BETHEL CHURCH INVOKES “LORD OF THE RINGS” SPIRIT TO END RACISM

SEE: https://reformationcharlotte.org/2020/07/13/bethel-church-invokes-lord-of-the-rings-spirit-to-end-racism/;

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational & research purposes:

Just when you thought that the charismatic underworld of Bethel Church couldn’t get any crazier, there is always something else that comes along to blow your mind. From grave-sucking to performing a seance to try to raise people from the dead, witchcraft is at the core of Bethel, Redding’s theology.

Bethel Church in Redding, CA is pastored by Bill Johnson who claims to be an Apostle — that is, he claims Apostolic authority just like the twelve men during Christ’s time on Earth. Bethel Redding, like all cults, is filled with aberrant, unbiblical teachings and doctrines of demons, including false manifestations of the Holy Spirit, grave-sucking, and the Prosperity Gospel.

Now, unsurprisingly, Bethel has invoked the spirits of other religions as a method to eradicate cultural evils and placate the world in its endless pursuit of Utopia–something that cannot be achieved apart from Christ’s return. Watch as Bethel Church summons the spirits of the Lord of the Rings to end racism.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Bethel Church Casts out Demon of Racism with Wizard Staff and Incantations

SEE: https://pulpitandpen.org/2020/07/07/bethel-church-casts-out-demon-of-racism-with-wizard-staff-and-incantations/;

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational & research purposes:

Listeners of Bethel Church’s Transformation Now series were treated with a sight not usually seen when prophetess Marlene Barrett, in a bid to end racism within Bethel and the Ekklesia movement, whipped out a wizard staff- a sure sign that some tomfoolery was afoot. There, on stage, she led Bill Johnson and others through a ritual incantation to cast out the demon of racism by prophetically reenacting a scene from Lord of The Rings. No joke.

Calling the opportunity a “very powerful and prophetic act,” Apostle Ed Silvoso, the architect of “transformational Christianity” told the audience that “faith without works is dead” and lead them in a “work” to demonstrate their faith.

With the gang all gathered up on stage and for some good old fashion binding and loosing of the spirit of racism, one of the participants bring out what can only be described as a large, weathered staff, possibly a movie prop or a replica from the film.

The prophetess recounts how she received a “prophetic vision regarding a prophetic act” saying “I’m going to ask us right to all grab a hold of this in our hand. Every single one of us…We are going to lift the staff and will command the spirit not only to leave, but he shall not pass!”

But before the spirit can be commanded, she reminds the audience:

“Apostle Silvoso said you need to oil your door. So I encourage you if you haven’t done this in the proper order, you must put oil on your door, and then go in front and repeat this act with us…so that the spirit of racism can leave your house.”

As she is set to begin she is told, “I think it’s important of you to share the vision of Gandalf.” Barrett agrees and proceeds to recounts the vision while drawing parallels to their own situation.

She speaks of her vision of Gandalf and the Hobbits (their own fellowship on stage) deep in the heart of Moria on the eastern side of the Misty Mountains, with Gandalf sensing the presence of Durin’s Bane. (i.e., the Spirit of racism) As the Fellowship flees to the Bridge of Khazad-dûm (Bethel Church), Gandalf stops and confronts the demon that was holding court. This is the same thing this band of misfits is doing as they employ “the authority of Gandalf.”

Stating that the authority can “only be released by an apostolic decree” they decree and declare that racism will end. Then, as one fellowship, they all take hold together and lift up the wizard’s staff and bang it on the podium, shouting “thou shall not pass” to the demons.

The scene sadly does not look as cool as they likely envisioned it. Watch the video. It’s an uncoordinated and awkward routine that they really should have practiced.

This is how many in the charismatic NAR movement deal with racism. Rather than going through the scriptures and employing confession and repentance to combat the sin of racism, these purveyors of the dark arts are out there seeing visions of the spirit of racism and engaging in some Grade-A level of unbiblical shenanigans. Sadly, they’re not comprehending that the bible does not command Christians to bang wooden sticks down on a podium while shouting movie lines in order to combat racism.

Also, if we’re being accurate to the metaphor, prophetess Barrett seems to forget that Gandalf fell into the black abyss to his death with the Balrog after he said those words.

If Bethel members don’t leave this false religion soon they’re going to end up in that darkness with them.

 
 

THE CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE IS BOWING THE KNEE TO RACIALLY DIVISIVE RADICALISM

BY MANNY SILVA

SEE: https://reformednazarene.wordpress.com/2020/06/13/the-church-of-the-nazarene-is-bowing-the-knee-to-racially-divisive-radicalism/;

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational & research purposes:

I am no longer a Nazarene.  I have primarily shifted my focus on pastoring my church and taking care of my family. So it’s been a while that I posted.  But when I saw the latest statement by an official Nazarene group, I was outraged and could not let it go.

My outrage is at the Church of the Nazarene leadership, and their continuing deviation from emphasizing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to a capitulation to divisive social justice politics, and now divisive racial politics. Instead of seeking to unite the church behind the Gospel of Jesus Christ, leaders in the church are bringing it further into chaos and confusion by choosing a stark political viewpoint based on skin color. The following Nazarene statement was written by the ‘Black Strategic Readiness Team’ of USA/Canada Region.  I was never aware that such a group existed!  Is there a ‘White Strategic Readiness Team’? In a church that serves the Lord Jesus Christ, and that preaches holiness, is there really a need for such polarization?

In the statement by this group (which probably does not even represent a majority of Nazarenes), assumptions are made which are insulting and condescending. Proposals are made which, ironically, are actually racist, as I will point out. Their statement as a whole is racially divisive, and will serve no purpose other than to further create a schism in the denomination that has been adrift for years now. No Christian denomination should be creating racial division, and yet this is what exactly has been done here.

You be the judge for yourself after reading the statement.  And we are not simply calling out this group, because surely this is with full approval of the General Superintendents.  Here are just a few of the disturbing issues I have summarized:

  1. The group recommends hiring on a National level a Chief Diversity Officer, and of course, the person must be “of color.” And he/she will have the authority to implement hiring quotas, based on… race!  This is racism.
  2. They also want to create a list of candidates for District Superintendent- based only on the color of their skin! Apparently the content of a pastor’s character will matter far less than the color of his skin. This is clearly racism.  Absolutely outrageous.
  3. From their document: “As a denomination, the Church of the Nazarene heralds a message of holiness and transformation but tends to remain comfortable with the status quo as the calls for racial justice ring through our congregations and communities.” This is such a polarizing statement. How do these folks come to the conclusion that the church is “comfortable with the status quo”?  And what is the status quo?
  4. They recommend that on the District level, “cultural sensitivity training” for all pastors and leaders be done. And… it must be led by a person of color!  Racism again! And what an insult to the many pastors who have faithfully served the Lord without a single bit of racism in their body and mind, to now ask them to be “re-trained?”.  What is the purpose? To make sure that all white Nazarenes are singing along with the same chorus of Black Lives Matter?
  5. They “affirm the significance of black lives”. They “affirm black lives matter.” They may not like this, but all lives matter! They are focusing on racial division. It will not go well.
  6. From their document: “…unjust and systematically unheard stories of unarmed Black and Brown people at the hands of those who are tasked to “protect and serve.” As many others are doing, they are seemingly lumping all law enforcement officers as being problematic, which would be a lie. It is a disrespect of those who work so hard to defend their very lives.These are just a few of the disturbing things in this document. But to summarize again, these people do not speak for the vast majority of honest, loving and totally non-racist Christians in the church.  They have bought into an idea which they feel is the only correct one, and that is that there is systemic racism in the country and in the church.  It is a lie, and there are countless blacks and other people of color who would disagree almost completely with this document. Many will say that they will not play the victim card, and that it is time to stop the racial division now in the church.

    So why is this racial division being exercised?  I believe these Nazarenes mean well, but they have made a huge mistake.  They have bought into the Marxist ideology of a hateful and terroristic organization (Black Lives Matter).  They have been duped by a tool of Satan. Instead of bringing the church together, they have helped further sow the seeds of division by emphasizing the color of one’s skin.

    A Phony Outrage

    Has this group ever expressed their concern for the thousands of blacks who die at the hands of other blacks in Chicago and other war-torn cities?  Has this group expressed their outrage at 1,000 black innocent babies that day on a daily basis? Has this group, or the church leaders, expressed outrage at the killing of police officers as a result of these protests and riots? Have they expressed outrage at the many blacks whose livelihoods have been destroyed- by other blacks! Has this group, and the General Superintendents, ever expressed outrage at ALL racism, including black on white racism?  Have they called out Black Lives Matter, a totally racist organization led by people who promote an unbiblical and Marist agenda?  No.  Instead, they shamefully stand with them. Sadly, I don’t see any evidence that they truly care about racial justice for all. 

    What a shame, and what an insult to God’s word. I am no longer a Nazarene, but as many others like me, I cry in my heart as this holiness denomination is becoming a tool of the radical leftist agendas, just as it has been captured by the emergent church ideology already. But there are no watchmen anymore at the top of the leadership, and so it’s up to the people in the pews to do something about it.

    And as Dr. Everett Piper stated recently regarding Black Lives Matter:

    “How can you stand with an organization that mocks God, denies the Bible, belittles men, demeans women and subjugates generations of black children to the dysfunction of fatherless families?  What is wrong with you?”  (Evangelical Pastors Pander to Black Lives Matter)

    —————-Here is the link to the full statement: 

    https://resources.nazarene.org/index.php/s/X8A8zQjoprHTJFB#pdfviewer

     Statement Toward Racial Justice and Righteousness Black Strategic Readiness Team – Church of the Nazarene USA/Canada June 5, 2020

    We, the Black Strategic Readiness Team of the Church of the Nazarene – USA/Canada Region, long to see our denomination better connect with and support Black communities, churches, and leaders throughout the United States and Canada. Be it known to all that we stand against racial injustice. We are personally affected and also caring for many who are affected by the recent deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. We acknowledge that their deaths represent many similar unjust and systematically unheard stories of unarmed Black and Brown people at the hands of those who are tasked to “protect and serve.” Words cannot adequately express our heartbreak for families, churches, communities, and all of humanity in this season of communal grief and urgency.

    A national outrage ensued that has rapidly spread across the nation and many parts of the world. “Enough is enough!” is the wearied outcry reverberating through the streets of our cities as protesters and allies call for change, not only against another incidence of racial injustice, but against the structures and systems that have historically and continuously devalued and marginalized the lives of Black and Brown people. Indeed, the historical sin of racism is very much a present reality and challenge for the church to address. We are seeking more than a statement.

    The complex issues of racism are deeply ingrained in the fabric of our nation, and a mere statement does not alleviate the constant searing anguish Black families and communities continue to endure. As a denomination, the Church of the Nazarene heralds a message of holiness and transformation but tends to remain comfortable with the status quo as the calls for racial justice ring through our congregations and communities. We acknowledge those who recognize and empathize with our raw pain, and we recognize our denomination’s Manual statement against racial “discrimination.” However, this is a crucial moment for the Church of the Nazarene to make commitments toward real change. We sense the need to move toward prayerful, thoughtful, and expeditious action.

    Our denomination’s growth in righteousness and justice must not be separated. Let us take seriously the Word of the Lord spoken through the prophet Isaiah: Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? (Isaiah 58:6) We ask leaders and congregations in the Church of the Nazarene to commit to breaking the chains of racial injustice. Join us in both lament and advocacy: We lament. We lament that racism continues to narrate the nation and negatively affect Christians’ imagination of what is possible. With the Psalmist, we cry out, “How long, O Lord?” We plead for the Holy Spirit to open calloused hearts and closed minds. We plead for the Holy Spirit to make the truth plain to those accustomed to finding their away around the Way of Jesus.

    Amidst this lament, we recognize that God has given human beings agency to participate in the Way forward and has empowered the church to bear witness to the kingdom of God here and now.

    We stand. We stand with every church and pastor who continues to trumpet the call for true justice and peace. We stand in alignment with God’s heart for justice to set the oppressed free (Luke 4:18)

    We affirm. We affirm God’s call to holiness of heart and life, which necessarily includes a commitment to racial justice. God chose the oppressed Hebrew community. God also identified with the oppressed people of Nazareth. We are called to illuminate the lives of people who have been systematically devalued in the United States. Affirming the significance of black lives is an essential way of resisting the evil fist of an unjust and prejudiced system that capitalizes on the suffering and death of Black people. We affirm that Black lives matter.

    We call. We call on the church to welcome and support courageous conversations about race and take bold action against racism in America and the Church of the Nazarene. This includes reflection upon the way racial injustice may be linked to other forms of injustice and will take commitment and intentionality from all levels of our denomination.

    We seek. We seek unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We seek the peace of our communities. We seek shalom for all, recognizing that we can no longer settle for false notions of amity and

    reconciliation. True peacebuilding requires the uncomfortable work of unmasking and naming oppressive power structures as well as embracing the diligent work of change.

    We, hereby, recommend the following immediate action steps as we engage in longer-term planning:

    Action Steps on the National Level

    1. The General Board should facilitate an honest conversation with church leaders at every level about systemic racism in the Church of the Nazarene.
    2. The General Church (GMC) should hire a Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) of color for the USA/Canada region. He/she must be a member of the senior leadership team and be given full authority/power to enact hiring practices and recommendations and to ensure their implementation. He/she must also work with District leaders on developing objectives to ensure that districts reflect the diversity of their locality at every level.
    3. The General Superintendents should include and recommend on their short list qualified persons of color to fill District Superintendent vacancies in the USA/Canada region.

    Action Steps on the District Level

    1. District Superintendents and DAB (District Advisory Board) should conduct ongoing cultural sensitivity & diversity training for all local pastors and leaders. This training should be led by someone of color, preferably from outside the district.
    2. During pastoral assessments, District superintendents should openly engage the local church board/congregation about racial injustice in their congregation.
    3. The (DAB) should reflect the cultural diversity of the district that it serves.
    4. District Superintendents and DAB’s should develop relevant action steps aimed at increasing the presence of Black leaders and churches of color.

    Action Steps on the Local Level

    1. Pastors should intentionally address the challenges that people of color face.
    2. Pastors/church boards should promote and encourage intercultural activities.
    3. Pastors should seek opportunities to exchange pulpits with ministers of color who are in harmony with the Wesleyan doctrine of holiness.
    4. The local church and leadership should develop a plan for the church to reflect the diversity of the community at large and provide resources and support to its constituency.
    5. Churches should promote and provide a platform for open dialogues on racism with children, youth and young adults.

    Action Steps for Black Pastors and Leaders

    1. Pastors should encourage their parishioners to exercise their right to vote.
    2. Pastors should seek opportunities to exchange pulpits with Anglo pastors and ministers who are in harmony with the Wesleyan doctrine of holiness.
    3. Pastors should seek opportunities to preach about racial harmony, justice and a proper response to unjust treatment (e.g. nonviolent direct action, voting, participation in police merit boards, etc.…)
    4. Pastors/churches should open their doors to community forums that address their community’s racial disparities (i.e. health, economic, education, etc.)
    5. Pastors, church leaders, and parishioners should participate in District and General church activities throughout the year. May we move together toward racial justice and righteousness as we seek to bear witness to the kingdom of God here and now. May we move with faithfulness and urgency.

    Grace and peace, Dr. Charles A. Tillman, Facilitator Rev. John Wright Rev. David Solomon Dr. Sidney Mitchell Dr. Montague Williams Rev. Dianne Bonner Rev. Althea Taylor Min. Cassandra Trotman

 

NEW BOOKLET: PUBLIC SCHOOL OR HOMESCHOOL?~HOW PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE CORRUPTING CHILDREN’S VALUES

NEW BOOKLET: PUBLIC SCHOOL OR HOMESCHOOL?~HOW PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE CORRUPTING CHILDREN’S VALUES

SEE: https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/newsletters/2020/newsletter20200602.htm;

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational & research purposes:

NEW BOOKLET: Public School or Homeschool?—How Public Schools Are Corrupting Children’s Values by Maria Kneas and Berit Kjos is our newest Lighthouse Trails Booklet.* The Booklet is 18 pages long and sells for $1.95 for single copies. Quantity discounts are available. Our Booklets are designed to give away to others or for your own personal use. Below is the content of the booklet. To order copies of Public School or Homeschool?—How Public Schools Are Corrupting Children’s Valuesclick here.

Editor’s Notes: Lighthouse Trails began preparations for this booklet prior to the current “coronavirus pandemic.” With this and other recent events, we believe the release of this booklet is providentially timed.

**Some of the information in this booklet is of a very sensitive nature, and some readers may find it difficult and uncomfortable to read.

Public School or Homeschool?—How Public Schools Are Corrupting Children’s Values

By Maria Kneas and Berit Kjos

Part One—True-Life Examples at America’s Public Schools
By Maria Kneas

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20)

Children spend about six hours every weekday—which is about half of their waking hours—in school. Some of those remaining waking hours are spent doing homework. Thus, it is safe to say that children’s school experience is one of the most, if not the most, major influences in their lives. So, it stands to reason that parents should be aware of what their children’s school is teaching them. This booklet you are about to read capsulates how America’s public schools are using deceptive and dangerous tactics to change the values and behaviors of children in their care. And thus, the question every parent should ask—public school or homeschool?

For generations, American children have been taught humanist beliefs and values in public schools. Christian morals have been undermined by values clarification and other techniques. This has caused a radical change in the beliefs and moral values of children in this country.1

The psychological brainwashing techniques used on our children have resulted in children accepting alternative values as opposed to having them reach those decisions rationally. In a 1993 Forbes magazine article titled “Indoctrinating the Children,” Dr. Thomas Sowell recognized this was taking place:

The techniques of brainwashing developed in totalitarian countries are routinely used in psychological conditioning programs imposed on American school children.2

In stark contrast, Dr. Chester M. Pierce, once a professor of Educational Psychiatry at Harvard University, stated that American children are “insane” because they are loyal to America, to their parents, and to their belief in God. He said it is the job of teachers to heal these “sick children” by turning them into the “international children of the future.”3

Dr. Paul Brandwein, a leading child psychologist, evidently agrees with Dr. Pierce. In his book, The Social Sciences, Dr. Brandwein said, “Every child who believes in God is mentally ill.”4 This must have a practical impact on our education system because government schools have psychologists.

For years, the National Education Association (NEA) has been promoting sex education with the goal of radically changing how students think about sex.5 Sometimes, the results are drastic enough to make the news. One such case was reported in an article in October 2019 stating that an Austin, Texas school district will teach children as early as sixth grade about oral and anal sex, and this includes role playing. The children will also pretend to have sex when they are drunk and will pretend to put a condom on somebody. In addition, the homosexual and transgender agenda will be integrated into the children’s lives. The article explains:

As detailed by Texas Values, the curriculum discourages gender-specific language like “mother” and “father” because it “can limit [children’s] understanding of gender into binaries,” [it] encourages children to attend LGBT “pride” rallies and explore other ways to become LGBT “allies.”6

A 16-year-old girl at a Colorado high school was required to role play getting raped in front of her classmates. She was also required to read out loud a poem which has such an indecent attitude towards sex that I cannot describe it here in this booklet. That poem is full of four-letter words. The girl was traumatized by having to do these things in front of her classmates.7

The NEA has also been promoting “death education,” with a goal to change thinking about death as radically as they were able to change thinking about sex. Do you remember that shooting at Columbine? Prior to that horrific shooting by two teens, for years that school had been teaching death education.8

Some schools even have a “suicide talking day.” On that day, students write suicide notes. They write their own obituaries and discuss what they will look like in their caskets. One student said that before “suicide talking day,” she never considered the possibility of suicide. After that day, she began to contemplate it. She thought it would “liberate her spirit” so that it would no longer be “enslaved to her body.” In addition, it would help with the problem of global overpopulation. She said that the suicide training made her “brave enough” to commit suicide.9

In 2019, a 13-year-old girl in Kansas was asked to indicate which students she would kill if she wanted to kill five students in her class. She pointed at four of them and at herself. While pointing, her hand was in the shape of a “finger gun” (the index finger pointing and the thumb raised). Because of that, her teacher took her to the principal. That girl was handcuffed, arrested, and taken to a juvenile detention center. The girl was charged with committing a felony.10

Public schools are also promoting occultism. There is a reading series called “Impressions” that is used in the second and third grades of some public schools. It teaches the students how to cast spells. One of the exercises is to pretend that some children have had a magician cast a spell on them. In order to help the children, it is necessary to reverse that spell. The students are told to write the spell that the magician used and then write another spell to reverse it. Then they are told to chant their spells. By making them chant the spells, the teacher is requiring them to do role playing. They are taking on the role of a sorcerer or a witch.11

Some public schools teach reincarnation. This is contrary to Scripture. The Bible says that we die once (as opposed to being recycled), and then we are judged (Hebrews 9:27). One student said that death was portrayed as being glamorous and living was portrayed as being hard. She said students were taught that reincarnation would solve their problems, because they would return in a better life form and eventually they would “become like God.”12
This teaching makes death look like a helpful friend, instead of an enemy. Therefore, it could make some vulnerable students become more likely to commit suicide or murder.

Seventh grade students in California were required to study Islam for three weeks. This included mandatory role playing. The students had to pretend they were Muslims. They prayed to Allah, chanted praises to Allah, and adopted Muslim names. They played a game that simulated a jihad (a holy war against enemies of Islam), and they planned a pilgrimage to Mecca. Students were encouraged to dress like Muslims and to use Muslim phrases. They were required to memorize Muslim prayers. During Ramadan, they had to fast at lunchtime. Teachers told the students that, while they were taking this intensive course about Islam, they would “become Muslims.” The textbook about Islam did not mention Islamic conquest or Islamic violence against Jews. The Muslim religion was only shown in a good light.13 You can be sure you will not find a public school in this country that would permit Christianity in the same scenario.

Some public schools have After School Satan Clubs. These are being promoted by the Satanic Temple. As of October 2016, there were clubs in Washington D.C., Arizona, Missouri, Washington, Utah, Florida, California, and Georgia. In addition, the Satanic Temple in Portland, Oregon got permission to have a club at an elementary school there.14

Part Two—Understanding Values Clarification and How It Destroys Values and Behavior
By Berit Kjos

Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding: but that which is in the midst of fools is made known. Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. (Proverbs 14:33-34)

Should schools teach values? They inevitably do. So, the essential question is: Whose values?

Years ago, history books presented honorable heroes who modeled faith, courage, honesty, and integrity. Elementary readers introduced children to memorable characters who demonstrated genuine love, not a fleeting loving feeling, but the deep, laying-down-your-life kind of love that is so often ridiculed today.

A daring curriculum replaced those former virtues, while carefully combing through textbooks for any trace of biblical bent. Curriculum change agents made sure literature was free from “biased” words like wife, husband, or marriage and hunted for books that emphasized what they considered reality and relevance by modeling adultery, homosexuality, dishonesty, and drug abuse.

Called “values clarification,” this “progressive” program challenges our children to defend or deny all the cherished goals and guidelines of earlier days. It insists that the only true values are those a child chooses himself in response to his immediate needs, desires, and circumstances. It tells him, “Do your own thing!” The result is a growing social chaos among people who, like Israel during the time of the Judges, do what is “right in [their] own eyes” (Judges 17:6 and Judges 21:25).

A mother from Kenosha, Wisconsin felt the painful effects of what her children were learning in school:

By the time my first two children had reached third grade, I realized something was wrong. The child I took to school in the morning was not the child I picked up after school in the afternoon. If this change had been a positive change, reflecting academic progress, I would have been delighted. However, the change I noticed was in their value system. They seemed to be desensitized to the morals I had been trying to instill in them as their mother, and I thought that I had failed. . . .

I failed because I had assumed the schools my children were attending were like the schools I had attended.

I found instead that the thrust of schools had turned from education to indoctrination. I found the values I instilled in my children were not reinforced or respected by the schools, but were systematically challenged in the classroom.15

Spreading like cancer, this values transformation extends from the very core of our educational system to all its parts. In the name of progress, it promotes a self-centered kind of freedom from commitment and self-control.

Junior and senior high school students in Michigan were told to relax and “fantasize” in order to design a device for birth control “they would enjoy using.” They were to discuss the criteria used for planning and the advantages of one design over another. Finally, they compared their design with existing contraceptives.16 This scenario took place over thirty years ago; you can imagine how much worse it is today.

What do students learn from this kind of exercise? The answer lies in the common goals of the humanist NEA, the New Age movement, and Planned Parenthood—three social forces that have surged forward together, dead-set on accomplishing their purpose. All three of these groups saw the need to break free of “traditional” and “religious” authority that hampers the desires of young people for sexual expression and activity according to whatever proclivity and lifestyle they desire. As Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger put it, sex is the “radiant force” enabling mankind to “attain the great spiritual illumination which will transform the world, which will light up the only path to an earthly paradise.”17

Such hedonistic philosophy cannot bring fulfillment. Instead, it stirs insatiable cravings. Luring children into this sensuous, self-centered lifestyle is Satan’s most effective way of turning them away from God. If they embrace sin, they cannot see God’s glory (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Back to “Nature”

Humanism inflamed the intellectual community because it mirrored what they already believed. Likewise, Darwin’s theory of evolution became an instant hit because he put a plausible “scientific” framework around a myth that had already found acceptance—thus validating it. This explains why “creative” scientists could produce a full-bodied drawing of their mythological missing link from fractions of bones and get away with it. Though admittedly false, the familiar monkey-to-man line-up may remain in textbooks—as if true—until evolutionists find better “proof” for their popular beliefs. The probabilities of chance-evolution have been likened to that of a tornado sweeping through a scrap yard and accidentally forming a Boeing jet.

Far more than an attempt to explain origins, evolution has become a social philosophy—the way to view all of life. Evolutionists see man simply as a higher form of animal. Since we train animals to serve society, why not use psychological techniques like behavior modification in the classroom? Why not “free” children to exercise their natural instincts, satisfy their evolving animal nature, and thereby fulfill their human potential?

Humanist goals have not changed since Darwin’s days. In fact, the educators who signed the Humanist Manifesto II in 1973 stressed a “natural” and evolutionary way of life:

In the area of sexuality, we believe that intolerant attitudes, often cultivated by orthodox religions and puritanical cultures, unduly repress sexual conduct. The right to birth control, abortion, and divorce should be recognized . . . Moral education for children and adults is an important way of developing awareness and sexual maturity.18

Even before the signing of the revised manifesto, two innovative humanists, William Glasser and Sidney Simon, showed the way to implement it. Published in 1969, Dr. Glasser’s book, Schools Without Failure, presented a “daring new program”19: The class, led by the teacher, would become a counseling group. Somehow, by airing uncomfortable circumstances and feelings each day, this encounter group was supposed to teach social responsibility and solve behavioral problems. Consider the effect of this suggestion by Dr. Glasser:

Children will often become very personal, talking about subjects that ordinarily are considered private. . . . The teacher should keep in mind that in class meetings, free discussion seems to be beneficial and that adult anxieties are often excessive. Nevertheless, a child who discusses drunken brawls at home might quietly be asked to talk about something that has more relationship to school.

Changing the subject in this way is sometimes unwise, however because it is just those drunken brawls at home that have the most relationship to his school progress.20

Professor Sidney Simon went a step further. His book, Values Clarification—A Handbook of Practical Strategies for Teachers and Students, is packed with classroom exercises which filtered into textbooks and public schools. A popular strategy called values voting is “a simple and very rapid means by which every student in the class can make a public affirmation on a variety of values issues.”21

The teacher simply asks a question. The students respond affirmatively by raising their hands. They give a negative reply by pointing their thumbs down. If undecided, they fold their arms. To pass, they do nothing. After the teacher has asked about ten questions, the class discusses the answers. Each child is forced to take a public stand—even if he passes. Imagine the effect of this kind of peer pressure on a child who feels insecure.

The teacher asks, “How many of you:

. . . think there are times when cheating is justified?”
. . . regularly attend religious services and enjoy it?”
. . . think that women should stay home and be primarily wives and mothers?”
. . . would like to have a secret lover?”22

Simon recommends this list for all ages. For secondary students, he adds questions such as: “How many of you think sex education instruction in the schools should include techniques for lovemaking, contraception?” and “How many of you think you will continue to practice religion, just like your parents?23

Clarifying Values Clarification
Parents and teachers across the nation have agonized over the emotional damage caused by the psychological manipulations of values clarification. In response to their outcry, the Department of Education held hearings in seven locations across the country to implement the Protection of Pupil Rights (Hatch) Amendment of 1978 (modified in 2001). Hundreds of parents testified at the hearings held in Seattle, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Phoenix, Orlando, Concord (New Hampshire), and Washington, D.C. An amazing book written by Phyllis Schlafly in 1988 titled Child Abuse in the Classroom reported violations from the official transcripts of the proceedings. They fell into these categories:

Bias against Christian values. A mother from Oregon, whose son became “very confused as to the rightness or wrongness of stealing,” shared this testimony:

Young children are expected to fill in sentences such as, “the trouble with being honest is ______.” They are asked, what would be the hardest thing for you to do: “steal, cheat, or lie?”

This question was discussed in the third grade: “How many of you ever wanted to beat up your parents?”24

Bias toward humanist/New Age values. A first-grade lesson in “sex equality” shows the cruel pressure to conform.

The students each had two naked dolls, one male, the other female. They were asked to dress the dolls in work clothing to show that both genders could work at any job. . . . there were no dresses. All clothing was male-oriented. Then the teacher had the students sit in a circle while she pulled out objects from a sack, like a pancake turner or a tape measure. She asked, “Who uses this, mom or dad?”

If the students did not answer the way she had wanted, she would say, “Well, who else uses this?” Finally one little boy raised his hand and said, “I don’t care. Men ought to be doctors and ladies nurses.”

The teacher then asked how many of the students agreed with him. By the tone of her voice, they knew no one should raise a hand, so no one did. The little boy was so humiliated by the peer pressure and class manipulation . . . that he started to cry.25

Striving with religious zeal to convert children to “moral relativism” or “situational ethics,” humanist educators argue that anything other than “value-free” teaching is religion. To them, only values that fit man’s desires are valid. For if man is his own god, he has divine authority to choose his own rights and wrongs. Frequent changes in terminology block the kind of “clarification” that exposes the mental manipulation. Programs might be called “values education,” “self-awareness,” “decision-making,” “self-acceptance,” or “interpersonal relationship skills.”

Values clarification is neutral, argues Simon, since every value is as valid as any other. To him, the only wrong position is one that believes in absolute values—and therefore opposes his belief that all values are relative.26

Parents from New Jersey “could not find . . . in any of the hypothetical situations, a single portrayal of parents in a positive manner. Parents were shown to be overreaching, nagging, unfair, and overcritical of their children’s friends.” No wonder many children are confused about values, question their faith, and resist their parents.27

Another popular technique described in Child Abuse in the Classroom makes home problems the focus of classroom discussion:

Earlier this year, my fifth grader came home from school telling me about a new classroom activity called Magic Circle. . . . He told me the children sit in a circle and tell each other positive and negative things about each other. The teacher is not a trained psychologist, and this type of group therapy can be harmful to a child if done improperly.

I also resent the probing questions asked by the teacher in this setting:

“How many of you have unemployed parents?”
“How many of you have divorced parents?”
“If any of you are abused sexually, I want you to tell me, because by law I have to report it.”

One mother summarized her feelings, “I consider this curriculum an invasion of family privacy, a subtle effort to erode all authority and undermine the traditional values that have made this nation great.28

Many of the ways schools gain private information about the home life of its students are so subtle they escape notice. Often personal projects are hidden in curriculum that appears unrelated, such as physical education, English, or history. A teacher in the Lansing, Michigan school district observed:

Students are all treated as in need or as having problems. Children are being pre-tested, then subjected to an affective [relating to feelings] values program as treatment for the disturbed child; then the child is post-tested to see what measurement of change has been produced by the affective values program.

No parent has ever been notified or allowed to view the materials, nor have they ever consented to psychological diagnosis or treatment by an unlicensed psychologist or a psychiatrist. The children have even been promised that their parents won’t be allowed to see their answers, “so be honest.”29

Peer pressure is used for conforming children to group standards—or to the values of the more popular students.

Common Core
In 2013, I wrote a booklet titled A “Common Core” For a Global Community: What’s in Store for the Education of Today’s Children?. In that booklet, I stated:

I came across a headline that illustrates the corrupt values and shameless propaganda behind UNESCO’s Common Core indoctrination. The headline read: “Students Asked to ‘Argue That Jews Are Evil’ and Prove Nazi Loyalty in Assignment Linked to Common Core.” In other words, traditional values are out! Shocking propaganda is in! . . .

The goal of education has changed! Our public schools no longer teach the kind of literacy, history, math, and morality we once considered essential to responsible citizenship. The new agenda infiltrating our schools is designed to train a new generation of postmodern “progressive” students to believe whatever might serve a pre-determined “common good.”

If their educators succeed, tomorrow’s students will have neither the facts nor the freedom needed for independent thinking. Their “common core” will be based on a global collective agenda, not on Western democracy or Christian values. Like Nazi youth, they will be taught to react, not think, when nudged to do the unthinkable.30

If you want to gain some understanding about Common Core, I encourage every parent who has a child in public school to order the booklet. It’s also available to read for free on my publisher’s blog.

Part Three—What Can Parents Do?
By Maria Kneas

The scenarios we have described in this booklet are just a fraction of what has been happening in public schools. Children, from the moment they walk through the school doors in kindergarten (and even preschool), are being transformed and their values corrupted with ideologies that promote and encourage homosexuality, evolution, atheism, transgenderism, suicide, abortion, rebellion against parents, sexual promiscuity, occultism, and New age meditation (partly through the mindfulness programs now in most public schools). Are we saying that every public school teacher is part of this agenda? No, there are Christian teachers in the schools who are trying to have a truly positive and godly influence on children, but, for most of them, their hands are tied in just how much they can share; if they don’t go along with the curriculum and school districts’ plans, they’ll be out of a job.

How can such things happen here in America? It’s being done incrementally, in small continual steps, over a long period of time as this booklet shows. It’s part of the anti-biblical, anti-Christian agenda of modern “progressive” education. This was promoted by John Dewey (the “father” of modern education), and it continues to be promoted by the National Education Association.

When incrementalism is combined with values clarification, sex education, death education, and in more recent years, occultism, the result is a deadly onslaught against the faith and morals of children from Christian homes. It also puts incredible stress and confusion on children as they experience daily the vast contrast and conflict between home life and school life. Values clarification denies the reality of good and evil, and it gets school children to make immoral decisions. Those immoral decisions often involve sex and death. This is a pressure that no child should have to undergo.

Hitler said, “He alone who owns the youth gains the future,” and he developed the Hitler Youth in order to indoctrinate the children into complying with his agenda. The communists did the same thing with the Young Pioneers. Today’s progressives also know that in order to take over our culture, they have to change the thinking of our children. The apostle Peter warned us:

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

We need to be vigilant to protect our children from being devoured by those who are out to destroy their faith and their morals.

The most obvious way to avoid exposing your children to the corruption in our public schools is to homeschool them. Instead of handing over your children for six or seven hours a day to teachers, curriculums, and administrations who have purposed in their hearts to alter their values, Christian parents can be the ones who are the greatest influencers of their children’s lives.

Thus far, we still live in a country where parents are legally allowed to homeschool. Some parents may feel they are not qualified to homeschool, but there are many excellent Christian resources available, both online and in print. There are also organizations that help homeschoolers and their parents. Plus, many communities have very active homeschool groups, which provide group activities and support for parents. Interestingly, during the 2020 “coronavirus pandemic,” schools worldwide were shut down, forcing children to school at home. Parents were now having to do what many had feared they would never know how to do. One article describes one such family from Australia:

Arianwen Harris used to joke that homeschooling was her “worst nightmare.” “I’ve never wanted to homeschool . . . I just never thought it was something that I would be capable of doing.”31

Now, this family has decided to continue homeschooling even after the schools re-open seeing how her children are thriving since being home taught.

When you stop and think about it, the widespread attempt to undermine the faith and morals of our children is actually a form of persecution. It’s not as obvious as slaughtering people and burning churches, but the goal is the same—to wipe out Christianity and replace it with something else. In my book How to Prepare for Hard Times and Persecution, I discuss these things while offering helpful biblical antidotes.

For families where homeschooling is simply not an option, parents can send their children to private Christian schools. But beware, and do your homework—even some private Christian schools have bought into the cultural lies permeating our society today. Churches can deceive people, and so can schools.

Some say that children from Christian homes should attend public school so they can be a light and a witness to their unbelieving classmates. That’s certainly something to consider. But for that to work, parents would need to devote possibly as many active participative hours in a week with their child as he or she is spending at school. That would be roughly thirty hours a week (four plus hours a day) teaching, praying with, and counteracting the influence of the secular school with no guarantee that the schools won’t win your child to their side. The facts speak differently with story after story of children from Christian homes either forsaking the faith of their parents or at least being severely traumatized by the deluge of ungodly teaching and influence found in the public schools.

What we have shared with you in this booklet is heavy and certainly could be cause for despair. And apart from God, we have every reason to be discouraged. But God is greater than the social, political, and spiritual forces corrupting our world, and we know that our Redeemer lives. Someday, we will live in a Holy land with our King. He has promised this to those who name the name of Jesus Christ. In the meantime, let us remember that in the light of His sufficiency, we can face unafraid the future of our children, and we can pray daily for His wisdom and His guidance in the way in which we should go.

And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. (Isaiah 58:11)

In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge. (Proverbs 14: 26)

Above all, we need to pray, and keep on praying. And we need to keep reading the Bible and be serious about basing our lives and our practical decisions on what the Bible says. Remember that, as parents, it is ultimately our responsibility to see that our children are brought up in the ways of the Lord; when fostered with truth and grace, the homeschooling experience may be the most loving option for our children.

A Few Resources for Homeschool Families

While we are providing the following resources, please always do your own research and use discernment no matter what resources you are using. As the Bible tells us, we are to be bereans (Acts 17:10-11) and to test all things to make sure they line up with God’s Word.

There are many different homeschool curriculums available today. Some have been around for a long time and have proven to be trustworthy, effective, and easy to use (e.g., Abeka, BJU Press, Switched on Schoolhouse by Alpha Omega Publications, LIFEPAC by Alpha Omega Publications, and A.C.E. (Accelerated Christian Education). There are some free programs available as well. (Regarding a very popular homeschool program, Classical Conversations, we have some strong concerns about it.32)

  • The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) defends the rights of parents to “direct the education of their children and to protect family freedoms.” They have e-newsletters and their website gives information about homeschool laws by state (https://hslda.org/content). The site also has curriculum reviews, which are helpful when choosing a curriculum.
  • Homeschool.com has a list of homeschool support groups, listed state by state (and also includes other countries): https://www.homeschool.com/supportgroups/united-states. You can also find local homeschool support groups through social media such as Facebook.
  • A few helpful books on homeschooling are 102 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum (Duffy), What Your Child Needs to Know and When (Sampson) and Educating the Wholehearted Child (Clarkson). Disclaimer: By listing these books, we are not necessarily giving an endorsement. As with everything, use discernment, and weigh everything you read with Scripture. An excellent resource is Berit Kjos’ book, How to Protect Your Child From the New Age and Spiritual Deception, which offers many practical and biblical ideas.

If you are going to homeschool your children, we commend you. Pray for discernment so you can spot curriculum or materials that do not line up with God’s Word. Just because a curriculum is advertised as Christian homeschool curriculum does not necessarily mean it has biblical standards. Today, there are curriculums that promote all kinds of false and dangerous teachings (e.g., legalism, Calvinism, New age meditation practices such as mindfulness and centering prayer, and Word-Faith). If you are not sure how to recognize false teachings, we encourage you to read some of the Lighthouse Trails topical booklets. They are inexpensive and cover a vast array of vital issues. Before you choose your homeschool curriculum, research, ask questions, find reviews, and most of all, pray.


To order copies of Public School or Homeschool?—How Public Schools Are Corrupting Children’s Valuesclick here.

Endnotes

  1. Berit Kjos, How To Protect Your Child From The New Age & Spiritual Deception (Eureka, MT: Lighthouse Trails Publishing, 2013), pp. 53-66.
  2. Thomas Sowell, “Indoctrinating the Children” (Forbes, February 1, 1993), p. 65.
  3. “‘Expert?’ Says American Children Mentally Ill.” (http://www.gospelweb.net/CultureWar/childrenmentallyill.htm).
  4. “New Age Professors Teach Our Children’s Teachers” (http://www.tpromo2.com/gko/aug01/vampire.htm), note: To find the quotation by Dr. Paul Brandwein, search for his name.
  5. Carl Sommer, Schools in Crisis: Training For Success Or Failure? (Houston, TX: Advance Publishing, 1984, http://www.advancepublishing.com/schoolsincrisis/sicch12.pdf), chapter 12, “Education for Sex or Immorality.”
  6. Calvin Freiburger, “Texas School District to Teach Third Graders About Sodomy, Condoms” (Life Site News, October 31, 2019, https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/texas-school-district-defies-community-outrage-to-ok-radical-sex-ed; see also https://txvalues.org/2019/09/24/planned-parenthood-sex-ed-not-radical-enough-aisd-proposes-canadian-curriculum-to-indoctrinate-children).
  7. “Colorado Parents Upset High School Teacher Assigned Sexually Explicit Material Without Their Consent” (Fox News, November 19, 2019; https://www.foxnews.com/us/colorado-parents-upset-high-school-teacher-assigned-sexually-explicit-material-without-consent).
  8. Phyllis Schlafly, “What Caused Columbine?” (The Phyllis Schlafly Report, Vol. 32, No. 11, June 1999; https://eagleforum.org/psr/1999/june99/psrjune99.html).
  9. David Limbaugh, Persecution: How Liberals Are Waging War Against Christians (Washington, DC: Regnery Publishing, 2003), pp. 84-85.
  10. WorldNetDaily Staff, “Real Gun is a Misdemeanor, But ‘Finger Gun’ is a Felony” (WND, November 17, 2019; https://www.wnd.com/2019/11/real-gun-misdemeanor-finger-gun-felony).
  11. “Halloween Origins and Customs” (The Jeremiah Project, October 2019; https://web.archive.org/web/20190805030223/https://www.jeremiahproject.com/culture-war/halloween-origins-and-customs).
  12. David Limbaugh, Persecution, op. cit., p. 84.
  13. Ibid., pp. 76-77.
  14. Megan Briggs, “Satanic Temple in Portland Obtains Permission to Hold After School Club in Elementary School” (Church Leaders, October 4, 2016; https://churchleaders.com/news/288381-satanic-temple-portland-obtains-permission-hold-school-club-elementary-school.html).
  15. Phyllis Schlafly, Child Abuse in the Classroom (Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, 1988), p. 195.
  16. Ibid., p. 146.
  17. Margaret Sanger, The Pivot of Civilization (New York, NY: Brentano’s Publishers, 1922), p. 271.
  18. Humanist Manifesto II (http://www.americanhumanist.org/Humanism/Humanist_Manifesto_II).
  19. William Glasser, M.D., Schools Without Failure (New York, NY: Harper & Row, 1969), back cover.
  20. Ibid., p. 161.
  21. Sidney B. Simon, Leland W. Howe, and Howard Kirschenbaum, Values Clarification (New York, NY: Hart Publishing Co., 1972), p. 38.
  22. Ibid., pp. 39, 41-46.
  23. Ibid., pp. 49, 54.
  24. Phyllis Schlafly, Child Abuse in the Classroom, op. cit., p. 57.
  25. Ibid., pp. 45-46.
  26. Richard A. Baer, Jr., “Teaching Values in the Schools: Clarification or Indoctrination?” (American Education, January 1982, https://confluence.cornell.edu/download/attachments/11542/Teaching_Values_in_the_Schools.pdf?version=1&modificationDate=1338225531000), p. 11.
  27. Phyllis Schlafly, Child Abuse in the Classroom, op. cit., p. 126.
  28. Ibid., pp. 83-84.
  29. Ibid., p. 137.
  30. Berit Kjos, A “Common Core” for a Global Community (Eureka, MT: Lighthouse Trails Publishing, 2013, https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=13825).
  31. Ellen Coulter, “Coronavirus Turned These Families into Accidental Homeschoolers, and They’re Not Looking Back” ( ABC News, Australia, May 10, 2020, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-11/coronavirus-education-homeschool-after-pandemic/12228762).
  32. A thought-provoking article about Classical Conversations is at: https://spiritualsoundingboard.com/2018/06/20/classical-conversations-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/.

To order copies of Public School or Homeschool?—How Public Schools Are Corrupting Children’s Valuesclick here.

 

WARNING: ZONDERVAN INTRODUCES ITS FIRST-EVER FILM “NINE: THE ENNEAGRAM DOCUMENTARY” TO RELEASE IN THEATERS FALL 2020

SEE: https://enneagram.movie/

WARNING: ZONDERVAN INTRODUCES ITS FIRST-EVER FILM "NINE: THE ENNEAGRAM DOCUMENTARY" TO RELEASE IN THEATERS FALL 2020

SEE: https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/newsletters/2020/newsletter20200602.htm;

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational & research purposes:
The promotional poster for the Enneagram documentary by Zondervan; used in accordance with the U.S. Fair Use Act for the purpose of critique, analysis, and review.

LTRP Note: The news release below regarding the Christian publisher, Zondervan, is posted for informational and research purposes. Lighthouse Trails warned about the Enneagram in our booklet, The Enneagram—An Enlightening Tool or an Enticing Deception? (written by Lois Putnam), which we released last Fall. Obviously, when one of the largest evangelical publishers releases a film (their first film ever) on the Enneagram, it’s clear this is a fast-growing trend within evangelicalism. We believe the Enneagram (as is Lectio Divina) is a gateway “tool” to further integrate the occultic contemplative prayer movement into the church, a movement that has so significantly influenced millions of Christians.

News Release from Zondervan Publishers

Zondervan announces the first-ever Enneagram film, NINE: THE ENNEAGRAM DOCUMENTARY, will debut in North American theaters fall 2020, featuring internationally renowned Enneagram expert and bestselling author Christopher L. Heuertz.

The documentary, produced in association with Sandoval Studios, marks Zondervan’s first foray in producing a film. Zondervan sees film as a way to broaden key messages from its authors to reach a wider audience and is actively exploring this format. Click here to continue reading.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SEE OUR PREVIOUS POSTS ABOUT HEUERTZ & THE ENNEAGRAM:

https://ratherexposethem.org/?s=HEUERTZ

https://ratherexposethem.org/?s=ENNEAGRAM 

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: KAISER PERMANENTE AMONG THOSE PUSHING MINDFULNESS & MEDITATION DUE TO CORONAVIRUS

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: KAISER PERMANENTE AMONG THOSE PUSHING MINDFULNESS & MEDITATION DUE TO CORONAVIRUS

SEE: https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/newsletters/2020/newsletter20200602.htm;

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational & research purposes:
LTRP Note: While New Age meditative practices (including “mindfulness” meditation) have integrated into all facets of our Western society, including the church, for some time, there has been an even stronger push for them since coronavirus began. Purveyors of eastern-style meditation are using the elevated levels of stress that the “pandemic” has caused to sell the idea that we need meditation practices to help alleviate that stress. The following letter to the editor gives one example (see links below for other examples).

Dear Lighthouse Trails:

I’m sending you this on the off chance you were not aware of Kaiser’s increasing mystical bent. A search for references to Kaiser or Kaiser Permanente on your site came up empty.

This morning I found email from Kaiser Permanente in my regular inbox. This isn’t unusual because my mother-in-law has been enrolled with them for some time, and Kaiser sends her several emails after each of her cancer treatments. Since she “doesn’t do the Internet,” my wife has directed Kaiser’s email to our account. I usually just drop them in a folder without reading them since they contain no info that her doctor hasn’t already given her. But among the messages today is a link to Kaiser’s “Emotional Wellness Tools,” which includes various apps for “mental health and emotional wellness.” It seems Kaiser has taken note of  “these stressful times” and has taken it upon themselves to be guardians of much more than physical health.

On one page of their website, we read:

“Everyone needs support for total health — mind, body, and spirit. These wellness apps can help you navigate life’s challenges, and make small changes to improve your sleep, mood, relationships, and more. It’s self-care made easy, designed to help you live well and thrive.”

There’s an app called “Calm” which features “More than 100 guided meditations” and other “mindfulness tools.” Another app is called “myStrength” (sic) which includes more “Mindfulness and meditation activities” as well as “Tailored programs for managing depression, stress, anxiety, and more.”

Got that? And MORE! From a mainstream healthcare provider!! I’m glad my mother-in-law isn’t computer literate, or she might be exposed to this poison.

We are living in a virtual ashram. The only antidote is the Gospel; God’s offer of eternal life as a free gift, received by simply believing in Christ as one’s Savior.

Thank you for your attention.

Charles F.


Other examples of pushing meditation because of coronavirus (posted for informational and research purposes and not as an endorsement of content or source):

Chicago Expands Mental Health Supports During COVID-19 Crisis

Headspace is offering free mindfulness courses to unemployed Americans

Governor Whitmer and Headspace Launch ‘Stay Home, Stay MIndful’ Website to Offer Free Mental Health Resources During COVID-19 Pandemic

Edward Jones: How We’re Adapting to the COVID-19 ‘New Normal’

Allianz Partners launches student support program

Coronavirus: How Nike is letting athletes teach workouts during COVID-19 pandemic

Baylor University: Global Experts Launch Online Guide for Life, Death During COVID-19 Era

Calvin University: Practicing Mindfulness in a Time of Pandemic

Religious News Service: There’s an app for that: Christian mindfulness, meditation apps find their moment

(photo from bigstockphoto.com; used with permission)


			
		

TAKING A QUANTUM LEAP INTO THE NEW AGE

TAKING A QUANTUM LEAP INTO THE NEW AGE

SEE: https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/newsletters/2020/newsletter20200602.htm;

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational & research purposes:

From Roger Oakland and Caryl Matrisciana’s book,
The Evolution Conspiracy.

There is a clear but complex marriage between physical evolution and transcendental evolution. Ironically, while forcing out creationism, many scientists and educators push for an equally religious alternative. They cling to the Eastern concept that the next stage of man’s evolution will arrive in spiritual terms. Many “prophesy” a development—a quantum leap from biological evolution into a sort of “mystical emergence.”

Fritjof Capra, an American physics professor and author of The Tao of Physics, is a prominent advocate of New Age thought who says:

The universe is no longer seen as a machine, made up of a multitude of objects, but has to be pictured as one indivisible, dynamic whole whose parts are essentially interrelated and can be understood only as patterns of a cosmic process.1

After so much indoctrination in and exposure to the unproven ideas of evolutionary thinking, growing numbers of people are now accepting the concept of this “cosmic process” as the most natural thing in the world. Natural, but deadly—for this blending of physical and spiritual evolution thickens into a hot spiritual porridge made up of a variety of assorted cereals. Mystical alchemy, charading as spiritual evolution, combines with speculation about physical evolution. This fuses with “Eastern maya,” the belief that the physical (the real, what we see) is merging with the not-yet-physical (maya) and that the mind is able to create reality (shamanism, witchcraft). This opens the door to every form of New Age deception.

The New Age movement is a hybrid of spiritually eclectic pagan consciousness that embraces every idolatry named in the Bible. Though it poses as a spiritually tolerant mindset, it is extremely intolerant of biblical Christianity.

The philosophies under its umbrella are numerous. A general summary would be any mental techniques involving altered states of consciousness through deep-breathing relaxation exercises, guided imagery, and visualization. It may also include the application of dietary or mystical folklore promising power.

Interwoven into its philosophy are a proliferation of Eastern religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism. It includes guru movements, psychotherapy cults, aberrational Christian movements, blatant satanism, witchcraft, the practice of nature worship—and the list goes on. Beliefs and practices that used to be considered overtly heathen, rooted in pantheistic evolution and confined to the streets of India or the Far East, are now common practice in tens of millions of homes across North America and Europe.

Finding the Higher Self

The road to one’s “higher self” can be long and bumpy, and those who travel it may partake of a good deal of New Age healing along the way. Many New Age/New Spirituality magazines advertise a myriad of these therapies and techniques. Such materials are often given away at health food stores throughout America and promote transcendental meditation, Yoga, Reiki (energy healing), astrology, visualization, and numerous other occultic practices.

Many modern health practitioners, including doctors and psychologists, have fallen under the spell of “holistic” medicine, a discipline in which the human body, mind, and spirit are recognized as a part of the cosmos at large. When one part of the body is ill, the healer will claim that the “spirit” must be treated by drawing on the manipulation of cosmic forces, powers, and energies. There are countless examples in the news of how New Age practices have entered the medical arena. One news article states:

Once a practice that appealed mostly to mystics and occult followers, meditation now is reaching the USA’s mainstream. . . . The medical establishment now recognizes the value of meditation and other mind-over-body states in dealing with stress-related illnesses.2

What’s more, Yoga, Eastern mediation, visualization, and other forms of hypnosis are designed to train the use of occult “energy” to escape from reality, pacify stress, and nullify ills. These notions are based on the unbiblical premise that mankind has the authority to alleviate all suffering through mind-altering techniques.

The Deceptive Promise of Godhood

The basic idea of man progressing from simple to complex, from mortality to godhood, is the underlying notion in New Age thinking. . . . The delusion that man is “literally taking control of his own evolution” is ludicrous in light of events reported daily. To imagine that we can draw from resources within ourselves as we “realize our godhood” is clear deception. The Bible says that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). Solutions of goodness cannot come from man’s imagining that his heart is evolving to a higher state of purity when it is only God who can put a clean heart inside of man:

Create in me a clean heart, 0 God; and renew a right spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10)

Humanism based on a foundation that rejects God is gaining spiritual momentum among millions today who believe that within man is the potential of “God power.” A new generation is turning back to paganism rooted in evolutionism, which promotes this religious theory.

John Randolph Price, originator of World Healing Day, in his book The Superbeings says:

A new species of man is coming forth to lead us out of darkness and into a new dimension scarcely dreamed of by ninety percent of this world. This will be the New Age of Enlightenment, and science and religion will join hands in spreading the truth that man is not the man we thought he was. I thank God that I live at this time and will be able to see the next great leap forward in man’s expanding consciousness.3

This “superconsciousness” is renamed “god consciousness within,” “the god-power,” or “the christ-within.” These are just some of the names given to man’s prideful claim that he is God and can do what only God is able to do. This spiritual mirage leads millions to what they think is soul-satisfying water. But as with any mirage, it is only an illusion.

If the “enlightened” human chooses to imagine he has the ability to control his immortality, Satan will impress upon him the means with which to do it. If the would-be reincarnationist wants to believe he has the ability to come back in another life, Satan will find a form of deception that will cause him to believe it. The same principle applies to the evolutionist who has been duped into believing he came from nothing and goes to nothing. Satan is like a chameleon and can change his color to suit the need of the moment. The apostle Peter understood this. His warning is clear:

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

Jesus also spoke of the reality of the devil and his deadly plot:

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)

There are millions today who have chosen to reject our Creator’s grace through Jesus Christ. Countless others have not yet been presented with the choice. Tens of thousands are turning away from the traditional Judeo-Christian faith of their parents or grandparents and choosing this “new” spirituality instead. Disillusioned by materialism, churchism, secularism, and humanism, seekers of self-fulfillment are turning to this new evolutionary religiosity and embracing the lie that they can become gods, or at least have the power to control their lives and destiny. Assured of inward resources and psychic powers, they attempt to fill the spiritual vacuum they feel inside.

Every Man a God

The concept that man can evolve into higher states or godhood is fraudulent, scandalous, and a complete sham that should motivate Christians with a burning desire to fight the good fight.

The new enlightened age promise of spiritual control is the same lie perpetrated by Satan when he seduced Eve in the garden of Eden (Genesis.3:4,5). It was the same spirit of rebellion that resulted in Satan being cast out of the presence of God. Isaiah 14 recounts Satan’s story from God’s perspective. Lucifer, the “son of the morning,” with all his God-given beauty and authority, brought rebellion into the universe when in his heart he said “I will” and set his mind on ascribing God’s glory to himself.
Today this rebellion continues. Listen to some quotes by well-known religious leaders and writers who believe that man is God or that God is in all humanity.*

If you want to know the closest place to look for grace, it is within yourself. . . . To put it plainly, our unconscious is God. God within us. We were part of God all the time.4—M. Scott Peck (popular New Age writer)

One of the most important books I think I’ve read in my life was a book by Eric Butterworth. . . . Discover the Power Within You. And what Eric Butterworth said in that book is that Jesus didn’t come to teach us how divine he was, but came to teach that there is divinity within us.5—Oprah Winfrey

Quantum Spirituality bonds us to all creation as well as to other members of the human family. . . . This entails a radical doctrine of embodiment of God in the very substance of creation.6—Leonard Sweet (emergent church author)

[D]ivinity will no longer be only heavenly, other, out there, up there, beyond time and space, beyond body and death. It will also be right here, right now, in me, in the earth, in this river and this rock, in excrement and roses alike.7—Sue Monk Kidd (author of The Secret Life of Bees)

You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.8—Eugene Peterson (author of The Message)

. . . underneath each of us is a “golden Buddha,” a “golden Christ” or “a golden essence,” which is our real self.9—Jack Canfield (author of Chicken Soup for the Soul books)

For the Son of God became man so that we might become God. (#460)10—from the Catechism of the Catholic Church

The God who dwells in our inner sanctuary is also the God who dwells in the inner sanctuary of every human being.11—Henri Nouwen (Catholic contemplative priest)

Because God is with you all the time, no place is any closer to God than the place where you are right now. The Bible says, “He rules everything and is everywhere and is in everything.”12—Rick Warren (said in The Purpose Driven Life)

“God” who is the ground of all being, dwells in, around, and through all things.13—William Paul Young (in The Shack)

I am above all as well as in all.14—Sarah Young (said by “Jesus” in Jesus Calling)

Word-Faith leader Kenneth Copeland says, “We are partakers of the divine nature . . . you don’t have a God in you, you are one!”15 and “Adam is as much like a god as you could get, just the same as Jesus . . . he’s God manifested in the flesh.”16 “I say this and repeat it so it doesn’t upset you too bad . . . when I read in the Bible where He [Jesus] says, ‘I Am,’ I say, ‘Yes! I am too!”17

These statements declaring that man is God or is becoming God and that God is in all His creation fit into the spiritual evolution agenda all too well. Satan’s deception, that man is God or can become God, is now being taken dangerously further. As man schemed to build a unified government with spiritual aspirations in Babel, so again today he is attempting to manipulate mass consciousness. It is the hope of many world leaders that global unity and man-made “peace” will ultimately overcome what the Bible says about the coming end of the world and that we will be able to create a world-wide Utopia. It will be the long-awaited “Age of Aquarius” when man will realize his own divinity and a world ruler will bring “peace” to the whole planet. Even religious leaders are telling us we should take the book of Revelation as a warning and not as a prophecy and bring God’s “kingdom now” to the earth. But the book of Revelation will someday be fulfilled to the last detail when Jesus returns to a planet on the brink of destruction.

Satan’s Final Strategy

There is a school of thought which states that when the collective consciousness of the “spiritually attuned masses” attains a certain level of awareness, there will be a quantum leap into global spiritual oneness.
When this critical mass happens, it will form a spiritual basis for the coming new-world order. Growing numbers await the day when their efforts of spiritual consciousness will make the quantum leap into peace possible. This outlook plays right into the hands of Satan, who has one final strategy left in his battle for men’s souls. . . .

In his last ploy, Satan will lure men away from allegiance to their Creator. He will satisfy men with a false peace and ultimately usher in a false world leader, whom the Bible calls the Antichrist. This man will deceive the masses as they perceive him to be the global leadership they have all awaited. With accelerating speed, we see mankind being conditioned to just such a scenario. Today’s media reports detail extensively the trends of global political unity, man’s hope of a new-world order, and discussions of a global financial economy.

What’s more, mainline Christian denominations and ministries are moving toward religious ecumenism that embraces both a spiritual evolution of consciousness and evolutionary views on man and the world’s existence.

Coupled with the changing views on evolution is the view by many that we need to remove the barriers that separate the world’s religions. In a 2014 NBC news article, it reported on the Roman Catholic head Pope Francis’ views on evolution:

Big Bang theory and evolution in nature “do not contradict” the idea of creation, Pope Francis has told an audience at the Vatican, saying God was not “a magician with a magic wand.” The Pope’s remarks on Monday to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences appeared to be a theological break from his predecessor Benedict XVI, a strong exponent of creationism.18

At the same time, the Pope has become a spokesperson for bringing all the religions together. In January 2016, the Pope issued a world-wide YouTube message, stating:

Many think differently, feel differently, seeking God or meeting God in different ways. In this crowd, in this range of religions, there is only one certainty that we have for all: we are all children of God.19

The Catholic News Agency reported:

[T]his month’s prayer requests focus on Francis’ desire for Interreligious Dialogue and Christian Unity. Francis offers his universal petition so that “sincere dialogue among men and women of different faiths may produce the fruits of peace and justice,” and expresses his evangelistic prayer that “by means of dialogue and fraternal charity and with the grace of the Holy Spirit, Christians may overcome divisions.”20

In 2014, Pope Francis demonstrated his views on “sincere dialogue” when he visited Turkey’s Islamic Blue Mosque “expressing reverence during a moment of prayer observed by the nation’s grand mufti, who led him on a tour of the Islamic facility.”21 An article on the event stated:

According to reports, Francis took off his shoes, folded his hands and bowed his head, standing silently next to Rahmi Yaran, who serves as the nation’s highest Islamic leader as grand mufti. The two faced Mecca as Yaran prayed with his palms raised. . . .

Francis held his first ecumenical meeting last March, greeting Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders, as well as those who ascribe to no faith at all. During the occasion, he praised the Muslim leaders that had come for the meeting, remarking that they were men who “adore the one, living, and merciful God and who call upon Him in prayer.” 22

Profoundly revolutionary are the new missionary goals of this blossoming ecumenical, evolutionary movement. It vehemently challenges age-old values, morals, and doctrines rooted in the Bible for which the apostles, prophets, and many others were willing to be martyred. Old ways of thinking, no matter how cherished and useful in the past, have no place within post-modern man’s massive religio-political trend.

Jeremy Rifkin, leading New Age spokesperson, summarized it well:

We no longer feel ourselves to be guests in someone else’s home and therefore obliged to make our behavior conform with a set of preexisting cosmic rules. It is our creation now. We make the rules. We establish the parameters of reality. We create the world, and because we do, we no longer feel beholden to outside forces. We no longer have to justify our behavior, for we are now the architects of the universe. We are responsible to nothing outside ourselves, for we are the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever.23

The Kingdom, Here and Now

The idea that man can build his own kingdom of heaven on earth distorts the Christian’s biblical hope of the true heaven and breeds horrendous apostasy in the church. This condition is prophesied in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, which says that before the Antichrist, or false messiah, can assert himself as world leader of Satan’s kingdom on earth, there will be a “falling away” from the faith by the church. Millions of proclaiming Christians have become corrupted by the world’s agenda and are even now playing into the hands of the enemy in his quest to dupe men into believing that world consolidation will bring about a satisfying peace.

Reconstructionism, a movement significantly affecting the evangelical church, claims that Christ’s return is dependent upon a global political takeover by Christians who must establish His kingdom on earth before He can return. Advocates of Kingdom Now and Dominion Theology join in this dangerous perpetration of such heresy. Certain charismatics in mainline denominations fall into the same apostasy, adopting Latter Rain and Manifest Sons of God theology which claim that a “raising” of Christian consciousness is necessary to restore God’s earthly kingdom.

How presumptuous to think that God needs the help of either Christians or nonbelievers to accomplish His destiny! The Christian’s citizenship is not here on Earth but in Heaven (Hebrews 11:8-10, 16). To conquer the world for God is not the ministry to which God called His church. To compromise the Great Commission is to do a corrupt disservice to the command of Christ.

Jesus said, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19,20).
The emerging church, a movement that began in the late 1990s and by some estimates claims over twenty million mostly young people,24 holds to the view that the kingdom of God is already here on Earth and that there will be no second return of Christ.

People who are deceived by these various movements will also be deceived when a world leader comes on the scene and proclaims himself to be the “Christ” that they were able to usher in due to their “important” political and social justice maneuvering.

Everywhere on Earth, Christians and other groups will praise him as a genius of global political peace. The Jews will gratefully acclaim him as the peacemaker, their long-awaited “Messiah.”

The evolutionists will see him as naturalistic emanation that formed from the cosmic universe, which at last scientifically proves that order can come out of chaos.

The Infinite Wisdom of God

As we analyze our society, it is easy to see we are being steeped in the concept that physical evolution is responsible for shaping the past and that spiritual evolution is able to create our future.

To accept the outrageous idea that godhood lies within man, not only as a personal evolutionary pilgrimage but on a grand scale, brings heavy warnings from God:

Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God . . . Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness. (Ezekiel 28:2,7)

History has proven that man’s godhood can never happen. Anytime that man attempts to rule the universe, he must fall as we see in the humbling process that befell King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4:30-35. To believe that man can bring in an age of lasting peace apart from God is to believe the lie that out of chaos comes order. But method cannot come out of madness.

Method and order are the faithful characteristics of a God of love and are transparently seen in His creation. Method and order belong to a God with eternal intentions, who gracefully shows that every jot and tittle in the Bible have an ultimate purpose in revealing Him as Truth and Love. Method and order are part of the infinite wisdom of a God filled with the purpose of bringing mankind into a loving relationship with Him, through His Son, Jesus, who died as a remission for the sins of the world “that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).


*This set of quotes can be found in Warren B. Smith’s booklet, Be Still and Know That You Are NOT God .

(photo from bigstockphoto.com; used with permission)

Endnotes:

  1. Fritjof Capra, The Turning Point (Toronto, CA: Bantam, 1982), pp. 77-78.
  2. USA Weekend Sunday Supplement, July 24-26, 1987, p. 12.
  3. John Randolph Price, The Superbeings (New York, NY: Ballantine Books, 1981), p. 17.
  4. M. Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth (New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1978), p. 281.
  5. The Oprah Winfrey Show # W265, “The New Age Movement,” Air Date: September 18, 1987.
  6. Leonard Sweet, Quantum Spirituality: A Postmodern Apologetic (Dayton, OH: Whaleprints for SpiritVenture Ministries, Inc., 1991, 1994), p. 125.
  7. Sue Monk Kidd, The Dance of the Dissident Daughter: A Woman’s Journey from Christian Tradition to the Sacred Feminine (New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers Inc.,1992), p. 160.
  8. Eugene Peterson, The Message: The New Testament in Contemporary Language (Colorado Springs, CO: Nav Press, 1993, 2003), pp. 21-22.
  9. Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, Chicken Soup for the Soul: 101 Stories to Open the Heart and Rekindle the Spirit (Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications, Inc., 1993), p. 69.
  10. Catechism of the Catholic Church (New York, NY: Doubleday, 1995), p. 229.
  11. Henri Nouwen, Here and Now (New York, NY: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1997 edition), p. 22.
  12. Rick Warren, The Purpose-Driven Life: What on Earth am I Here For? (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002), p. 88.
  13. William P. Young, The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity (Newbury Park, CA: Windblown Media, 2007), p. 112.
  14. Sarah Young, Jesus Calling (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2004), p. 199.
  15. Kenneth Copeland, “The Force of Love” cassette tape #02-0028.
  16. Kenneth Copeland, “Following the Faith of Abraham” cassette tape, 1989.
  17. Kenneth Copeland, “Believers Voice of Victory,” broadcast on TBN. July 9, 1987.
  18. “Pope Francis: Evolution and Big Bang Theory Are Real” (NBC News, October 28, 2014, http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/pope-francis-evolution-big-bang-theory-are-real-n235696).
  19. The Pope Video—Inter-religious Dialogue—January 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq7us5Lf5IU.
  20. Elise Harris, “In First Prayer Video, Pope Stresses Interfaith Unity: ‘We Are All Children of God’” (Catholic News Agency, January 7, 2016, http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/in-first-video-message-pope-francis-stresses-unity-we-are-all-children-of-god-39381/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=email).
  21. Heather Clark, “‘Pope Francis’ Bows Head in ‘Silent Adoration’ Beside Islamic Grand Mufti in Turkey’s Blue Mosque” (Christian News Network, November 29, 2014, http://christiannews.net/2014/11/29/pope-francis-bows-head-in-silent-adoration-beside-islamic-grand-mufti-in-turkeys-blue-mosque.
  22. Ibid.
  23. Jeremy Rifkin, Algeny (New York, NY: Viking Press 1983), p. 244.
  24. Antonio Mora, “New Faithful Practice Away From Churches” (Chicago News, CBS Broadcasting, July 10, 2006, http://www.religionnewsblog.com/15295/Some-Say-20-Million-Participate-In-Emerging-Church-Movement).
 

WHY CHRISTIANS SHOULD AVOID HARRY POTTER, WARNS FORMER WITCHCRAFT PRACTITIONER

WHY CHRISTIANS SHOULD AVOID 
HARRY POTTER, WARNS FORMER 
WITCHCRAFT PRACTITIONER 
Former witchcraft practitioner and instructor Matthew explains that Harry Potter contains real witchcraft spells and incorrectly teaches that you can fight evil by practicing evil. Matthew lists Scripture that clearly states we should have nothing to do with witchcraft. You can watch Matthew’s videos or contact him at: Instagram.com/2cor2_1 YouTube.com/UC77kxN_bnunKmjGxCEnmAQA https://www.pscp.tv/ChristianCoffeeTi… https://www.reddit.com/r/ChristianCof…

APOSTASY: LUTHERANS PRAY TO MOTHER GOD FOR HELP, JUST LIKE ROMAN CATHOLICS

Lutherans Pray to Mother God
LUTHERANS PRAY TO MOTHER GOD FOR HELP
BY DAVID CLOUD
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research
purposes:
LUTHERANS PRAY TO MOTHER GOD FOR HELP
(Friday Church News Notes, May 8, 2020, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) -
On April 28 the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America posted a prayer tweet addressed to “Mother God,” asking her to “raise us up to salvation ... so we may share the sweetness of your holy word with all the world.” This was one of the ELCA’s #Bread4theday Twitter posts. The ELCA is the largest Lutheran denomination in America, and it is obviously apostate. The ELCA Publishing House has printed countless volumes which promote unbelief. For example, in 1988 an ELCA book by Ragnar Leivestad, entitled Jesus in His Own Perspective, goofily claimed that Jesus never invoked for himself a special position and did not claim messianic titles. The World Council of Churches, of which the ELCA is a member, is filled with mother goddess worship. ELCA women participated in the WCC’S “Re-imagining Conference” in 1993 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Star Tribune reported that “throughout the conference worship experiences will celebrate Sophia, the biblical goddess of creation” (Nov. 3, 1993). On Sunday morning, the conferees joined together in repeating a prayer to their female goddess, including these words, “Our maker Sophia, we are women in your image. ... With the honey of wisdom in our mouths, we prophesy a full humanity to all the peoples.” At the WCC’s Seventh Assembly in 1991 South Korean Presbyterian Chung Hyun-Kyung evoked a female Holy Spirit (Religious News Service, Mar. 5, 1991). The WCC publication No Longer Strangers, a joint project with the Lutheran World Federation, which includes the ELCA, suggested that God be addressed as “The Source, Lady of peace, Lady of wisdom, Lady of love, Lady of birth, Lord of stars, Lord of planets, Mother, Home, Presence, Power, Essence, Simplicity.” Consider the poem “Bakerwoman God,” which is to be used in church services: “Bakerwoman God, I am your living bread. Strong, brown, Bakerwoman God ... Put me in your fire, Bakerwoman God ... Break me, Bakerwoman God. ... Bakerwoman God, remake me.” The hour is very late, folks!

OVER 100 PASTORS SIGN LETTER TO OHIO BOARD OF EDUCATION OPPOSING YOGA, MEDITATION BEING TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS~HOW THE NO LONGER “CHRISTIAN” YMCA & YWCA PROMOTE YOGA

VIDEO:

OVER 100 PASTORS SIGN LETTER TO OHIO BOARD OF EDUCATION OPPOSING YOGA, MEDITATION BEING TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS

BY HEATHER CLARK
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research
purposes:
(Christian News Network) — More than 100 pastors recently signed a letter to the Ohio Board of Education, which was also sent to 39 school districts, to express opposition to yoga and transcendental meditation being taught in schools as they are rooted in Eastern religion and are a spiritual practice at their core.
The letter, signed by 105 pastors from various denominations, notes that yoga has been taught during school hours in Clear Fork, Galion, Lexington, Lucas, Mansfield and Shelby counties and asks for an assurance that such practices will be discontinued.
“Yoga is not merely an external physical practice with a purely physiological effect, but rather an internal spiritual practice advertised as being able to provide the power to change an individual and transform the world,” it reads. “Specifically, yoga’s ‘stretching’ and ‘breathing’ components, called ‘asanas’ and ‘pranayama’ in Sanskrit, are intended to be spiritually transformative.”
The correspondence points to various court decisions characterizing yoga as being rooted in Hinduism, including the 1988 case of Powell v. Perry, which concluded that “yoga is a method of practicing Hinduism,” and the 1995 case of Self-Realization Fellowship Church v. Ananda Church of Self-Realization, which spoke of the “Hindu-yoga spiritual tradition.”
The pastors further provide examples of classroom or physical education sessions that incorporated yoga, including where a Lexington language arts teacher allegedly taught sixth-graders how to “salute the sun god Surya,” or “bow to the sun,” as well as how to get into a “praying hands posture.”
In Plain School District, an elementary school is said to have created a “mindfulness room” that featured quotes from the Dalai Lama. Its yoga program was discontinued in 2013 following complaints from parents.
One of the groups behind in-school teaching cited by the pastors also teaches Reiki to its followers. Examples of general Facebook posts include, “We will use ushas mudra this week to support the awakening of new and creative possibilities in this new year. What are you ready to manifest in 2020?” “How is your third eye? Are you connected to your vision center?” “How will you raise your vibration today? Come play some yoga with us!” and “Take a screen shot and see what you the Universe wants to tell you.”
The letter also notes that those involved in Eastern religion refute assertions that yoga is not a religious activity. It cites Subhas Tiwari, professor at the Hindu University of America and graduate of Bihar Yoga Bharati University, who once said, “The simple immutable fact is that yoga originated from the Vedic or Hindu culture. Its techniques were not adopted by Hinduism, but rather originated from it.”
The pastors concede that while “[m]ost initiate yoga practice for exercise and stress relief,” for others, “spirituality becomes their primary reason for maintaining practice.” They point to a study of mindful yoga retreat participants, which found that “longer-term meditators were less likely to be religious monotheists and more likely to identify as Buddhist or with ‘all’ religions.”
Photo Credit: Facebook
Further, “[w]hile proponents of Eastern religion allege yoga brings benefits to student practitioners, our biblical faith tradition brings just as many, if not more, scientifically-proven benefits,” the clergy contend. “Yet, ironically in a nation with Judeo-Christian heritage, it is school sanctioned prayer, Intelligent Design curriculum and the display of the Ten Commandments that are strictly prohibited from public schools.”
They therefore ask that the school districts discontinue teaching yoga and transcendental meditation to students.
Signees include pastors Howard Burnett of Perryville Baptist Church, Floyd Allen of Philippian Community Church, Ron Smals of Woodville Grace Brethren, Paul Larson of First English Lutheran Church, Russ Smith of Shiloh Wesleyan Church, Dan Zediker of Mission Point Mansfield, Bill Strader of Bucyrus First Alliance Church, Sylvester Ginn of Hesed Agape Fellowship, Layton Broom of Paradise Hill United Methodist Church, and William Jordan of Faith Temple Church of God in Christ.
Read the letter in full here. View some of the pastors sharing their thoughts at the end of the article.
As previously reported, in a booklet entitled “Yoga: Exercise or Religion — Does it Matter?”, author Ray Yungen outlines that while many view yoga as harmless exercise, there is no denying that the practice is rooted in Eastern New Age religion.
Hindu god Shiva. Photo Credit: Kalyan Kumar/Flickr
“The word ‘yoga’ actually means to be yoked to or united in body, mind, and spirit with Brahman (the Hindu concept of God). It doesn’t get more spiritually obvious than that,” he outlined. “… Even the traditional Hindu greeting, Namasté, that is said at the end of yoga classes, is spiritual. When translated, it means, ‘The god in me bows down to (or salutes) the god in you.’”
“If you go to the fitness section of any bookstore and look in the yoga subsection, you will find references to the spiritual aspects of Yoga such as the chakra system, kundalini, etc. in almost every book on yoga. It is quite rare to find a book on yoga that does not incorporate spiritual concepts found in classic Hinduism,” Yungen explained. “To devout Hindus, yoga cannot be separated into physical and spiritual parts. Both are relevant to the practice, with the end desire being a profound religious experience.”
He said that some Christians have wrongly concluded that yoga can be adopted by believers as long as it is stripped of its pagan aspects.
“We live in an age where the acceptance of trendy practices, such as yoga, is hammered into us from every side, with the end result being an ecumenical generic inter-spirituality that fits everybody,” Yungen lamented.
“Believers in Christ have fallen prey to some dangerous ideas. One is that we feel free to draw from pagan sources. Or, as is popularly stated, we can chew the meat and spit out the bones. But this doesn’t make any sense from a biblical standpoint,” he said. “As a Christian, we can’t segregate into portions what part we think will do us harm and what part will profit us. If the foundational spirituality is contrary to God’s word, then it will be folly to interact with it.”
SEE OUR PREVIOUS POSTS ABOUT YOGA & THE YMCA, YWCA:

WHY THE NAR IS NEW AGE WITH A CHRISTIAN VENEER

WHY THE NAR IS NEW AGE 
WITH A CHRISTIAN VENEER 
THE NEW APOSTOLIC REFORMATION EXPOSED
Why do so many ex-new agers fall into the NAR? Tara Chelioudakis, author of “The Narrow Path,” discusses the similarities between the new age and NAR, and how to avoid deception by being grounded in Scripture. Tara’s book, “The Narrow Path” is available at: https://amzn.to/2yBEIE6 Tara’s website is Narrow-Path.net and her Facebook page is:
Author Tara Chelioudakis.

OVER 100 PASTORS SIGN LETTER TO OHIO BOARD OF EDUCATION OPPOSING YOGA, MEDITATION BEING TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS~HOW THE NO LONGER “CHRISTIAN” YMCA & YWCA PROMOTE YOGA

VIDEO:

OVER 100 PASTORS SIGN LETTER TO OHIO BOARD OF EDUCATION OPPOSING YOGA, MEDITATION BEING TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS

BY HEATHER CLARK
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research
purposes:
(Christian News Network) — More than 100 pastors recently signed a letter to the Ohio Board of Education, which was also sent to 39 school districts, to express opposition to yoga and transcendental meditation being taught in schools as they are rooted in Eastern religion and are a spiritual practice at their core.
The letter, signed by 105 pastors from various denominations, notes that yoga has been taught during school hours in Clear Fork, Galion, Lexington, Lucas, Mansfield and Shelby counties and asks for an assurance that such practices will be discontinued.
“Yoga is not merely an external physical practice with a purely physiological effect, but rather an internal spiritual practice advertised as being able to provide the power to change an individual and transform the world,” it reads. “Specifically, yoga’s ‘stretching’ and ‘breathing’ components, called ‘asanas’ and ‘pranayama’ in Sanskrit, are intended to be spiritually transformative.”
The correspondence points to various court decisions characterizing yoga as being rooted in Hinduism, including the 1988 case of Powell v. Perry, which concluded that “yoga is a method of practicing Hinduism,” and the 1995 case of Self-Realization Fellowship Church v. Ananda Church of Self-Realization, which spoke of the “Hindu-yoga spiritual tradition.”
The pastors further provide examples of classroom or physical education sessions that incorporated yoga, including where a Lexington language arts teacher allegedly taught sixth-graders how to “salute the sun god Surya,” or “bow to the sun,” as well as how to get into a “praying hands posture.”
In Plain School District, an elementary school is said to have created a “mindfulness room” that featured quotes from the Dalai Lama. Its yoga program was discontinued in 2013 following complaints from parents.
One of the groups behind in-school teaching cited by the pastors also teaches Reiki to its followers. Examples of general Facebook posts include, “We will use ushas mudra this week to support the awakening of new and creative possibilities in this new year. What are you ready to manifest in 2020?” “How is your third eye? Are you connected to your vision center?” “How will you raise your vibration today? Come play some yoga with us!” and “Take a screen shot and see what you the Universe wants to tell you.”
The letter also notes that those involved in Eastern religion refute assertions that yoga is not a religious activity. It cites Subhas Tiwari, professor at the Hindu University of America and graduate of Bihar Yoga Bharati University, who once said, “The simple immutable fact is that yoga originated from the Vedic or Hindu culture. Its techniques were not adopted by Hinduism, but rather originated from it.”
The pastors concede that while “[m]ost initiate yoga practice for exercise and stress relief,” for others, “spirituality becomes their primary reason for maintaining practice.” They point to a study of mindful yoga retreat participants, which found that “longer-term meditators were less likely to be religious monotheists and more likely to identify as Buddhist or with ‘all’ religions.”
Photo Credit: Facebook
Further, “[w]hile proponents of Eastern religion allege yoga brings benefits to student practitioners, our biblical faith tradition brings just as many, if not more, scientifically-proven benefits,” the clergy contend. “Yet, ironically in a nation with Judeo-Christian heritage, it is school sanctioned prayer, Intelligent Design curriculum and the display of the Ten Commandments that are strictly prohibited from public schools.”
They therefore ask that the school districts discontinue teaching yoga and transcendental meditation to students.
Signees include pastors Howard Burnett of Perryville Baptist Church, Floyd Allen of Philippian Community Church, Ron Smals of Woodville Grace Brethren, Paul Larson of First English Lutheran Church, Russ Smith of Shiloh Wesleyan Church, Dan Zediker of Mission Point Mansfield, Bill Strader of Bucyrus First Alliance Church, Sylvester Ginn of Hesed Agape Fellowship, Layton Broom of Paradise Hill United Methodist Church, and William Jordan of Faith Temple Church of God in Christ.
Read the letter in full here. View some of the pastors sharing their thoughts at the end of the article.
As previously reported, in a booklet entitled “Yoga: Exercise or Religion — Does it Matter?”, author Ray Yungen outlines that while many view yoga as harmless exercise, there is no denying that the practice is rooted in Eastern New Age religion.
Hindu god Shiva. Photo Credit: Kalyan Kumar/Flickr
“The word ‘yoga’ actually means to be yoked to or united in body, mind, and spirit with Brahman (the Hindu concept of God). It doesn’t get more spiritually obvious than that,” he outlined. “… Even the traditional Hindu greeting, Namasté, that is said at the end of yoga classes, is spiritual. When translated, it means, ‘The god in me bows down to (or salutes) the god in you.’”
“If you go to the fitness section of any bookstore and look in the yoga subsection, you will find references to the spiritual aspects of Yoga such as the chakra system, kundalini, etc. in almost every book on yoga. It is quite rare to find a book on yoga that does not incorporate spiritual concepts found in classic Hinduism,” Yungen explained. “To devout Hindus, yoga cannot be separated into physical and spiritual parts. Both are relevant to the practice, with the end desire being a profound religious experience.”
He said that some Christians have wrongly concluded that yoga can be adopted by believers as long as it is stripped of its pagan aspects.
“We live in an age where the acceptance of trendy practices, such as yoga, is hammered into us from every side, with the end result being an ecumenical generic inter-spirituality that fits everybody,” Yungen lamented.
“Believers in Christ have fallen prey to some dangerous ideas. One is that we feel free to draw from pagan sources. Or, as is popularly stated, we can chew the meat and spit out the bones. But this doesn’t make any sense from a biblical standpoint,” he said. “As a Christian, we can’t segregate into portions what part we think will do us harm and what part will profit us. If the foundational spirituality is contrary to God’s word, then it will be folly to interact with it.”
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