation and peacemaking, but there is the danger
that they, like the Muslims and Jews, we can get caught up in violent
retaliatory action and bloodshed.
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Inner Healing
Possibility Thinking
It was E.W. Kenyonwho took mind control techniques and first taught positive
confession of the Word of God. 'What I confess, I possess' or 'I have what I
say!'. Kenneth Hagin is generally considered to be the founder of the positive
confession movement. He established the Rhema Bible training centres and
churches. Kenneth and Gloria Copeland and Charles Capps have also been
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faith movement as a magic formula to manipulate God into giving and blessing.
In the 'name it and claim it' brigade there is a 'Give me' and 'I want' mentality
of a little child demanding gifts from a father. As Jesus warned, 'You do not get
because you ask with the wrong motives.' God sees the heart and rewards
those who diligently seek Him and His will. Then we will receive peace in our
hearts and not the confusion and strife that come from control. We will be set
free from the demandsof people and media pressure. We must not leave God
out of the equation or take away His sovereignty. We must fear and revere
God, not man.
There is the danger of playing God in the positive confession movement, which
has been influenced by scientism, whose goals are to eliminate disease,
conquer spaceand to reign supreme. The focus on self improvement and using
formulae is verging on sorcery. Occult influences are bewitching us into
believing that we can realise our own godhead through a process of cosmic
evolution. This is the purpose of most cults, such as the World wide Church of
God (Armstrong) and Mormonism (Joseph Smith). This is nothing less than
self-deification. In Zen Buddhism, self and God become indistinguishable. Sun
Myung Moon had the audacity to twist Psalm: 46:10, to 'Be still and know
you are God.' Through the mind science of Napoleon Hill, people believe that
they move from outer spacetowards inner space i.e. bringing cosmic influences
to bear on the inner psyche.
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brought about by God, a gift of the Holy Spirit, not by awakening power from
within to produce manifestations. Human beings in themselves do not have
supernatural powers. There is no neutral ground. Healing is the result of the
power of the Holy Spirit or an evil spirit.
Mary Baker Eddy was deceived into believing that disease was a product of the
human mind: The origin of disease is mental. .. all disease is cured by the
divine mind.' Her ideas developed into what we know as Christian Science in
the 1880's. Holistic or complementary medical practices aim to bring mind,
body and spirit together into harmony, using elements of witchcraft or
shamanism, mind control or meditation. Yoga is a widely accepted relaxation
technique, but it draws on New Age philosophy and occult practices. Doctors'
surgeries now offer alternative therapies, such as acupuncture alongside
Western medical practice and there has been an explosion of interest in
homeopathy, Chinese traditional medicine, relaxation techniques and therapies
designed to relieve stress through 'life force energy' such as Indian head
massage, reflexology, Reiki, Ta'i Ch'i and Shiatsu. (See Appendix 3 Alternative
Therapies for a detailed analysis.)
In western culture doctors and medical practitioners have until recent times
aspired strictly to scientific principles and practices with research, controls and
toxicity testing considered as of paramount importance. There has been an
increasing interest in holistic approaches. Quite rightly it is important to
consider the whole person in any health treatment: mind, emotions and spirit,
not just the body. It is well known that a person's psychological state has a
bearing on their physical well-being and as Christians we know that healing
ultimately comes from Jesus: 'By His stripes we have been healed.' {I
Peter2:24). What is worrying is that people receiving alternative therapies,
most of which are based on balancing internal cosmic energy or the 'life force,'
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the essence of eastern religions such as Taoism or Buddhism, are opening
themselves up to occult influences.
There are also concerns about safety, since there are no proper clinical trials or
toxicity tests and no scientific evaluation of whether the correct dosage has
been used in homoeopathic treatments. Some remedies are based on
substances such as aconite, belladonna and strychnine, which are highly toxic,
but for the fact that they are used in minute quantities. The practice of
iridology (examination of the iris in the eye) is used to diagnose past
complaints, present illness and to predict future health. Bizarre 'radionic' tests
on blood and hair may also be used as well as pendulum swinging and
dowsing, which are totally unscientific. Practitioners of alternative therapies
are not usually medically qualified and may not have access to X-rays and
other laboratory tests. Palmer, who founded chiropractic and Still, who was the
originator of osteopathy were openly reported to have association with
spiritualists and mediums, although practitioners in these fields today would
disassociate themselves from these connections.
Mind, body and spirit fairs are becoming very popular and some churches
wanting to tap into this spiritual awakening to bring people to Christ, have
mistakenly fallen into the snare of the enemy by putting on similar events.
This is only bringing confusion and pagan and occult influences into the body
of Christ and defiling the church.
Meditation used in yoga and other New Age relaxation techniques are very
different to Christian meditation, which is based on God's Word, not emptying
the mind with the possibility of allowing demonic spirits to invade. There is also
the danger of becoming hypnotised by repeating mantras.
'Get rid of foreign gods you have with you and purify yourselves.. '
(Genesis 35:2)
The Bible also condemns body piercing and tattooing, which have now become
very fashionable: 'Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo
marks on yourselves. I am the Lord. '
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oppression. It is important that Christians consider alternative therapies with
integrity using the discernment of the Holy Spirit. They must recognise that
these practices based on occult, mystical ideas or foreign religions are at
variance with biblical teaching and that they are a) opening themselves up to
occult influences and b) defiling themselves by engaging in them.
God wants us to persevere and to develop character. His highest goal is for us
to be transformed into His likeness. We develop 'the mind of Christ, '(1
Corinthians 2:16b) by reading God's Word, learning God's ways and
obeying His voice by allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us, not merely by
proclaiming the Word. 'We are transformed by the renewing of our
minds' (Romans 12:2) by studying the scriptures, meditating on the Word
and through applying it in our lives. We must not be 'merely hearers of the
word,' but put it into practice: (James 1:22). This takes time.
There has been too much focus on the gifts and manifestations of the Spirit
and not enough on developing the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) and
Godly character. Too many Christians seek after the excitement of big
meetings, getting a word from God or getting healed than seeking after
righteousness and His kingdom. They are preoccupied with pleasure seeking
and getting a 'quick fix', rather than doing the work of the ministry and
persevering in developing character and living a lifestyleof holiness.
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Prosperity Teaching
This is set in the context of not worrying or being preoccupied by our own
desires and needs and to be generous towards God and others. God is much
more concerned about the injustices in the world and the exploitation of the
poor, than giving more to the comfortable and greedy. Sure, He wants to bless
Christians so that they can bless others and to provide resources for the work
of the ministry. The health and wealth brigade have misused Paul's teaching on
sowing and reaping, (Galatians 6:7-8),which is about sowing in the Spirit
not the flesh and reaping the consequences of good and bad actions, not about
money! God's blessings are not necessarily about financial rewards, rather they
are spiritual: peace, love and joy, even in the midst of poverty and trials.
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Chapter 9
Occult Influences
The occult is a vast system of theories, beliefs and practices that allegedly
enable people to obtain supernatural knowledge, control events and gain
knowledge of the future. The term derives its meaning from the Latin word
'occulere' to hide as it was used to refer to mystery religions and secret
societies. The ultimate goal is to gain secret powers of the mind and spirit
through such practices as astrology, alchemy, dowsing, tarot cards, crystal
gazing, palmistry, numerology, interpretation of dreams, necromancy
(contacting the dead), clairvoyance, telepathy, ESP(extra-sensory perception)
hypnosis, psychic healing, ouija boards and astral projection. Divination is
defined as wilful exploration of the future or the discovery of hidden things by
various practices.
The devil will not always openly deny Christ. His most dangerous deceptions
are actually carried out using the very name of Jesus! He knows that a majority
of non-Christians still have respect for the name of Jesus, so he gently nudges
the Lord to the sidelines or out of the picture by capturing them with fanciful
ideas such ufology (God was or is a spaceman) or reincarnation. Worse still, he
works on the emotional needs of people who are weak, lonely or depressed,
encouraging them to dabble in spiritism, mysticism or gratifying their need for
recognition or sense of belonging through personality cults.
The church itself is one of Satan's main targets for deception through false
teachers and prophets. People who are not well grounded in scripture can
easily be taken for a ride. One example of this is the prevalence of prosperity
teaching and the 'name it and claim it' brigade, who manipulate members of
their churches or the masses through television to give to get. Worse, is the
way Satan has lured our children into witchcraft through the power of the
media.
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'Pottermania'
The propagation of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books, now made into major
films, action figures and other paraphernalia, is now a world wide multimillion
dollar business. The books have captured the minds of children and adults
alike, dominating the best-seller lists, breaking sales records and triggering
near riots at book stores. They are now approved by teachers on the grounds
that they encouragereading and are even considered good children's literature,
comparable with Tolkein's 'Lord of the Rings' or C.S. Lewis' 'Chronicles of
Narnia'! What is considered by popular culture to be 'good fun' is no less than
thinly disguised occultism.
J.K.Rowling did a degree in Mythology and admits that she studied witchcraft in
order to write her books more accurately. She said in an interview on the Diane
Rehm Show, that a third of sorcery related material appearing in her books is
taken from pagan beliefs practised in Britain in earlier times! (as quoted in
Abanes,2001, p.23).
Rowling believes that the number seven(the biblical number of completion and
perfection), has magical associations and so has produced seven books in the
series. The number seven was considered sacred in oriental religions of Persia
and Egypt and taken by the West: seven planets transformed into deities,
seven angels, seven demons, seven horses and seven heavens, seven steps to
enlightenment in Buddhism. Is it any surprise that the launch of 'The Order of
the Phoenix' was on the summer solstice, 24th June 2003!
Abanes (2001), a well-published expert in cults and the occult, reveals Harry
Potter books close connection to Wicca, alchemy, astrology, spells, mediums
and other occult practices and he argues that they de-sensitise children (and
adults) to pagan magic. Meyer, of Last Trumpet Ministries and a former witch,
warns that they are no less than training manualsin witchcraft! The title of the
first book, 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' gives it all away. Harry, an
orphan, is taken to Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he
learns the tools of witchcraft, and new vocabulary, including words such as
'Azkaban', 'Circe', 'Draco,' 'Hermes' and others, which are not fictional
characters but the namesof real devils!
The Potter books appeal to the dark side of children's baser nature,
encouraging them to develop power and freedom, to disobey authority and
manipulate others. Selfish hedonism and non-conformity are the two
underlying beliefs. The books are blatantly anti-Christian. Christianity is seen as
weakness and stupidity to be mocked. Unlike fairy stories or other fantasies,
there are no clear boundaries between fantasy and realism or between good
and evil. The apparent 'goodies,' like Harry himself, tell lies and are
disobedient, thus blurring the moral issues and causing confusion. Moral
ambiguity and relativism abound.
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Neo-Pagan Feminism
l. When we are at peace within our own hearts, we shall be at peace with
everyoneand with our mother, the earth. When we recognise that our planet is
a living organism co-evolving with humankind and we are therefore bound to
its proper steward-ship.
3. When we see ourselves as stewards and not masters of the planet, we shall
obtain lasting satisfaction for our labours.
4. When we accept the concept of Right livelihood as the basic right of all, we
will respect each other.
S. When we respect the sacredness of all life, we shall be truly free.
6. When we free ourselves from our attachment to our ego-personalities, we
shall be able to experience our Oneness.
7. When we experience our Oneness,our inter-connectednesswith all beings,
we shall be at peacein our own hearts.
The title 'Sevenfold Path' is a give away, showing its pagan roots. New Age
language appears frequently e.g. 'mother earth', 'Oneness,' 'inter
connectedness' and 'sacred' with reference to the earth. The term 'Gaia' or life
giving force is also commonly used by environmentalists and not just by 'New
Agers,' showing how these conceptsare becoming accepted more widely.
As Christians, we know that the only way we will have true peacein our hearts
is through allowing ourselves to be reconciled to God by accepting Jesus, the
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Prince of Peace and allowing Him to reign in our hearts. Then we will be able to
forgive others and to make peace, even with our enemies. This is the only
hope for the nations: to be able to live in harmony, one with another. Well
intentioned peace activists are too often controlled by humanistic agendas and
have not first made peace with God in their own hearts. Jeremiah warned us
of listening to false prophets who cry, 'Peace, peace, when there is no
peace' (Jeremiah6:14, 8:11.)
How can Christians join peace movements and stand in agreement with
humanists, Buddhists or Marxists? The World Council of Churches has
unfortunately been beguiled into praying for peace with those of other faiths.
There can be no true unity or brotherhood between those who serve other
gods or none. Christians must stand up for righteousness and fight injustice,
but not be yoked with unbelievers or join man-made coalitions. We must allow
the Holy Spirit to guide us in the way to make peace 'through the blood of
the cross. '(Colossians1:20). The aim of 'spiritual ecology' is to bring all
disorder into cosmic harmony. The belief is that in this New Age, we are
moving towards cosmic consciousness, the new ecology of the spirit, which
involves a blending of religions and cultures and gaining a world-wide mystical
experience. Tibetan and Buddhist centres abound. Reflexology, hypnosis and
acupuncture are now accepted as normal medical practice. Crystals and prisms
are used to channel light energy and bring purity and illumination. Solar and
lunar energies are linked to positive and negative life streams. Two serpents
around a staff, rainbows and sun discs are common symbols.
In recent years there has been a growing interest in Celtic Christianity. People
are attracted by its simplicity and spirituality, especially the sense of harmony
with one another and the natural world. Unfortunately, the Christian teachings
have got mixed up with pagan elements, which are sensual and humanistic
rather than God focussed. Satan'sstrategy is to disguise hard core worship of
pagan deities through 'adaptive deceptions'capturing successive generations in
what appear to be innocuous practices or cultural traditions such as May Day
celebrations or through minimising occult activity through children's stories as
we have already seen in the Harry Potter books.
Parry (2001) claims that Celtic wisdom is in harmony with Essene teachings
relating to the tapping into the pastoral and cosmic energies of the seasonal
wheel for the northern hemisphere. For example, people are encouraged to
meditate and pray using seasonal, themes. The solar year is divided into eight
sub-seasons: Winter Solstice, Imbolc (Candlemas), Spring Solstice, Beltane
(magic of flowers and fertility rights), Summer Solstice, Teltane (mating of
male and female energies or opposites, yin and yan), Autumn Equinox and
Samhain (Halloween/ bonfires.) This is pagan as it embraces the worship of
Celtic gods or worshipping creation rather than the creator.
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here by chance and are not on the same level as the rest of living things. We
have a unique responsibility and destiny. We are called to be good stewards
and not to exploit the earth and its resources, but we are dependent on God
and not on our own wisdom. In New Age philosophy, there is no way in which
sin can be dealt with. As Christians, we know that true peace can only come
through being reconciled to God through Jesus and oneness can only come
through the unifying work of the Holy Spirit. New Age philosophy aims at
developing a one world famìly, whereas true Christianity is rooted in being part
of God's world-wide family, united by the Holy Spirit, not human effort.
The League of Nations was set up after the war as a means to prevent another
world war. It was superseded by the United Nations whose peace-keeping role
has widened to a fuller involvement in world affairs in collaboration with the
World Bankand World Trade Organisation, who have a major role in controlling
wealth and resources and determining policy. The United Nations came into
existence on 24th October 1945. Fifty one countries committed themselves to
preserve peace through international co-operation and collective security.
Nearly every nation now belongs to the UN. The UN has 4 functions:
l. to maintain peaceand security
2. to develop friendly relations among the nations
3. to co-operate in solving international problems and in promoting respect for
human rights.
4. to be a centre for harmonising the actions of the nations. (See Appendix 4)
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spread of the deadly HIV/Aids, Sars viruses and bird flu, together with the
problems of tackling environmental disasters, war and famine. The UN or world
government is therefore likely to increase its control of global resources; food,
water, energy and determine quotas for different countries.
A shocking occult event took place on June !st 2016, at the opening of the
Gotthard Tunnel in Switzerland, in which semi-nude men and women
performed sexual rituals, dressed a Baphomet, Behemoth and Satan himself in
a dance of destruction' Nearby,CERN, the Hadron Collider particle accelerator,
mimics the 'Big Bang.' Its purpose is to unlock the mysteries of the universe
and is opening a dangerous portal to 'other' worlds. Is by chance that outside
CERN is a statue of Lord Shiva, the Indian god of destruction? (David
Hatherway,'Babylon or Jerusalem? A Tale of Two Cities 2019. p.22-26)
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Chapter 10
As we have seen, Freemasonry is closely tied up with the New Age Movement
and moves towards One World Government. The United States, as the world's
richest and most powerful nation, is playing a major role in this. This can
clearly be seen from the words 'Annuit Coeptus Novus Ordo Seclorum', which
appear around the pyramid on the US dollar bill. The translation from the latin
means 'announcing the birth of the New World Order'.The date underneath
MDCCLXXVI is 1776, the birth date of the Illuminati not Independence Day!
(See Smith, 1996 p.68)
Freemasonry symbols (the pentagram and phallic symbol) are even built into
the street plan of Washington D.C., which was laid out by a French Freemason,
Pierre Charles L'Enfant. The Pentagon is built as a pagan labyrinth, at the
centre of a pentagram and Capitol Hill named after the Capitol, temple of
Jupiter in Rome. The Statue of Liberty, with beams of light coming out of her
headband and carrying a torch, by French sculptor Bartholdi, was modelled on
the Roman goddess Libertas. It signifies 'Egypt bearing the Light.' (Hathaway,
2003 p.15).
One World Government is based on the philosophy of Hegel. Built into the
system is the pretence of democracy, to consult and involve the people and
that their opinion counts, but in fact they have no power. Power instead lies in
financial control. The main idea of the new world order is to destroy the infra
structure of society and individual and national freedom by abolishing the
monarchy, national sovereignty, private property, inheritance, normal family life
and religion.
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