It continues - seeking contact with spirit beings, tracing Buddha's footsteps, spiritual experiences, life enhancement and success through Creative Visualization [CV], reading the cards, crystals, star signs - the search for "The Secret" by any means outside of Christian doctrinaire and any practices that have a whiff of dogma.
First, the definition of 'supernatural' by many New Age [NA] adherents, especially by CV advocates, is not the same as the Christian definition. Many of them do not believe in the true supernatural essence wherein lies God, but see the supernatural as either the spirit world or soul [life force] world, or higher consciousness, or the existence of all energy, and so on. On this basis CV may simply come back to 'natural' psychic phenomena and have little to do with real spirituality, but more to do with spiritualism.
Second, CV is actually used for the summoning of spirits, but whether these are real or imaginary is hard to know. Perhaps it is purely a matter of subjective belief.
Third, Christian belief and practice has a parallel. Do we not categorically guarantee God's action in, say, the sacraments? Do we not believe in the actualized power of God's Word that is spoken through human mouths? Surely we accept Christ's own promise that He is there where two or three gather in His Name. In other words, we believe that when we do such-and-such, speak a certain formula etc., then spiritual/supernatural power is called into play. God has blessed certain practices through which He has promised His Presence and Grace, and His Church has sanctioned others which point us in His direction. CV on the surface would appear to have similarities in that it purports to exercise spiritual power in its accordance to cosmic laws and energy and thus the mind may control the spiritual. Intrinsic to this is the belief in the real power of the spoken word, the imagined word or 'positive thinking'. Basically though, the contacting of the supernatural by the word/mind/will is akin to necromancy, divination, sorcery, and is contrary to Christianity.
Certainly, we do not need NA practices, CV, motivational talks and the like. But then, we do not 'need' such things as sacramentals, crosses, devotions, rosaries, retreats, growth programs etc. So, CV and the like cannot be excluded as invalid because it is not necessary, it is to be excluded because it is wrong. And, if the wrongness is to be uncovered and exposed, will it be in this area............. that it requires man to be the Initiator of spiritual contact, [is this any different to various forms of prayer?] - that it 'summons' spirits, real or imagined, - that it is essentially power and sensation seeking - that it has too much capacity to mislead - that it is essentially self-centred?
The commercial peddlers of, say, CV [Silva Mind Control], require participants to call on 'spirit guides' as do the shamans. This is an ancient practice, but it is still occult. But, need such a practice be associated with CV, shamanism or the occult? Some will say "No", but we must ask: Is the visualization of Jesus, dead friends or living persons, very much different? Are the 'spirit guides real as claimed? If so, then we have an indictment; if not, then we are in danger of self-delusion.
We must look at other occultist tendencies in this visualization practice, namely its use for inner healing as related to the occultic changing of past or present realities and to re-incarnationalism. The perceiving of future ways of acting is related to divination. Whatever other elements are involved we ought retain a criterion: the Grace of Jesus Christ is sufficient for us here and now, regardless of past, present or future circumstances.
Dogmatics of NA visualization.......
Can CV etc. ever be considered in isolation from the doctrines surrounding it, among which are:
- you will be creator/master of your own life
- you are divinely good and infinitely perfect
- you are god
- god is higher consciousness
- there is no absolute truth or limited possibility
- there is no value in suffering or sacrifice
- you don't have to please anyone else
- you have a natural divine birthright to happiness
- the ultimate power of creating rests in our minds
- the only effective way to use CV is in the Spirit of the Way of the Tao - going with the flow
- effective visualization requires spirit guides
- the purpose of CV is to increase our 'havingness'
- always trust yourself and your own inner impulses
- five minutes of conscious positive meditation can balance out years of negative patterns
- CV cannot be used for evil
- CV is magic
- to use CV you need not have faith in any power outside yourself
- through CV you will be able to operate physically, develop ESP, and undergo astral projection.
[These tenets are taken from "Creative Visualization" by Shakti Gawain and "Silva Mind Control" by Jose Silva].
It is easily seen that such doctrines listed above:
- promote transformation of the person through his own efoorts
- deify and glorify the Self
- lead away from the concern for others [basic love]
- attempt to syncretize religious beliefs
- omit true Christian doctrine and contradict it on many points
- lead one to the eschatological New Age Nirvana rather than to Heaven
- promote psychic and occult experience
[There are many proponents apart from Gawain and Silva whom I do not deal with herein but they fall into the same category. Altogether such doctrines of New Age are primary readers for serious Satanism and various occult practices related to Ritual Rites of various organizations].
Let us now look to scriptural guidance in this area. There seems little by way of Christian "Tradition" on the subject except for what is scriptural and the writings of individuals. [Note that such individual writings exclude those revered leaders who have incorporated much of the NA method and melded their advice with Eastern Mysticism and have thus betrayed their flocks].
SELF-GOD.....
In any exegesis on our topic, the Genesis account of the first fall will be a recurrent theme. Eve is seduced by the snake's promise that they will be like God [Gn 3:5], and it is this temptation which underlies the whole history of individual sin. It is interesting though, that in a way, Eve did not fall for idle philosophy alone [cf Col 2:8], but fell for what appeared to be 'forbidden fruit' - perhaps a manifestation of the good life in store.
This was still at the bottom of the problems Paul faced in his efforts to convert people who worshipped idols that they could see rather than the God they knew, or could know through faith. But faith did not appeal to them [Rom 1:22ff]. [An aside here, but the OT is replete with the very same theme, being the continued unfaithfulness of the chosen ones and God's great love of forgiving them and re-making new covenants again and again - until the New Covenant in the Messiah which they rejected as a final rejection]. Now, CV can produce results but does the manifestation of its achievements stand before us today as that 'false idol'? Are the images we can create through the processes of NA methods any different from those ancient three-dimensional idols?
VISUALIZING GOD......
Does the Bible have anything to say about this? "The Lord Almighty said to the people of Jerusalem: 'Do not listen to what the prophets say; they are filling you with false hopes; they tell you what they have imagined and not what I have said' ".[Jer 23:16]. Like some of the prophets, do we believe that God speaks to us in our imaginings, or are our imaginings entirely our own?
"I will not let you see my face".[Ex 33:20]. These words of the Lord underpin His transcendent nature of which we are reminded time and time again. The Lord was not seen by Moses in any form [Dt 4:12-15]; He cannot be described [Is 40:18, 64:4]. He is beyond knowing [Rm 11:33], and this is so, even though we be His children [Act 17:29]. He lives in unapproachable Light [1Tim 6:16] and it is only in Jesus that He is known [1Jn 1:18]. But then, does this allow us to grasp Him through grasping Jesus who made Himself available as the immanent God?
His invitation to men : Come to Him: Send them to me: Come and see: Make your home in Me:...... are subject to the command of His other-worldly appearance: "Do not hold onto me for I am not yet ascended to the Father"[Jn 20:17]. "How happy are those who believe without seeing me"[Jn 20:27-29].
While it might be said that He does not withhold His presence in spite of His caution, we must resign ourselves to His Ascension and the subsequent life to be lived........ in the Spirit.
Yes, is it not so that in prayer, this Spirit of Jesus will put us in contact with the Lord? We must place some store in His advice to us here, for He Himself taught us to pray: "Our Father, who is in Heaven"[Mt 6:9-10].
KNOWING GOD......
The Old Testament clearly tells us that true knowledge of God does not come by our own attempts at transcendence [Ez 14:7-9, Is 19:12-14]. Certainly He will speak to those who seek Him; He will be present through mental forms but the visions He grants may lead us into a dark pit [Ps 78:21], and He will often grant His favors with great reluctance [Nm 11:18-33], because of our weakness [1Sam 8:4-10]. Yes, this is so, even though we resort to knowledge of God's will through spiritism, as when Saul consulted the reluctant spirit of Samuel [1Sam 28:14-16].
The knowledge of God's designs He makes available, not through direct visions, but through the wise counsel of those He has chosen. As He gave to Gideon [Jdg 7:9-15], so the Lord gave His counsel to Moses through Jethro [Ex 18:13-23] and His words through Aaron [Ex 4: 14-15]. Indeed, Paul sought no vision on the way to Damascus; such was given through the initiative of God, and yet, even in this most divinely initiated act, Paul was told to get his instructions from Ananias [Act 9:1-19]. And again later, Paul himself was to be the voice of the Lord to Peter [Gal 2:14].
We have reached here an apparent distinction between, on the one hand, supernatural abilities as initiated by God as 'gift' and, on the other hand, visions of the supernatural, as we would seek them out for ourselves. The charisms of the old prophets and of the new Christians are depicted as inspiration from God; given to a man for the benefit of others. Where a man needs to hear the voice of his God. he will hear it through another man to whom the Lord has imparted this Gift, wittingly or unwittingly. The man who is gifted with this knowledge [prophesy, word of knowledge, healing, etc.], possesses it only as a medium as one who presents the gift to others.
Furthermore, as we noted that God did not withhold power from His people of old albeit reluctantly, we see this continue into Jesus' time: the power of God is exercised by those who will not even enter the Kingdom [Mt 7:21f].
The theme of fraternity is very strong in this matter. Where the power of God is witnessed, there will temptation lie to seek it for its own sake and for selfish purposes. But our faith is presented always in the context of relationship and giving-receiving. That the Spirit of Jesus presents itself like a genie where two or more gather in His Name ]Mt 18:20] is too much for the Christian Scientist and the mind-control participant. Their focus lies in the power and presence, not on the Christ nor the fraternity. Doesn't what has been said about God revealing through others provide the lesson here? Jesus did not say "where one person gathers in My Name". The significance of fraternity can only mean His willingness to present Himself through other men. Two are better off than one [Eccl 4:10-12].
But where one man leads another, let there be an awareness of the need for the spiritual director to be immersed in truth, for "Where one man leads another, both fall into a pit"[Mt 15:14].
DOCTRINES, NOT VISIONS........
From whence comes any exhortation to seek God in visions or in the imagination? On the contrary, doctrinal truth is the flagship which lights the way of faith, for even if "an angel from Heaven should preach to you a gospel that is different from the one we preached to you, may he be condemned to Hell"[Gal 1:8].
Our imaginings, visions and inspired messages are children's food in the face of Faith, Hope and Love [Cf 1Cor 13:8-13]. Even if there is supernatural experience in our journey, we must hold on all the more firmly to the truths we have heard so that we will not be carried away [Cf Heb 2:1]
.............END OF PART 1...............
Bibliography:
A. Louf Teach Us To Pray [Darton Longman & Todd] 1974
A. Mottola [trans] Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius [Image Books] 1964
H. Waddell The Desert Fathers [Fontana] 1962
Hans Urs Von Balthasar Prayer [Paulist Press] 1967
E. Allison Peers The Way Of Perfection {Image] 1964
K. Kavanagh The Collected Works Of John Of The Cross [ICS] 1979
W. Johnson [Ed] The Cloud Of Unknowing
J.J.Packer Keep In Step With The Spirit [Inter Varsity Press] 1984
A. de Mello Sadhana: A Way To God [Gujarat Sahitya Prakash] 1978
D. Hunt, T.A.McMahon The Seduction Of Christianity [Harvest House] 1985
G.Lyon Playfair, S.Hill The Cycles Of Heaven [Pan] 1979
F. George [Ed] Science Fact [Topaz[ 1977
W. Martin The New Cults [Vision House] 1980
R. Brasch Strange Customs [Fontana] 1976
S. Gawain Creative Visualization [Bantam] 1985
F.S. Shinn The Game Of Life And How To Play It[ De VOrss] 1925
J. Silva The Silva Mind Control Metrhod [Grafton/Collins] 1980
G. Jampolsky Love Is Letting Go Of Fear [Bantam] 1980
Brooks and Charles Christianity and Autosuggestion [Allen & Unwin] 1923
P.C. Vitz Psychology As Religion: The Cult Of Self Worship [Eerdemans]
R.Lawler [Ed] The Teaching Of Christ [Catechism For Adults] [Sunday Vis]83
S. Neill The Interpretation Of The New Testament [Oxford] 1964
No comments:
Post a Comment